A record number of people enjoyed the spectacle of 45 beautifully decorated trees at Watchet’s St Decuman’s Christmas Tree Festival, held in the church from Thursday to Saturday last week and which raised more than £3,000.

This was followed by a well-attended Christingle Service, which brought the festival to a close. This year’s Christmas tree theme was Christmas cards and the Watchet Guides found a novel angle with their slogan Merry Christmas, with a tree decorated with card-made face masks. While the Watchet Little Saints had made reindeers from toilet rolls for their tree.

Origami ships around the tree was a creation from Watchet Sea Scouts and Watchet Live hung cut-out stars and baubles depicting playing cards on a twig tree.

The under-nine-year olds from Watchet Waves football team were snowmen and Watchet Rainbows were elves. Robins decked the trees from Stand Against Speed 4 Bethany and also the local Conservatives branch.

Large cards depicted Christmas trees in displays from the Art Club, Mothers’ Club and St Peters PCC plus striking contributions from the Watchet and Williton Scouts, Watchet Guides, Brownies and Rainbows, Knights Templar Nursery and Dragons’ Den, Little Saints and four trees from Year 5 at Danesfield.

There was a warm welcome for Croft House, Watchet Hedgehogs and the Watchet Boatowners, all attending their first festival. The stalls did brisk trading and by noon on Saturday the bottle and cake stalls put up their ’sold out’ signs!

The last festival raised a record £2,299 and the aim was to attempt to reach this total, despite Covid-19 this year. This week the amount has reached £3,070, which has delighted the organising team.

Joan Ridley won the main raffle prize and the Cynthia Webb the water-colour painting of St Decuman’s painted and donated by Christine Strong.

Over the three days, live music was provided by guitar, the church organ and a flute group, and Saturday heralded the smell of bacon sizzling and home-made soups to tease the taste buds.

Tony Knight and his team, including church treasurer Glenys, thanked everyone who helped in any way to make this event the most successful yet.

The trees can be seen lit up at any of the church services over the Christmas period including carols around the bonfire service on Sunday, December 19, at 4pm.