VILLAGERS have come together to turn their neighbourhood into a living advent calendar.
Each evening in December, Clifton residents have taken it in turns to unveil advent displays in their windows and invite their neighbours round for nibbles, a warm drink and some good old festive cheer.
It came about after Rhian Harris of Buckwell Lane took inspiration from a similar initiative in Paddox last Christmas.
She said: “I organised this thinking it might be a bit of a damp squib, but the village has really got behind it. People are turning out to mingle, walk the dog and bring the kids.
“People have been catching up with friends and putting names to faces, and the kids have enjoyed running around to burn off the treats provided.”
All the windows so far have had a unique feel – including a cheeky ‘Vote Xmas’ display which was unveiled on election day (Thursday December 12), featuring stockings representing each party.
“They’ve all been much more creative than I expected,” Rhian said. “From the nibbles and drinks on offer, to the actual displays themselves, we’ve shown that we have a very creative village!
“People are getting to know new faces in a time when we’re often all a bit too preoccupied to bother with our neighbours.
“It’s created a really lovely feeling in our tummies, and reminds us what a lovely village we live in.”
