A VILLAGE has been turned into a live advent calendar in the run-up to Christmas.

Every day since December 1, a window display has been appearing in different houses and shops around Ashwell. A new one will be revealed every day until December 24, and designs include a gingerbread castle and a miniature railway.

The idea is the brainchild of Ashwell resident Kate Heiss.

She said: “My mother-in-law is German, and they did a similar thing in her village last year. I thought Ashwell would be perfect for it because we have so many lovely houses.

“We put a notice in the parish newsletter, and there has been a lot of interest from people wanting to go round and look at the windows.

“It makes the village look really festive.”

A list of the locations of the advent displays can be found online at http://ashwellliveadventcalendar.moonfruit.com/