LOVE it or loathe it there's no denying that Christmas really is just around the corner.

It feels like it gets earlier every year, with festive displays cropping up in the shops as soon as September.

But now Christmas trees have appeared in Weaver Square, Northwich, the town's Christmas lights were switched on yesterday, Saturday and the festive season really cannot be ignored any longer.

Turning a blind eye to this year's Christmas countdown wascertainly not an option for me.

I was cajoled into helping put up those very trees by Weaver Square's centre manager Paul Bosman, who said he wanted me to experience how much hard work went into preparing for the festive fun.

As I am a mere 5ft 1in, helping construct the two artificial trees measuring 18ft 3in and 12ft could be described as a bit of a tall order.

Especially as each of the 420 plus, and quite scratchy, branches had to be slotted in by hand on a rather chilly November day.

Then 40m of twinkly lights had to be evenly draped around the biggest tree, located in the square itself, with another 20m reserved for the smaller tree in Market Way.

But the real build up to Christmas began for Paul and his team way back in the spring.

He said: "We start to look at what it is that we want to do in May and have to order any new lights by the end of May.

"We also have our first meeting with Northwich Round Table and the Rotary Club of Northwich Vale Royal in May. After that we meet once a month until the switch-on."

The Round Table and Rotary Club help Paul and his assistant manager Phil Brightman prepare for the arrival of Father Christmas and then help the man himself once he has settled into his grotto.

At the June meeting the programme of events for each weekend from the end of November until Christmas Day is planned.

Paul said: "We do pretty much the same year in year out because it works well for the different generations.

"But in the past couple of years we have tried to improve what we've got with the means we've got and I don't think we've done too badly."

He added: "This the busiest time of year for us because leading up to the switch-on we have to get everything in place and we have a limited time to do it."

This includes putting up lights and trees, building the grotto, sorting out power supplies and helping Father Christmas wrap a mountain of gifts for the children.

Paul said: "We have to do all of this within normal hours, which include Saturdays and market days.

"We have to think about what we are doing each day and where we can work safely and without hindrance to other people."

Decorations are kept up for 12 days after Christmas, then the big clean up begins.

This also involves dislodging birds that roost in the Christmas trees at night.

Paul said: "Christmas is really important in the town centre because it's one of the main Christian festivities and one of the main periods of the year where retail can make up for its bad periods.

"I love working over Christmas and love it when the lights are on but the best moment of the entire season for me is when the parents and children are in the precinct and the lights go on and you can hear the children gasp with delight."

n To see Gina put up the trees go to northwich guardian.co.uk and click videos