IT MAY only be April, but the committee of the Friends of St Eustachius are well advanced in their plans for the Christmas Tree Festival to be held in Tavistock Parish Church this year.

The festival will start with a grand opening ceremony on Friday, November 25, which coincides with Dickensian Evening. The trees will remain in place until Sunday, December 4, when there will be a festival evensong.

A spokesperson said: 'The committee do however have a notable problem. There is room for 55 trees but the demand for a tree is likely to far exceed this number.

'The plan is to give priority to new contributors and then to hold a ballot for the remaining applicants, with unlucky ones being guaranteed a tree at the next festival.

'The committee are anxious to allow the widest possible spread of exhibitors and we hope that any interested party will apply for a tree, despite the fact that we are likely to be oversubscribed.'

Anyone interested should contact Pat Morrison, 12 Meadow Brook, Tavistock PL19 8BH, tel 01822

613614, email morrison29@btinternet.

com