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A new Carol

I've gone along to the Rotary Club Carol Service each year for half a decade or so. It's always the same: the town band, the mayor presiding, the Chinese lanterns bought from the violin shop, the handing over of the town's tree and Father Christmas's "surprise" appearance on top of the church tower.

This year's service diverged from the pattern though. The band, the mayor and the tree were all there, but there were differences too. The prayers brought a heavy dose of realism with them as the townsfolk prayed for the families of the "five young women". And all those years of climbing the church tower have clearly got too much for Father Christmas - he arrived on the fire engine this year.

Woodbridge is wonderful at times like this. The community gathers, laughs at its own traditions while extending an inclusive, embracing arm outwards.