Christmas in May delights regulars at a Banburyshire pub

Regulars get into the Christmas spirit in May as lockdown has been eased - and hail lashes the windows

Regulars at Tadmarton's village pub, The Lampet Arms, have welcomed the reopening of the hostelry's doors as restrictions are eased - complete with festive decorations, garlands and lights.

After a difficult year in 2020, landord and landlady, Des and Phyllis England, put up their extensive Christmas decorations late last autumn in an effort to keep people's spirits up. Then the biggest lockdown of all arrived leaving pubs silent and gloomy. Decorations were left unlit, unappreciated and frozen in time.

But last week when villagers returned on a cold, wet May evening, they were met by the brightly-lit, rejuvenated Christmas decorations and a blazing log fire.

Landlady Phyllis England was determined that last year's Christmas display would not go to waste

"It all seemed to fit the occasion. The weather was awful but it was a time for celebration and a bit of banter," said regular Daisy Sadler.

"We are hoping that the decorations will make it through the next six months and that Phyllis and Des are too busy to take them down."