TAUNTON Deane’s Mayor helped to declare open on Saturday a shop near Wellington dedicated to all things Christmassy which also raises funds for charity.

Vivienne Stock-Williams cut the ribbon at Langford Lakes Christmas Tree Farm, based at Middle Hill Farm in Langford Budville, to officially open the shop.

Reg Hendy, owner of Langford Lakes, said: “The Mayor very kindly agreed to declare us officially open for the festive season and unveiled our Christmas shop. She assisted Father Christmas with the ribbon cutting.

“Once again this year we’re hoping to collect as much money as possible for Children’s Hospice South West (CHSW) from the sale of mince pies and teas and coffees, aided by the Wellington Friends Group of CHSW, from our launch event through to our last day of trading before Christmas on December 23. Last year we raised £2,000 for the organisation.”

CHSW is currently the only provider of specialist hospice care for children in the region. It offers much-needed support for youngsters with a life-limiting or life-threatening condition and their families at its three hospices – Charlton Farm in North Somerset, Little Bridge House in North Devon and Little Harbour in Cornwall.

Reg added: “We had a great launch day and would like to thank everyone who popped along as well as the Mayor, who is an ardent supporter of CHSW. The fun started at 9am with the official ribbon-cutting event at 11am. Families got to meet Santa and enjoy the refreshments, while also helping raise invaluable funds for a very worthy charity.”

Langford Lakes Christmas Tree Farm is a 40-acre farm close to the nature reserve Langford Heathfield, a mile outside Langford Budville.

It is a family-run farm, owned and run by Reg and his wife Ann and their two sons, Shaun and Nick. The family has been growing and selling Christmas trees for more than 20 years.

Reg added: “Back in 1993 I took a risk and decided to diversify away from the traditional cash crops of wheat and potatoes, and chose to plant and farm Christmas trees. My next decision was what type of tree to go for. With dozens of potential firs and spruces available, I opted to specialise in the Nordman Fir variety, which was then relatively rare and slow-growing.

“The Nordman Fir provides one huge benefit to its main competition, the Norway Spruce – its needle retention. The soft fir needles of the Nordman Fir have even been known to remain green and still attached to the tree into May.”