A forest of light at St Edburg’s

This afternoon I had the genuine pleasure of popping into St Edburg’s Church in Bicester for their Christmas Tree Festival, and what a quietly joyful thing it is.

More than 70 real Christmas trees fill the church, each one sponsored and decorated by local schools, community groups and businesses. Taken together, they create something rather magical - a small forest of colour, creativity and goodwill growing inside a church that has stood at the heart of Bicester for over a thousand years.

It is one of those moments where the layers of community really show themselves. Children’s handiwork sits alongside carefully themed displays from local organisations. Some trees are playful, some thoughtful, some beautifully simple. All of them say something about the people who care enough to take part.

The setting matters too. St Edburg’s is not just a backdrop but part of the story. A building that has witnessed centuries of local life now hosting a thoroughly modern celebration of community spirit. Old stone, fresh pine, fairy lights and laughter - it all works rather well.

If you visit over the weekend, there is live music playing in the background on both Saturday and Sunday, which only adds to the sense that this is a place to linger rather than rush through.

If you are anywhere near Bicester, I would strongly recommend calling in. It is festive without being frantic, reflective without being solemn, and a lovely reminder that Christmas, at its best, is something we make together.

As ever, I left feeling quietly grateful - for the volunteers who organised it, the groups who took part, and a town that continues to show up for itself.