KINDLY Kilve shopkeeper Matt Hirst is no Scrooge when it comes to the festive spirit - he's installed a spectacular 17-foot high Christmas tree outside the village stores.

Over the years it has become a tradition for the owner of Kilve Stores to pay for and put up the village's main festive tree.

And this year was no exception - except Matt was determined to top all his efforts from previous years.

"We really went to town on it this year," Matt said. "We invited everyone up here for the big switch-on of the lights with mulled wine and mince pies on Friday and it seemed to go down well."

Matt had to borrow a trailer from a local business to get the impressive Nordman fir from supplier Langford Lakes near Wellington back to Kilve.

Then he, wife Charlotte and daughter Lauren had to decorate the tree with lights and baubles in readiness for the grand switch-on ceremony.

"It's an absolutely perfect shape for a Christmas tree. It looks pretty special," he said.

Matt has run the village stores since August 2007 and won the title of the West Somerset Free Press Business of the Year in 2011.

Photo: Steve Guscott