THREE Christmas trees arrived in Wellington in the early hours of Friday morning (November 21) as the town council gears up for the festive season.

The largest of the trees, which have all come from Langford Lakes, near Langford Budville, was placed in the town centre.

Smaller trees were erected near the OneStop convenience store in Tonedale and next to Rockwell Green Christian Centre.

Contractors started at 5 am in Rockwell Green before moving on to the town centre, finishing in Tonedale in order to minimise traffic disruption.

Christmas lights in the town centre and Rockwell Green have also been put up in the past few weeks ready for their official switch-on on Saturday night (November 29) at 6 pm.

The lights will go on after a town centre Christmas market which opens at 12 noon.

Wellington Mayor Cllr Janet Lloyd’s Christmas card competition was also judged this week, with hundreds of entries received from children across the town.

The winning entry will be revealed during the Christmas lights switch-on event, when Cllr Lloyd hopes the youngster will be thrilled at so many people seeing it.

Cllr Lloyd and the mayor’s consort, her husband Ian, also chose seven cards which were commended and highly commended, with the children receiving certificates to celebrate their work.

Youngsters whose artwork were submitted through their schools will have their cards returned to their school, while others can retrieve them from the council’s offices in Fore Street.

The Christmas market and lights switch-on will benefit for the first time this year from the council’s Kings Arms community hub being open.

The hub has been asked by Santa to host a grotto where children can visit him between 2 pm and 3.30 pm and again from 4 pm to 5.30 pm.

Entertainment this year will also be provided by youngsters from six Wellington schools.