What do Brussels sprouts and Christmas have in common? Well, this time, the answer isn’t the Christmas dinner but the annual Calstock Advent windows.

Since lockdown, the shops in the village have decorated their window displays to become part of a village-wide advent calendar. Each Advent window contains a Christmas-themed scene and one is unveiled each day at 5pm in the lead up to Christmas. Each window this year features a unique addition – a ceramic Brussels sprout.

Normally a reindeer or something Christmas related, this year the school children opted to make little sprout characters to be hidden in the festive windows. Becky Fierek, a local resident who has children at the school, led the pottery workshop for the Class 3 students (Years 5 and 6), and each child created an individual sprout character.

Each unique little sprout character has been given an equally apt name such as Sprouty McSprout-face, Brrrrussell and even Kermit Sprout, and has been added to the trail map of the Advent windows dotted around the village. Children and residents can take part in the window trail on a quest to spot the sprout. Once all the sprouts have been discovered, the completed list can be exchanged for a prize.

This year pupils from Calstock Community Primary School made ceramic Brussel sprouts to hide in the village's advent window for the festive advent trail..

The Advent calendar idea began in lockdown by Fleur Cousins and her husband Tom. Fleur said: “When we started it, it was purely because at that time there was nothing else to do, and everyone was feeling so sad. Now it’s has become this trail that everyone joins in with.

“What’s lovely, is it brings the old and the young of the village together. Everybody does the map together, and it ends with a Christmas gathering on Christmas Eve with everyone celebrating living in this beautiful village. It’s a lovely thing to have come out of Covid.”

The funds raised by the Advent Calendar trail are donated to Calstock Community Primary and over the years have paid for musical instruments, computers, play equipment and even a classroom/library renovation. Headteacher at the school, Ben Towe, said: “The advent windows are a wonderful annual event that makes Calstock such a special place each and every Christmas.

“The windows look amazing and the fact that the school is involved every year with the making of clay creations on a different theme, which feature in each window as part of the advent trail, is such an important link to the community.

This festive window scene, one of the Advent windows in the Calstock Advent window trail, was made by 12 year old Etta. (Picture: Rebecca Fierek)
This festive window scene, one of the Advent windows in the Calstock Advent window trail, was made by 12-year-old Etta. (Picture: Rebecca Fierek) ( )

“The sprouts were great fun and the children loved creating different characters, as every one was individual and had a very unique look.

“The funds raised every year are always kindly given to the school. We can't thank the organisers enough for this financial boost, and are very grateful for their continued support.”

Trail maps are for sale at the Lime Kiln Gallery, Lishe and the local pubs, and the school. There will be live carol singing by the pupils from Calstock Community Primary School on December 19 when it’s the school’s turn to open their window.

More information can be found at: https://www.calstockadventwindows.co.uk