'˜The Angels have landed'... as Horsforth gears up for Christmas carol service

Something really quite magical happened to Horsforth over the weekend, after 600 knitted angels appeared throughout the town.

You may have heard of ‘yarn bombing’, which involves the sudden appearance of knitted covers on otherwise bland pieces street furniture, such as lampposts and park benches. Well, this is being dubbed ‘angel bombing’, for obvious reasons.

Matt Wright, minister of Lister Hill Baptist Church in Horsforth, said: “The angels appeared in groups all over Town Street. They were on benches, railings, window ledges, in many shops and cafes, not to mention the farmers market.

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“Most local businesses had a visit, and some angels even popped into the library for a spot of reading. Some businesses were really creative in helping the angels ‘hide’ in plain sight and it was great seeing both children and adults smile as they found them. Even our MP had a visit.

“Our little friends were lovingly handmade throughout the year by Horsforth Churches Together. Each angel brought a special message of good news like in the Nativity, encouraging anyone who found one to bring it to Carols in the Park.”

He added: “If you found an angel don’t forget to bring it to Carols in the Park to find out more of the message the angels came to bring. If you didn’t, why not bring a person in your life you consider an angel? A warm welcome and festive refreshment await you, even if the weather is cold.”

Duncan Stow, organiser of the event, said: “My role is helping churches together work. This is a nice fun thing to get people into the Christmas spirit and enjoying things... There’s 10 churches in the group, we do all kinds of things throughout the year.”

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He added: “This started in 2011, there’s a brass band in the bandstand and we put 50 chairs out. In the first year, there were 400 people, last year it was up to about 800. There’s a nativity case who walk up the Town Street after the event.”

Carols in the Park will take place on Saturday December 8, from 4pm-4.30pm in Horsforth Hall Park.

FACTFILE

Horsforth Churches Together is a network of churches who meet to organise events throughout the year

Brass band A Stroke of Genius will provide the music this year, raising money for a stroke charity

Churches provide mince pies and warm drinks for free; children get glowsticks

The event also benefits the local bars and restaurants on Town Street