Yesterday was Epiphany, marking the end to the main Christmas season. And we have had a marvellous Christmas this year.

We started with a children’s craft afternoon, which saw 16 village children making beautiful Christmas decorations for the church tree, as well as wreaths to take home with them.

However, even before that – a small group of villagers were meeting to practise singing Christmas Carols. The ‘Cowlinge Christmas Singers’ (as they were named), under the direction of the amazing Linda, led from the front at our Carol Service. They even brought their own, ‘Cowlinge’ version, of the 12 days of Christmas, which was the icing on the cake of an amazing evening.

The Carol Service, on the Sunday of Fourth Advent, brought a record number to our village church. Over 120 people joined us to sing carols and hear the Christmas story. So many that we were standing room only!

The atmosphere was wonderful – and the greenery arrangements, the Christmas tree and the candles all contributed to a feeling that Christmas had arrived.

All of this led to the culmination on Christmas Day, when we were fortunate to be hosting the benefice Christmas Communion service. Again, the church was full, with 78 people joining us on a somewhat chillier morning as we welcomed in Christmas and celebrated once again the joy of Jesus’s birth.

Thank you to everyone who came to any of our Christmas events – we look forward to seeing you during 2026!