Winners of Best Dressed Shop Window in Burgess Hill announced

The competition was organised by the town council to promote the town centre shops and to encourage residents to think local when doing their Christmas shopping.

After much deliberation, trophies were awarded to Eco2Home for the best independent shop display and to Marie Curie for the best display by a multiple store.

Judging was carried out by town mayor Roger Cartwright, deputy mayor Anne Eves and independent councillor Peter Chapman.

Mrs Eves said: “Eco2Home really pulled out all the stops with not one but two window displays.

“It was clever to create smaller window panes so we peep through into a 1950s dining room with the table already laid.

“And the sitting room spares no attention to detail, with the empty brandy glass and the half-eaten mince pie.

“I loved the polar bear, reminding us of the North Pole where Santa lives, and the scrunched-up rolls of paper lying on the old sledge make really convincing snowballs.”

Meanwhile, Mrs Eves said the marrying of the yellow dress and the matching Christmas tree in the Marie Curie window worked well and the window conveyed a great sense of optimism.

“The symbolic daffodils are merry and bright and give us hope that spring is round the corner, in this dark and bleak midwinter,” she added.

The winning shops were presented with their trophies, which they will keep for the next year.