Grinch Christmas tree narrowly voted festival's best

Sisters Naomi and Dionne Yeandle spent a couple of days making it and you can now see it proudly displayed in the window of their shop on Sherrard Street.

There were 1,700 votes cast by visitors to the St Mary’s Church festival and just four separated the winner from the runner-up, Fleur's Floristry with their bridal dress-themed tree.

There were more than 230 floor trees this year and 15 window trees, a mixture of entries from schools, charities, clubs, organisations and businesses.

It was all down to the efforts of the festival committee and a team of hard-working volunteers.

The organisers said: “To our wonderful army of movers and shifters who helped set out the church ready for the trees coming in, to those volunteers who worked so hard during the festival making endless cups of tea and coffee, serving scones and cakes and meeting and greeting on the door, we take our hats off to you all.

"Thank you so much for going the extra mile to make this year's event so spectacular and for doing it with a big smile on your faces.

“To those who entered trees, we applaud you. Your imaginations ran wild on themes for your trees.”

Thanks go to this year’s sponsors for their generosity and support – Bloor Homes East Midlands; Samworth Brothers; Shouler & Son; NFU Mutual Melton Mowbray and INSTEP of Melton.

Special thanks must also go to Melton BID; W. Southerington & Sons Ltd; C&C Plants Scalford; Central England Co-operative Funeralcare and Gates Garden Centre.