Christmas Festival at St Mary’s Church Battle.

Organiser Vikki Cook said “Inspired by a wide variety of Church Nativity Scenes seen in Venice last December, here at St Mary’s we decided to extend last year’s Nativity Themed Christmas Tree Festival to include actual Nativity Cribs and Scenes.”

Schools, Groups, Societies and Other Churches received their invitations in March and all week Angels, Marys, Josephs, Stables and Straw have been carefully and reverently carried into the church in readiness for assembly in time for the opening at 11.00 on Saturday morning.

Cribs from The Church of the Ascension, at Telham and St Mary Magdalene Church, Whatlington will also be displayed.

Last year the Church donated the festival profit of £400 to the Kipling Ward at the Conquest Hospital. Profits form this years festival will be shared between Autism Sussex and St Mary’s Nursery.

The festival takes place this weekend, Saturday November 30 and Sunday December 1, and on December 12.

The church, which is fully accessible, will be serving refreshments from 11.30am – 5pm on Saturday and 2-5 on Sunday. On Sunday there will also be a special visit from a gentleman in a red coat before the Advent service of Lessons and Carols when the winning entry will be announced at 6pm.