In the week leading up to Advent Sunday, Chesterfield's Crooked Spire opens its doors to visitors far and wide to celebrate the start of the Advent season with its annual Christmas Tree Festival. 

This year’s festival - the ninth - ran for ten days from 17 November and the festival continues to grow in numbers of both trees and visitors!

This year, more than 120 trees, set up by businesses and organisations from across Chesterfield, were on display.

>> See pictures from the Crooked Spire Christmas Tree Festival

Warm and welcoming volunteers were there to greet visitors before they were hit with a visually stunning sight – the array of varied Christmas trees shining beautifully in the church itself nd set against its altars and stained glass windows.

The Revd Canon Patrick Coleman, Vicar of Saint Mary and All Saints in Chesterfield, is often asked why they have a Christmas tree festival at the end of November. 

His response is that the church prepares for Christmas with the season of advent: “We want to bring God’s blessings to Chesterfield by sending out the trees all over the town after they have been blessed by being in the church.

"We hope and pray that all in Chesterfield will be blessed this season.” 

In the weeks leading to Christmas Day, every inch of the church is needed to fit in the hundreds of people who go to services and concerts.

If we needed an example that the church is truly alive, then this is a fine one!