Hot pine bling at Holy Trinity Church
Fourteen trees decorated by businesses, community groups and charities filled Bishop's Stortford's Holy Trinity Church with light and colour for its three-day Christmas tree festival.
Holy Trinity’s grand showstopper, covered in warm white fairy lights, stood at the head of the South Street church. The community’s contributions were scattered around the nave.
The theme for this year’s festival was angels. Visitors called into the church from Friday until Sunday to see the flashes of divine inspiration.
Bishop’s Stortford Museum, the Girls’ Brigade, Isabel Hospice, Hockerill Brownies, Christian Aid, the Portland Child Contact Centre, Daniel Robinson and Sons Funeral Directors, Home Farm Trust, Animal Rescue Centre, the Holy Trinity Knitting Group, Messy Church and Blues Pre-School all dressed their trees in finery.
The 13th community tree – the only real fir among the small forest of artificial trees - was decorated by the team at the Bishop’s Stortford Independent.
News editor Sinead Corr and reporter Cat Barkley made decorations - angels, Hertfordshire harts and hanging hearts - out of old newspapers and added beautified baubles and business cards to the collection. Editor Paul Winspear carried the 6ft specimen to the church and untangled 300 bright blue fairy lights.
On the final day of the festival, families gathered in the church as the hall was filled with Christmas music during a special carol service featuring puppets.
Sheila Ballisat, secretary at Holy Trinity, said: “We did a roaring trade with the tea, cakes, mince pies and mulled wine! The service and the puppets were great and very popular with the children.”
Although the event was free to attend, visitors were able to make contributions towards the church’s building projects. Nearly £600 was donated over the three days. Sheila said: “These projects will help support the night shelter and the use of the church by the community.”
The shelter, for homeless people, opened its doors in November for the third consecutive winter.
