A Norfolk village has hit upon novel ways to relieve boredom and save residents from suffering pre-Christmas Coronavirus blues.
With the annual village sale and many other Christmas events shelved, villagers in Hethersett have been figuring out ways to have fun and keep fit.
In the summer, residents enjoyed an art trail that proved immensely popular, and now the village has organised Christmas bauble and advent window trails. Every day in the lead up to Christmas, a new advent window will be unveiled at either a private home or business.
The trail was launched at the Clarity Colorimetry business in Buckingham Drive where owner Ruth Codling set up Christmas trees and other decorations on December 1.
New addresses are announced each evening for the following day on a Facebook page which can be accessed by searching for Hethersett Community Advent.
"We want to create some fun for the little ones and joy for those that have been isolated and still are," said organiser Jess Kean.
"The idea is to encourage all to venture out into the village to spot the advent, as well as the lights and decorations en-route. We want to share the magic of Christmas."
In a separate initiative, Hethersett Woodside Primary and Nursery School has launched a bauble trail.
Plain baubles, which have now sold out, had been sold at £2 each to raise funds for the school. These were decorated by local people and have been placed in windows from December 4, with trail maps available from the school and Tesco Express.
In addition, Father Christmas will travel around the village on a late afternoon and evening in the run-up to Christmas on a decorated bakkie with a Christmas tree donated to the village by the Lombe Estate.
Each year Sir Edward Lombe also presents a tree to Hethersett Dementia Support Group. That group is not meeting at the moment and the tree has been given to the village with residents banding together to bring even more festive cheer on a date still to be finalised.
The Let's Brighten Up campaign, led by this newspaper, is calling for families and households to get creative and pull together after what has been a tough year for the county due to coronavirus restrictions and lockdowns.
Whether it is houses lit up in festive lights or handmade decorations on show for community trails, it is more important than ever for communities to work together safely to mark the Christmas season.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here