A CHURCH has brought the spirit of the festive season to life with their biennial Christmas tree festival.

Fifty trees have filled St Mary’s Parish Church, in Barnard Castle, for the event with local schools, businesses and organisations getting creative with their entries.

For the first time this year’s event also features ten trees themed on musicals while schoolchildren and musical groups from across Teesdale have been singing carols too.

The event was organised by members of the parochial church council including Reverend Alec Harding, Robert Stenlake and Keith Miles.

Rev Harding said: “It’s lovely to host it and it pulls the community together.

“There’s a lot of effort and imagination gone into the trees especially with this year’s musicals theme.”

  • Entry is free but donations are welcome with all proceeds going to church funds and being matched by an anonymous donor.
  • The festival will continue today, from 11am until 5pm and tomorrow from 2pm until 6pm before a Wassail! closing event with folk musicians at 6.30pm.