A fitting festive finale

A SPARKLING Christmas Tree Festival will end a church’s centenary celebrations on a high note.

Nearly 30 organisations will have trees on display at the event being held by Shaw’s St Saviour’s Church. There will also be a memory tree for people to leave messages on cards placed next to baubles.

The festive display, on December 13 and 14, is the final event marking the 100-year milestone and it will feature a host of entertainment and merriment.

On the Saturday, the Buckstones Road church will be open for visitors and there will be a cafe and entertainment by children from local schools.

On the Sunday, the church will again be open for visitors after noon and in the mid-afternoon there will be handbell ringing, a Christmas drama and light refreshments. This will be followed at 6pm by “Carols By Request”, an informal singing of carols.

Funds raised from the cafe, donations and the memory tree will go towards the upkeep of the church.

Event co-ordinator Peter Lomas said: “This is a new event for us and will provide a fitting finale to our centenary year.

“We cannot believe the number of trees we have been promised. Although we originally planned to have entertainment on the Saturday and “Carols By Request” on Sunday, there will now be events on Sunday afternoon as well. The response we have had from the local community is tremendous. It should be a really exciting few days.”

The church was built as the Mission Church of St James’s East Crompton and opened in 1908. It owes its creation to the generosity of Mary Crompton, a member of the Crompton family.

They were responsible for many donations and bequests that benefited the public of the old Urban District of Crompton.