THE Christmas Tree Festival at the Minster Church of St Denys came to a climax today with a performance by the Warminster Brass Band.

The band gave a performance at 4pm during the festive carol service for visitors to the Church’s three-day festival, which attracted hundreds of of children from local schools and adults.

Organiser Sylvia Short said she was “delighted” with the response to the festival, which this year featured 74 gaily decorated Christmas trees.

“We are celebrating our 12th anniversary this year. It has been a fantastic community event and we have been delighted with the support from local schools and residents.”

The church is hoping to raise more than £2,000 from the event. Mrs Short added: “It is now a firm fixture on the Warminster calendar and people just love it.”

Schools, community groups, charities and companies decorated the Christmas trees, some of which invited visitors to add tags in memory of loved ones who have died.

One of the most popular trees was the Intercitree decorated by father and son Richard and Jonathan Owen.

The tree included a Lego model railway track, a 00-gauge Hornby track and a very narrow N-gauge Graham Farish track, with trains going around them.

“We’ve been doing this now for about eight years,” said Richard. “We did it for the first time and they asked us to come back again.”

For next year’s 75th anniversary of the Reverend W Awdry’s famous Thomas the Tank Engine books, the Owens are planning a special themed display.

Other entertainment and activities at the festival included visits from Santa, singing from the Minster Choir and the Upton Scudamore Choir, performances by the Warminster School String Quartet and the Warminster Ukelele Group, and children’s stories in the stables.