Something different with Cuckfield's 2021's Tree Festival

It is with a great deal of sadness that, after very careful consideration, the Planning Group for the Christmas Tree Festival at Holy Trinity Church has decided to cancel the festival again this year.

The only consuming reason is the current seemingly uncontrollable epidemic. Instead, however, from 9th December throughout the Christmas season, there will be nine trees on display and everyone will be able to visit on any day at any time between 9am and 4pm observing, of course, services that are being conducted as well as social distancing.

Apart from the Vicar’s tree there will be a Prayer Tree provided by the Church and a Memorial Tree provided by P & S Gallagher. The other special trees will be decorated by Next Step Nursery, The Independent State of Cuckfield, Hairsmiths, Gillian Fabb Memorial Fund, Orchard House and Holy Trinity Primary School. The Church very much hopes that the community will understand the difficulty of this decision and in turn take the opportunity to visit the Church and appreciate the contribution that our local tree decorators have made. There is no entry fee this year so it is hoped that visitors will make a modest donation towards the Church Roof Appeal. Visitors will be able to return to see the trees as often as they wish until 6th January. The team remains extremely hopeful that it will be staging the full event again next year when Golden Lion Children’s Trust will be its partner charity.

Bolnore plans a crafty Christmas

By Louise Rahman Smith

First of all I beg your understanding as it is not yet December and I’m bringing up the C word! It’s because at this time of year for the last fifteen years I have always been buried deep in glitter, glue and cheer and organising community Christmas activities ready for advent. These activities always include the Bolnore Village Tree at the Cuckfield Christmas Tree Festival, with handmade decorations made by the many groups and individuals of Bolnore including the school, preschool, Saplings baby and toddler group, Scouts, Cubs, Beavers and Village Hub.

Our tree is part of the annual Cuckfield Tree Festival, a marvellous event in which 70 plus local groups each decorate one tree for the first weekend in December, which you can then ordinarily go and visit for some fairy lit magic, music and charm and raise monies for charity.

Well, of course, things are a little different this year and there won’t be a Bolnore tree in the festival but there will be one tree on which each of the 70 groups will have one decoration. Are you a crafter? Do let me know if you’d like to be the maker of the one decoration to represent Bolnore this year (Maglousmith@hotmail.com). I thought a mini oak tree decoration adorned with rainbow hearts would be a good fit to represent Bolnore.

To give us something to look forward to this Christmas especially, we are also planning the first Bolnore Living Advent Calendar! Based on the village participation with window rainbows supporting our amazing NHS and key workers, and our fabulously long village Coronasnake (#bolnorerocks), this Christmas time is perfect for an advent trail across the village.

There will be a decorated window being revealed for each of the days counting down to Christmas. Working with Bethan Hobbs and the lovely team at Grace Church (which is normally based in the Woodside and is sad that their gorgeous usual Christmas village events; wreath making, Christingle and carols, will not be happening). We are hoping the Bolnore Living Advent Calendar will be a spectacle to look forward to, and give us something that we can participate in, in these trying times. Launch information coming soon on the ‘This is Bolnore’ Facebook page.

Finally, when we moved to Bolnore 17 years ago, with a new baby, we really wanted to create the community for our family to thrive and that we really wanted to live in. Now, more than ever, I want to offer out a friendly (virtual) hand. If you are struggling in these challenging conditions do get in touch, as Charles Darwin, one of my heroes, famously said: ‘I have been bent and broken, but, I hope, into a better shape.’ Let us all shape this wonderful imperfect place we are fortunate to call home.

Christmas Tree Style

By Fiona Evans, Limited Editions

When Prince Albert introduced a candlelit tree from Germany into the court of Queen Victoria at Christmas 1846 a new fashion was born in Britain.

Glittery, sparkly and tranquil; loud, glaring and overstated; minimal or rocked up to the max; real or artificial, the choices are endless when it comes to modern day Christmas tree type and style. Depending which camp you fall into, you will choose an artificial tree or a real one. Artificial can take out a lot of the hassle but may have a hefty (one time) price tag. On the plus side, these days the fake variety look like the real thing, come with or without (pretend) snow, can be bought pre-lit and don’t have to be watered. There are also alternative choices which are coloured, black or white and may be jazzed up with sparkly bits. A white tree  provides a great background for brightly coloured decorations, shimmery silver or colourless glass. A black tree makes a striking background for blue lights, gold trimmings or fluorescent and shocking pinks, yellows, greens. So does the artificial option beat choosing your real tree with your family? Cramming it sleeved in stretchy netting into your car and then spending an anxious 20 minutes or so fitting it into its stand/pot... and then remembering to water it...? In my opinion it doesn’t, partly because of the delicious  pine aroma and partly because battling with a real tree is a family occasion and part of Christmas.

As far as the decorations go, the chances are you have a lovely hotchpotch of tree decorations collected over the years, some made by the children. But now you want to go minimal? Perhaps a sprayed twig suggestion of a tree with a couple of tasteful glass baubles or just a scattering of white lights? Choosing your style says a lot about you, and whatever you choose will be a real focus. Vintage style is a popular trend and you may have a collection of vintage glass baubles; add handmade paperchains, small toys, crepe paper garlands, honeycomb paper baubles, candy canes and a vintage-style angel. 

Adapting bought decorations to make them unique is a quick way to be creative.

There are many alternative trees on the market, wire and paper constructions, some incorporating fibre optics. There are also some ingenious examples of creative alternative Christmas trees on the internet, amazing cardboard constructions, items arranged against a mirror to give the effect of a tree, articles arranged going up a bookcase to resemble a tree, all very clever.

Decorating your tree is a personal thing whether it’s stylised or cluttered and the idea has been around for a long time. The first decorated tree was noted in Latvia in 1510, the idea spreading to Germany where one was decorated in barley sugar and paper flowers symbolic of the Paradise Tree in the Garden of Eden.

Whatever your style, have fun putting it together and Happy Christmas!

History bits sourced from www.christmasarchives.com/trees