MINEHEAD'S St Andrew's Church will soon have its major focal attraction back in place as repairs to an historic window near completion.

The stained glass in the church's impressive east window began to be put back in place at the end of last week as part of a project expected to cost around £45,000.

As reported previously in the Free Press, the 132-foot window, which dates from 1888 when the church was built, was in danger of falling in as much of the structure holding the glass in place had rusted away.

So specialists were called in to remove the glass, clean it and repair the structure.

But with the end of the work in sight, church leaders will soon face having to pay the bill.

And with just £16,000 raised so far, plus a promise of a further £5,000, deputy churchwarden Martyn Snell said there was still a long way to go.

"The start of the glass going back in is very exciting news for the folks in the Minehead parish but it means the bills will soon need to be paid," he said.

"The work had to be carried out because the window is such an important feature of the church."

In a bid to keep the fundraising wagon rolling, church leaders are holding an open gardens event tomorrow (Saturday).

Five gardens in the town will be opening their gates to the public, ranging from a large plot to a 16-by-five yards one filled with potted plants.

Ploughman's lunches will be available at one of the gardens, Shute Farm in St Michael's Road, with morning coffee and afternoon tea available at three others.

The other gardens are in Summerland Road, Hillview Road and Woodcombe Lane.

Leaflets giving full details are available in all the Minehead parish churches and the town's new visitor information centre in The Avenue.

Tickets are £1.50 for one garden or £5 for all five, with refreshments extra.

Martyn Snell is pictured giving the replaced glass its first clean.

Photo: Steve Guscott.