Carols in the Square

In Woodbridge we always have a Carol service on Market Hill on the last Monday before Christmas.

Let me qualify this twice.

By always I mean that this year was the 63rd occurrence. This is always as far as I'm concerned.

And by always on Market Hill,  we have to make an honourable exception for last year, just after the floods, when the wind was blowing such a hoolie that the service had to be transferred to the church at the last minute. (This was in itself something of a challenge:  St Mary's stained glass windows were in the process of restoration, and half of them were covered in plastic sheeting. It was an interesting experience, and not dissimilar to being outside in a roaring gale.)

I digress..

This year, being warm and calm, the service proceeded beautifully, and the whole square was filled with people of all ages. Really filled - people packed it from the shire Hall to the Kings Head, andfrom the houses on one  side to the shops on the other. The fact that Father Christmas turns up after the carols and hands out sweets to all the children had, of course, nothing whatsoever to do with this!

I love living in a town where this happens. This carol service and the Woodbridge Remembrance Day service are two of my favourite occasions in the entire year