Here are the details of Christmas services across the Harborough churches

Churches in the Market Harborough area are gearing up to stage special services this Christmas amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

People are being urged to keep an eye on the websites of individual churches in the town to get the latest news and information.

There's a creative innovation at St Nicholas Little Bowden Church on Saturday (December 12) when anyone can go to light a candle in memory of someone they will miss this year.

The event is being held from 2pm-4pm.

“It is not a gathering, just a drop in for individual private prayer and remembrance at any time,” said the church.

At St Hugh's Church on Northampton Road there is now a Tree of Hope in the grounds.

People are being invited by team vicar Alison Iliffe to add a ribbon, thought or bauble "to share light and hope in our community”.

Also on the railings outside St Hugh's there are Nativity Story Boards with QR codes on them which link to a carol people can listen to on their phones.

The actual Christmas service situation this year is complex because of Covid restrictions and social distancing.

“The simplest way for people to find out about in-building church services is via the individual church websites that can be accessed via the Churches Together in Harborough website https://www.harboroughchurches.org.uk/churches/town.html,” said a spokesman.

“All churches will be practising social distancing, hand sanitising and currently regulations do not allow any indoor congregational singing.

“People will also have to wear face coverings during all of the services in buildings.”

Services that people can attend in churches close to Christmas currently include:

- Baptist Church on Coventry Road, Market Harborough – 11am on Sunday December 20 - booking required

- Congregational Church at the top of the High Street – 10am on Friday December 25 - no booking required

- Methodist Church on Northampton Road, Market Harborough – 10.15am on Sunday December 20; 7.30pm on Tuesday December 22 - booking required; for services on Thursday December 24 and Sunday December 27, see website for details

- St Dionysius Church on High Street does not require booking and there will be Communion services at 9.30am on Sunday December 20 and 10am on Friday December 25, with a family service at 11.15am on Sunday December 20

- All Saints Church at Lubenham also does not require booking for a midnight communion service at 11.15pm on Thursday December 24. There is also an outdoor service of lessons and carols at 3pm on Friday December 20 outside the church

- The churches in both Great Bowden and Little Bowden will have communions at 10am on Friday December 20 - booking required

- St Hugh’s Church (10am) and St Peter and St Paul Great Bowden (10.30am) will have communions on Christmas Day and booking is required

- Our Lady of Victories Roman Catholic Church on Fairfield Road, Market Harborough, requires booking for all services (see their website for details and times)

- Harborough Community Church on Bath Street, Market Harborough, is currently streaming all of its services on YouTube.

The Anglican churches are also staging other services on Zoom which require a log in and password, with details of how to access these are on the Anglican Team website.

An online Nativity play is being prepared and can be accessed via the Anglican website after this Sunday (December 13).