Yesterday afternoon I drove into Dereham to see the Tree Festival in the Parish Church. They did their first one last year, and have clearly worked hard to make things even better this time. Ten more trees than in 2024, but also better laid out and clearly numbered. Quite a few trees had the same decorations as last year, or the same stuff with a few bits added. There were better refreshments too! Lots of business and charity groups represented. Thank you to all those in the community who worked so hard on this.
Other trees were tall and thin, short and fat, or just regular cone shapes.
The Dereham Men's Shed was another wooden piece, with tools, measuring tapes, and turned wood ornaments.
The Litter - pickers tree was all 'found rubbish' corks and egg boxes turned into reindeer, and crisp packets heat-shrunk into red and green 'baubles'
The hospital tree had the laser designs I'd helped patients to colour in last year, and the Mothers' Union still had my little felt books - but both groups had added more stuff.The Forget Me Not dementia group had their interesting green 'golfball tree' again.
The trees were ranged down the side aisles and up into the choir. The Stewards were welcoming and chatty, and the cakes looked tasty.
They were huge slices, so I wrapped mine in 2 napkins, and brought it home to share with Bob.The rain had stopped when I came out, and there was a rainbow over the carpark. I watched it all the way home! Just before I got to 'My Tree' I pulled into a layby to take a second photo.
The rainbow's end was a vivid streak of colour going straight down from a cloud, into the field behind the Close! A bright ending to a lovely visit
The tree festival looks lovely, I must see if there are any near here.
ReplyDeleteA rainbow leading right into your close! That's a bit special.
It was beautiful 🌈
DeleteI've never been to a Christmas Tree festival but I think I'd like to very much! I like the themes!
ReplyDelete🌲they are always fun
DeleteAn interesting collection of decorations there. I must get to Stowmarket church to see their display - they supply all the trees so they are all the same size and the decorations are to a theme but I think the different trees you saw are more fun.
ReplyDeleteBoth systems have their plus points: uniform trees all interpreting the same theme look good (but can seem repetitive)- wildly eclectic 'tree installations' are fun (but may look too random )
DeleteWhat a lovely end to a lovely visit to the tree festival! People are so clever to think up all the different ways of making the trees showcase their organisations. Catriona
ReplyDelete🌲So well thought out 🌲
DeleteThe Men's shed Christmas Tree is brilliant. Seeing the rainbow over your close is beautiful. Carole R.
ReplyDeleteI should have said, that is the Dereham (town) Shed. Bob's village Shedmen have yet to enter a Tree Festival. 🌈
DeleteSome inspiring trees. The WI tree is decorated by one of our craftswomen and the gifts are shared at our Christmas lunch. We have had donkeys, choristers and angels, made from pegs. We have a Christmas cracker making group too. After Christmas we have a table for unwanted gifts.
ReplyDeleteI love peg dolls! You sound like a busy generous group
DeleteIt's a couple of weeks until our local Christmas Tree Festival and I'm already looking forward to it. The 'admittance fee' is a couple of items for their Foodbank, which I think is a great idea.
ReplyDeleteYes, we saw a few rainbows yesterday in amongst the torrential showers on the motorway. The are always so beautiful aren't they.
I like the Foodbank Idea
DeleteIt's all so clever, I do admire folk who contribute to this kind of community event - and cake as well, how lovely.
ReplyDeleteAlison in Devon x
Especially cake....🎂🥮🧁🍰
DeleteWhat lovely ideas for very different trees.
ReplyDelete🌲🌲🌲
DeleteHow lovely to come home accompanied by a rainbow! The trees are clever. Your country features a lot of cake and I really wish I had more events to go to that served big fat slices of cake. I just need one piece, so I can't make one because then I would eat many pieces and feel horrible. Okay, no more cake complaints. I hope your Advent season is lovely, Ang.
ReplyDeleteYours too, PP. Yes we DO make brilliant cakes!
DeleteThe Christmas Tree Festival looks a great event to visit. I like the fact that so many groups are involved and contribute their own special tree.
ReplyDeleteGood to see the community coming together
DeleteThanks for sharing these photos. The trees are so interesting, especially the one from their local Men's Shed group. I'm intrigued by the Litter Pickers one. When we first came up to this area, our second Christmas in Canada, I needed to decorate a real tree on a small budget, so I cut up plastic tomato baskets into stars and painted them gold, turned wooden thread spools into Father Christmases with red felt, white cloth and cotton from an aspirin bottle, and wrapped red raffia around rubber preserving rings and hung tiny bells from them. Our ten little coloured lights were enhanced with foil covered surrounds from egg boxes! It was so much fun, and all the while I was very pregnant! In fact when we went to cut the tree on our landlord's property (with permission), I looked like a large pouter pigeon on snowshoes!
ReplyDeleteCreative decorations are more fun than shop bought stuff sometimes
ReplyDeleteSome very creatively decorated trees there! Plus cake! And a rainbow to top if all off!
ReplyDelete🌈🙂
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