Every year, as Christmas approaches, Earlsdon Methodists organise a Christmas Tree competition for local groups and societies to enter. This year 20 groups entered the competition, which is held in the church. The entries are judged by visitors who vote for their favourite adult and children’s tree. Since the introduction of artificial Christmas trees people’s ingenuity has broadened the scope and appearance of the “trees”, and this last Christmas was no different. It’s some time now since a traditional fir/spruce tree has won, and this time cardboard was the winning medium, with St. Barbara’s Cubs assembling a tower of cardboard tubes with projecting cardboard branches decorated with garlands and topped with a star; whilst Canley Ford arranged an escarpment of cardboard boxes decorated with leaves and nets, the boxes, being populated with cuddly and some not-so-cuddly toys – Ratty, Badger, mole, robins, chipmunks, ducks, weasels, etc., and instead of a fairy occupying the top box there was a nativity scene, with a star above.
The event attracted over 400 visitors who voted for their favourites. This proved difficult for many people, who went round several times before making up their minds, however there were clear winners in both categories. The first, second and third in each group were as follows:
Children and Young People’s groups:
1st: St. Barbara’s Cubs
2nd: 51st (Coventry) Brownies
3rd: St. Barbara’s Pre School
Adult groups:
1st: Friends of Canley Ford
2nd: Prayer Shawl Ministry
3rd: Earlsdon Gardening Club
Well done to all entrants and thank you for participating and entertaining local residents. Although not primarily a fundraising venture, the church still managed to collect about £250 for their charity – Zambuko Ra Jehova Trust, which funds the education of 30 children in Zimbabwe who have been orphaned by AIDs.
And well done to Lynda and David Pinks for organising it all.