Alternative Christmas Tree Festival at St Michael’s, Lyndhurst, will feature live music by Strike A Chord

AN “alternative” Christmas tree festival will be held in Lyndhurst this week.

The event at St Michael’s & All Angels Church will run from Thursday 12th to Saturday 14th December between 10.30am and 4.30pm, and will feature singing, crafts, a raffle, and refreshments.

A Mickey’s Messy Angel Making Competition will also be held, inviting youngsters to make a tree topper and drop it off at the church in the High Street tomorrow (Wednesday).

Craft activities will include nativity bauble making, the creation of Christmas table decorations and writing a letter to Father Christmas. There will also be a toddler play area, and craft stalls selling gifts.

On Saturday, Strike a Chord folk group will take to the stage.

The event is being organised by the United Parish of Lyndhurst, Emery Down and Minstead, and entry is free. Four charities will benefit from money raised from the raffle and sale of refreshments.

They are the Friends of Lyndhurst Surgery (FOLS), which provides equipment and training not funded by the NHS; the Mission to Seafarers, which supports seafarers across the world suffering loneliness and mental health problems; Honeypot Children’s Charity; and WaterAid.