PORLOCK, the village on Exmoor said to have one of the highest

densities of elderly people in England, is fighting the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic with fairy lights!

Residents have seen relatively few cases of the virus in the village but the effects of lockdown, isolation and associated social issues have taken their toll on the community.

However, villagers are lifting spirits to ensure everyone enjoys Christmas with a group of residents getting together to promote a ‘Let’s Light Up Porlock for Christmas’ campaign.

For the last few years, a group has raised money for Christmas trees and lights through community soup and meal days, which could not take place this year, so a plea was put out to the residents and money came rolling in – enough to buy 50 Christmas trees and put fairy lights throughout the village. The plea was extended to ask everyone to put up their own fairy lights, producing a spectacular result.

The annual Santa Festival has had record entries, and Ann Gibbs, the dynamic curate, has organised a village advent calendar, in which new pictures appear in windows each day until Christmas Eve.

The village is aiming to make Christmas safe but memorable for everyone – doorstep carol singing will take place in Christmas week.