Author: Judy French

Our intrepid band of Bellringers pulled together to raise the large Christmas tree in church in time for the Christmas Tree Festival which begins on Friday 5.30pm with the switching on of lights and Children’s Choir.

On Saturday the Wychwood Chorale are offering songs from Christmases past, beginning at 7.30pm, free admission and refreshments.

Due to popular demand, Maureen has ordered more Christmas cards which are being sold in aid of our link church in Slatyne, Ukraine. More details here.

So far the Christmas cards have raised £1200 towards buying a wood chipper for Slatyne as their electricity lines have been damaged. Huge thanks to Maureen for creating these unique Christmas cards and to everyone for their support.

A new bomb resistant well for Slatyne built with money donated by St Mary’s.

There will be a special performance by the Wychwood Chorale at St Mary’s at 7.30pm on December 13th.

Over 20 children and their families enjoyed a festive Messy Nativity in St Marys Church Charlbury yesterday. They enjoyed making animal masks and Christmas cards, choosing a costume for the nativity play, learning the songs and then taking part in the nativity play lead by Fergus. Many thanks to those who made Christmas biscuits and cakes for us to enjoy.

We had a wonderful concert for Slatyne in Ukraine at St Mary’s church on the 29^th November. Jarisel played wonderful music and Natalia from Ukraine sang beautifully. The musicians performed for no charge which was extremely generous.

The evening raised an amazing £1,208 for Slatyne.

An Advent Calendar that makes a real difference. This Advent why not give something to help homeless people? The Porch in Oxford is a centre that helps provide homeless people with food, clothing and advice to help them move on from living on the street and with addiction. There is a huge need for donations of food and clothes, as well as financial donations.

One way of helping is to collect one item from this list (below) every day in Advent (30th November to 24th December) and place each item in a box or bag. Take the completed Advent box or bag of items along to St Mary’s Church or Cornerstone between Christmas Day and 18th January. All donations will be taken to the Porch. Don’t worry if you can’t manage an item every day; whatever you can give will be incredibly helpful and very welcome. Thank you!

Come along to Stay and Play at the Bowls Club on Friday mornings in term time. For Under 4s, parents and carers. More info here.

Charlbury Christmas Tree Festival 2025 – Bookings Now Open 

The organisers of the Charlbury Christmas Tree Festival are pleased to announce that bookings are now open for this year’s event. 

The festival will take place from Friday, 12 December 2025, to Thursday, 2 January 2026, with an official opening reception scheduled for Friday, 12 December, from 6:00 to 7:00 pm. 

Tree Sponsorship Individuals, community groups, and organisations are invited to participate by sponsoring a Christmas tree:

• Outdoor trees: £40 
• Indoor trees (inside the church): £45 (indoor spaces are limited and will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis for an additional £5) 

Outdoor trees will be decorated with lights, and non-breakable decorations may also be used if desired. Competitions will be held for both adult- and child-decorated trees, offering an opportunity for creativity and community spirit to shine. 

Supporting the Festival and the Church through tree sponsorship plays a vital role in the continuation of this much-loved Charlbury tradition. Additional donations to the church are also greatly appreciated and will be received with gratitude. 

Booking and Contact Information Booking for the 2025 Charlbury Christmas Tree Festival is available online.

For further information, please contact the organisers at charlburyctf@gmail.com . The organisers look forward to welcoming participants and visitors to what promises to be another memorable celebration of community, creativity, and festive spirit.