Christmas Tree Festival, St Cuthbert's Church, North Moels, Southport...

ST. Cuthbert's Church urgently needs £150,00 to repair its leaking roof and before it damages the organ!  A church has stood on this site for around 800 years; the present on dates from 1729 and has beautiful stained glass windows to maintain too. So the active Church Restoration Committee decided to adopt an event already successful in other churches around the country; namely a festival of decorated Christmas trees to be admired. It ran between 12 December to 15 December 2008. However, these trees have been adorned by various local groups and businesses from within the parish, in combination with church groups and organisations. The result was nearly 40 trees, splendidly decked to represent those bodies and some showed great imagination. A great deal of organisation and effort has undoubtedly gone into this festival and it was nice to see the wider community in Churchtown, and beyond, supporting the local church. Let's hope their efforts have been well rewarded and that the roof is soon mended.   We hope that the writers of their interesting leaflet will forgive us for passing on these snippets to our readers. Thanks anyway. Legend has it that the reason behind the Christmas tree is because St Boniface, from Crediton in Devon, when he went to Germany, used the triangular fir tree to try to describe the Holy Trinity. By the end of the 12th century fir trees were hung, upside down from ceilings at Christmas as a symbol of Christianity. The Georgian Kings of England brought the custom with them but, because they were unpopular, it wasn't followed. However, when Queen Victoria, Prince Albert, her husband and consort and their children were shown in the Illustrated London News standing around a Christmas tree it then became fashionable and is now considered traditional.