PHOTOS: Hanover residents' advent countdown to Christmas Day

Each day of the month until Christmas Day, different roads in Hanover are putting up festive displays in their windows; creating a living Christmas calendar across the area.

Jenny McCall, 46, from Windmill Street, who is organising the event, said: “One of the lovely things about living in Hanover is that we’re a very close-knit community and we love to do things where the community comes together.”

With 33 streets listed for the calendar, she thinks there will be more than 100 people taking part and said it was an example of how social media can be used to bring communities together. Many in the area are enthusiastic about the plans and have said they are getting involved.

Nettie Heron-Middleton, 66, from Albion Hill said: “I’m sure it will be very popular because there are a lot of children living round here. I’m all for it.”

“I think it is a lovely idea for the community,” said Nick Minter, 43, from Toronto Terrace. “My wife and children are very excited about participating and it should be a nice blaze of colour.”

Quebec Street was the first of the streets to put up displays, on December 1.

Asked about the window displays so far, Amy Greenacre, 30, who helped organise the ones on Quebec Street said: “It’s brilliant. I love the fact that so many people have gotten involved.”

Some streets are doing other festive activities to accompany the street calendar.

Kate Darach, 36, from Stanley Street said: “It’s fabulous. Stanley Street are plotting themed windows and an open house launch party.”

Likewise, Scotland Street is organising some carol singing, with lanterns and mulled wine to raise money for charity on their day – December 20.

The event is a first for the whole of Hanover.

Cobden Road in Hanover has been doing its own smaller version of the street calendar, which was then imitated by other Hanover streets, for the last three years and is doing so again this year.

The person who originally came up with the idea was Jane Rimmington from Cobden Road.

She said: “Cobden Road has its own tradition of an advent calendar and after discussion with several of our participants we do not want to lose it.”

Asked whether Hanover would be doing the event again next year, Ms McCall said: “I think that the likelihood is we will; it seems like it has been very successful already.”

• Story and photos by Ivor Jones.