FAMILIES got into the Christmas spirit in Greater Leys, Oxford, above, with a family fun day at The Barn in Long Ground.

A bouncy castle, food stalls, face painting and Christmas elves greeted children and their parents on Saturday as they counted down the days until Santa arrives.

The event was organised by the Dovecote volunteer committee, many of whom donned their elf outfits to join in the fun. Committee member Carol Richards, pictured right with Amie Prior, left, and Rachel Partlett, said: “We are just trying to have a Christmas fun day for the community.

“We actually started a bit early today and it has been great, the tombola has sold out already.

“We used to do it regularly but we have not done it for a few years so we wanted to start doing more.

“Everybody seems to be having a good time.

“We have teamed up with different group in Leys and it is a way for us to link up with them and share info as well.

“I came dressed as an elf for some Christmas spirit, I suppose you could say I’m Christmas Carol.Oxford Mail:

Children visiting the Soldiers of Oxfordshire Museum made their own Christmas tree decorations as part of the museum’s remembrance of the First World War Christmas truce in 1914.

Sam Denison, 11, is pictured with his mum, museum education officer Vicki Wood and the tree he made.

Ms Wood said children were invited to drop in and make decorations including football boots.

She said: “It’s a way we’re trying to engage with young people and teach them about the Christmas truce and the famous football match on the front line.”

Oxford Mail:

HOMEMADE nativity scenes were on show at the weekend as part of the first Nativity Crib Festival at St Mary’s Church in Launton, near Bicester.

A total of 38 inventive nativity scenes were created by members of the community for the Christmas event.

Vicar of St Mary’s, the Rev Becky Mathew, said: “It was a great community event. They were all really inventive. We had one made of Lego sets and another was knitted. We may do it again next year.”

Mrs Mathew is pictured with a nativity scene created out of card and paper by year three and four pupils at Langford Village Community Primary School.

Oxford Mail:

THERE was no rest for merry gentlemen – and women – as singers from Abingdon took part in a Christmas carol marathon.

Members of Christ Church Long Furlong and the Long Furlong Community Centre spent 24 hours singing more than 500 carols from noon on Friday.

Money raised during the carol marathon went towards local charities the Archway Foundation and Blue Skye Thinking.

The latter was set up by the family of Abingdon boy Skye Hall, who lost his battle against a brain tumour in August aged five.

One member of the Christ Church congregation, Geoff Palmer, pictured, took a trip back in time with some lesser-known 15th century carols.

He said: “It has been packed here. Even in the middle of the night there has been people coming in and singing. I think we have sung more than 500 carols in total.”

Christ Church assistant vicar Keith Dunnett was at the community centre in Boulter Drive for the whole 24 hours.

He said: “I was praying through the summer about what to do during Christmas and the idea came to me.

“I think we have had 1,200 people through the doors and more than £600 raised. I have been here the whole time and I am very tired but I have loved every minute.”

The event finished on Saturday with mince pies and mulled wine at the community centre provided by volunteers from the association.

Oxford Mail:

WANTAGE Market Place was full of festive cheer as the town’s first Christmas market rolled into town.

The event on Saturday featured stalls selling Christmas crafts, preserves, beer and food and the town also played host to donkeys from a local donkey sanctuary.

Wantage Mayor Fiona Roper, pictured enjoying some mulled wine and baclava, said: “We ran a Christmas market two years ago but this time it was much bigger, with food and gift stalls.

“Lots of people came along – it was very busy and a great success.”

Vale of White Horse district councillor Charlotte Dickson went along to sample some of the stalls and get into the Christmas spirit.

She said: “This is the first time we have done it properly, we did an attempt a few years ago but we have learned from our mistakes and I think it will hopefully become a yearly event.

“It coincided with a day of free car parking in the town so people were really coming in and making a day of it.

“There was a great atmosphere and it is great because increasing footfall is good for all the traders in Wantage, so the more the merrier.”

Oxford Mail:

FAMILIES who have adopted children came together to celebrate their new lives in a carol concert on Sunday.

The Dorchester Abbey concert was organised by Parents and Children Together (PACT) as part of their festive calender.

Members of the junior choir at Cranford House School in Moulsford, near Wallingford, are pictured performing at the concert.

Organisers are hoping that as well as kick-starting the Christmas season the concert will raise thousands for the charity, which helps adoptive families and their children.

Fundraising manager Laura Senior said: “It’s a chance for our adopted families to get together and celebrate the year, but also to raise money.

“We need the money for theraputic services for children who were adopted. They have been through a lot with their birth families in their early years.

“They are often taken away from abuse and have a lot of issues that they need to work on. Our therapists go to people’s homes whenever they’re needed.”

It is hoped the concert, the charity’s biggest fundraising event of the year, will make thousands.

Ms Senior said: “Last year we only had 200 people come and raised £1,250. This time there were more than 500 people, so I’m hoping for at least £3,000.”

Oxford Mail:

A Bicester church has brought the outside in after hosting its biggest annual Christmas Tree Festival.

Hundreds of visitors, including Alison Jones and her two-year-old daughter Jessica, pictured above, descended on St Edburg’s Church to see the 80 Christmas trees that lined the church.

St Edburg’s Foundation chairman, Colin Duckworth, inset, said: “The event went very well indeed. We had lots and lots of people, around 400 people for the carols in the trees event on Sunday and well over 1,000 people over the three days.

“Everyone really loved it. St Edburg’s Foundation organised the event to get people into the church to appreciate it in a different light and I think we have achieved that.”

Local residents, businesses, St Edburg’s CoE Primary School and the Bicester Local History Society decorated trees for the event which ended with a night of carols on Sunday.