AUDIO: Hertfordshire Villages Tranformed Into Giant Advent Calendars

Sunday, December 23rd 2012 06:00

ABOVE: The main doors to St Mary's have been decorated

Two Hertfordshire villages are preparing to open the final doors on their life-size advent calendars...

Every day this month, a window display has been appearing in different homes and shops around Ashwell near Baldock.

Designs revealed until Christmas Eve include a gingerbread castle and a miniature railway.

The idea is the brainchild of resident Kate Heiss.

She said: "My mother-in-law is German, and they did a similar thing in her village last year. I thought Ashwell would be perfect for it because we have so many lovely houses.

We put a notice in the parish newsletter, and there has been a lot of interest from people wanting to go round and look at the windows.

It makes the village look really festive."

St Mary's Church in Welwyn has got village traders, local artists and schoolchildren involved in the challenge to create a series of special Christmas windows.

They're being revealed everyday in the run up to the 25th.

Chair of the St Mary's Outreach Action Group, Jane Carr, says the Bishop of Hertford and local Celeb Barry Norman have got involved: "We unveil the window and have a story-teller who is doing a two-minute narration on the story behind the artwork.

Sherrardswood School created a "Christmas Carol" scene out of the Dickens novel. They got the design and technology department and the art department involved. Their choir even came along to sing at the unveiling of the window.

The number of people who are involved in this is really quite extraordinary.

We have people in New Zealand, Australia, Turkey and the States who are following the opening of the windows every day!"

AUDIO: Jane Carr tells JACK fm she is surprised by how many people have got involved...

listen to ‘Welwyn Advent Windows - Jane Carr’ on Audioboo