A VARIETY of vehicles decorated for Christmas joined the annual parade around Berry Hill.

Tractors, cars, vans and motorbikes gathered at the Forest Holidays campsite at Bracelands for the parade through Christchurch and around Berry Hill to the village rugby club.

The event is organised by friends Spike Powles, Danny Dunkley and Lee Osborne and has its roots in the Covid lockdown.

Danny explained: “During lockdown people weren’t able to get out so it was a way of taking Christmas to them.

“It’s become a Christmas tradition in Berry Hill.”

As the convoy made its way around the village, Spike and Lee, who were dressed as Christmas elves, rattled collection buckets.

Spike said: “The money goes back to Berry Hill. This year we are giving it to the YMCA who need some work doing and to the people who provide a Christmas meal for the elderly.”

As well as the traditional vehicles there were also a couple of “contraptions” created by brothers Gareth and David Maxfield.

Gareth’s vehicles was made up of a moped and a stump grinder while his brother’s combined the frame of a Suzuki Bandit motorcycle and a Lister D stationary engine.

David said: “A mate saw one on YouTube and we thought we’d have a go at it.”

Many of the vehicles took part in the Cinderford Christmas convoy the previous week but some were first timers at the Berry Hill event.

Among them was Sean Elphinstone who had travelled from Abergavenny with his Ford Ranger.

Sean was invited to Berry Hill by his friend Rhys Davies who was also taking part, driving a Volkswagen Caddy.

Sean, a member of Abergavenny Round Table, said: “I came to see what it was it was about and hopefully next year I’ll bring a train on a trailer.”