A MOMENT of magic was created again in Carhampton Community Orchard as Christmas lights were turned on.

Multicoloured lights sprang to life in the giant cherry tree and its smaller neighbours watched by a large gathering of villagers despite the day’s heavy rain showers.

The weather eased by the evening and remained still and dry as the lights went on.

An impromptu village band played for the carols which people sang, with three generations of one family making up two-thirds of the band.

Orchard founder-member Keith Jones was joined by daughter Ruth Gasperini and grandchildren Sophie and Luca, with Emily Feldberg on ’cello and Susan Mew on recorder completing the line-up.

Orchard volunteers served festive drinks and home-made mince pies, and donations from the crowd of participants raised more than £50 for the West Somerset Food Cupboard.

The lights will continue to enchant passers-by during the Christmas season, and will be rekindled for the traditional orchard wassail on ‘Old Twelfth Night’, January, 17, from 6.30 pm, followed by a celebration with seasonal fare and folk music in the newly-reopened Butchers Arms public house.

Spokeswoman Elizabeth Atkinson said: “A huge thanks to everybody setting up, playing in the band, contributing mince pies or tart, heating the mulled wine and the real apple juice, attending on the night singing carols, and doing 101 other things that are required with the lights turn on.

“It is a huge work, but well worth it.

“Everybody who comes really appreciates it.

“One couple rushed home from Minehead in time for the lights turn on because as they said ‘we could not miss that, we come every year and love it’.”

The volunteer-run community orchard was founded more than 30 years ago and has seen more than 40 trees planted of mainly local varieties of apple, some pear, some plum, and a Nottingham Medlar.