Bristol in pics: It's beginning to look a lot like...

Christmas lights and trees have been illuminated across Bristol this past week

The Christmas starting gun has been fired across Bristol, now that we are officially in December.

Decorations, trees and lights have been popping up all over the city and for those whose businesses revolve around this time of year, it's all hands to the pump.

But it's not all about Christmas, with sport carrying on and thousands of students enjoying their graduation days.

A thumping win: Bristol City welcomed struggling Plymouth Argyle to Ashton Gate on Saturday and sent them packing with a 4-0 win.

Ship shape and Christmas fashion: The tree is up at the SS Great Britain, with festive activities taking place in Brunel Square on the harbourside ahead of its Victorian Christmas event on 7 and 8 December where Mr Brunel and other characters will meet visitors. The baubles on the tree were made by Year 11 students on the SS Great Britain Trust's future engineers scheme.

Let there be light: The stunning light show Luxmuralis: In the Beginning has been wowing visitors to Bristol Cathedral over the past week. The light and sound show is a reimagining of the Nativity Story building up to Advent.

A winter's tale: They're getting ready for a family show at Circomedia, with Mother Deer - based on a northern European folk tale - being staged from 22 to 24 December. Inspired by the winter solstice, it tells the story of Mother Deer in her quest to bring sunshine back to the forest.

Spruced up: Garden centres all around Bristol, such as here in Brackenwood in Abbots Leigh, are working hard to keep up with demand as thousands of households choose their Christmas tree for this year.

Frosty the surfman: The tree is also up at The Wave on the outskirts of the city, where some chilly dawns have added a certain festive feel for the people donning their wetsuits.

Celebration time: Thousands of UWE students have been filling the Bristol Beacon's main hall this week to receive their degrees, an occasion to dress up and share the moment with family and friends.

Darkness falls: We're still a short way off the shortest day of the year, so for many commuters it's a case of going to work and coming home with the street lights on and the harbourside looking like the above picture. From 21 December the hours of daylight will start to increase.

Recognition: Talking of higher education, the apprenticeships scheme at the University of Bristol has been recognised by the Department for Education this week. Now in its fifth year, the scheme is aimed at bringing in young people, many of them from the city itself.

He gets about: Father Christmas can also be found over at Avon Valley in Keynsham where he is part of the attractions in the Winter Wonderland (which, be warned, also features a Grinch).

And sew it begins: Cribfest, held at St John the Baptist Church, in Chipping Sodbury, featured more than 100 different nativity scenes, some knitted, some made of wax and others created from toilet rolls.