The last week of November is when Christmas in our coastal community commences, starting at 5.30pm when Brixham, where we now happily live, holds its ‘Lights, Lanterns and ‘Luminations’ Parade. Families, schools, town organisations and, of course, our Junior Church section from All Saints’ Church with their stars and flashing lights, gather outside Rockfish, a well-known fish restaurant, and - a bit like Ascension Day in Bisley - a band leads the Parade around the Brixham Quay.
Later the whole area is filled with music from visiting bands, the pubs sell food and drink on the pavements and many get dressed up as pirates, Santas, etc., and await the 9pm Firework Display. This year the Three Ships that are normally on a pontoon in the Quay seem to have been replaced by Santa and two Candles!
Once we get closer to Christmas, much the same as we did in Bisley, we get our Christmas Trees ‘planted’ and decorated and hold a Christingle Service. Unfortunately, the schools don’t participate as fully as Bluecoats Bisley does, but it is still a worthwhile event with the Christingle Oranges and Candles. A week or so before Christmas Day, usually on a Friday evening, we have ‘Carols with the Nine Lessons’ and very enjoyable it is too. The afternoon of Christmas Eve features the Nativity Play by Junior Church and at 11.30pm we usually celebrate Midnight Mass but this year, due to Covid, we made the decision to suspend the Mass ☹ due to the likelihood of additional worshippers and the need to thoroughly clean the church in the early hours before the next morning’s wonderful celebration of the birth of our Lord.
