In Pictures: MP Theresa May visit Christmas Tree Festival

Thousands of people flocked to a Maidenhead church last week to enjoy its 12th annual Christmas Tree Festival.

About 1,000 people a day came to St Luke’s Church from Friday, December 9 to Sunday, December 11 to view 72 decorated Christmas trees and choose their favourites.

Maidenhead MP Theresa May was among the visitors, plus youngsters from five different schools, including St Luke’s Primary School and St Piran’s School on Friday.

Visiting on Friday, Mrs May viewed all the Nordmann fir Christmas trees, one of which she had sponsored.

It was decorated with flat baubles made with used Queen Elizabeth II stamps.

There were a host of tree sponsors including Maidenhead Civic Society, DASH, St Luke’s Church Choir and The Sequelia Trust in the chapel, and Claires Court, WAMCF, The Brett Foundation, and Maidenhead Street Angels in the north aisle.

The dais (red carpet) featured a number of trees with sponsors such as the mayor of Windsor and Maidenhead, Cllr Christine Bateson, Norden Farm, Mrs May, and Thames Hospice.

In the south aisle, near to the main door, tree sponsors included The Craufurd Arms, Riverside School, St Piran’s School, and The National Trust.

A little over £2,000 has been raised for this year’s chosen charity, Alexander Devine Children’s Hospice Service.

This is the 12th year the festival has taken place.

Sally Lynch, vicar of St Luke’s Church said: “I started it when I arrived here 12 years ago.

“It is to draw people into church at Christmas and help them to feel a little of the hope and joy of the Christmas message as well as raise funds for a charity each year and for the church to enable us to keep serving the community.”

Sally added that the festival went ‘very well and lots of people came to the event which was free to enter, and people were invited to make donations.