THE congregation and friends of Christ Church in Malvern got together on Saturday for the annual Christmas fair, and provided another boost for the roof appeal.

The event, which attracted a steady flow of visitors to browse the many stalls, raised £810 towards the work to replace tiles which date back to the Victorian origins of the Avenue Road church.

Proceeds from the fete have been added to the the appeal fund, which has now reached £5,685.

Most of this sum has been raised by the Tile to Remember campaign, which encourages people to sponsor tiles in memory of a loved one or a significant event, thus becoming part of the fabric of the church itself.

This week, churchwarden Angela Green said that the work was ploughing in, in defiance of poor weather conditions.

She said: "The winds have blown but the roof has stayed on, for which we are very grateful, especially as both north and south aisles and some of the chancel is only protected by sheeting.

"Our fair brought many visitors on Saturday and they were able to see the progress for themselves and the interior beginning to get back to normal a little.

"We now only have three weeks to go. The stonemason has been working extremely hard to do all the essential repairs and our grateful thanks go to him, to him, especially in the very cold winds."

There was a slight delay in removing the scaffolding, but it started coming down on Tuesday.

Work has started on the valley and gutterings at the chancel end if the church. The north side of the roof has already been tiled and work started on the south side on Wednesday.

The church was also due this week to take delivery of its new demountable lightweight stage extension, which will enhance its utility as a concert venue after the roof work is complete.

Mrs Green said that the church is very grateful to all those who have sponsored a tile so far.

She said: "There is still time to donate make a donation to sponsor a tile, so please use the coupon and if you want a dedication let us know."