Christmas is coming, and in Blandford it came early in the first week of November with the promised illumination of the Woodhouse Gardens which is now decorated throughout with fairy lights and feature spotlights on the trees and pergola.

The Gardens, next to the Post Office in The Tabernacle, are popular with people who can stroll or sit to enjoy a peaceful environment in the centre of town, and many have been taking advantage of the early evening opportunity to visit, maintaining social distancing, and view the changing display.

The decoration, provided by Blandford Town Council for the first time this year, came earlier than originally scheduled since it was installed by the company servicing the recording of the town’s Remembrance Service, which was brought forward because of the new lockdown to November 4, and it was on that evening that the lights were first turned on.

Also arriving early were the small Christmas trees which every year decorate the main streets which, together with street lighting columns are due to be illuminated with festive lights at the end of the month, when the larger tree will be installed in the Market Place.

The town council is also running its Christmas shop window competition, with awards for the best festive displays which every year add to the atmosphere in the town centre where, subject to time limits, there will be free parking every Saturday up to Christmas starting on November 28.

Blandford Parish Church has had to abandon its annual Christmas Tree Festival in the church, but has instead invited schools and local organisations to once again decorate their trees for display in The Old Bath House on Church Walk, to the rear of the church, and in shop windows and other locations in a Christmas Tree Trail of decorated trees around the town.

The Yuletide Festival volunteers have also had to abandon hopes of staging this year’s festival, originally scheduled for December 4, but are promoting local businesses and continuing to explore ways of hosting a virtual event of which details can be found at Blandford- yuletide-festival.org.uk or on their Blandford Yuletide Festival Facebook page.

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