Abington Pigotts turns itself into advent calendar

Twenty-two residents have decorated their front windows

Organiser Beth Lievesley designed a Twelve Days of Christmas window

The village church and pub are also taking part in the event

On 24 December people will walk through the village to admire all the windows

A Cambridgeshire village has turned itself into an advent calendar in the run-up to Christmas.

The decorated windows of 22 houses, the church and the pub in Abington Pigotts are being unveiled each evening.

Villagers are invited to view the latest window, sing carols and enjoy mulled wine and mince pies.

Artist Beth Lievesley, who organised the "living advent calendar" event, said: "The quality is amazing, but it's really about people getting together."

Mrs Lievesley said she was inspired by a similar idea in the Hertfordshire village where she used to live.

"I thought it would be perfect for Abington Pigotts because it is such a tiny village, with only about 160 people," she said.

She sent out flyers and emails to gauge interest and was "inundated" with replies within a few days.

"I did the first window, but I quickly realised my tissue paper design wasn't going to stand up to the condensation over 24 days, so I've had to laminate the whole thing," she said.

Villagers taking part in the event keep their design secret until their designated evening, when the window is revealed.

"We get quite a crowd each night, and people provide food and drink for everyone who's turned up," Mrs Lievesley said.

"It's all quite low-key, but it's a very sweet way for everyone to get together."

The final window will be unveiled in the village pub on 24 December, followed by a "living advent calendar walk" to view all the designs.