The entertainment on offer included stalls with Christmas gifts to buy, games, a chocolate fountain, face-painting, plenty of cakes, buns and other goodies to eat, competitions and a raffle with half the proceeds going to the Precious Lives Appeal.

No Christmas festivities would be complete without Santa, however, and sure enough he also made a special appearance - meeting children in his special grotto and giving out some early presents.

To add even more Christmas feel, all the Prep School and Nursery pupils were invited to dress up for a fancy dress competition. Judging proved enormously difficult because of the high standard of the entries but in the end it was Amber Thomson, 9, who scooped first prize with her outstanding partridge in a pear tree costume. Libby Barnes, 8, dressed as an alternative fairy, came second and Olivia Rimmer, 7, was third in her Christmas tree outfit.

The event was organised by Emma Rimmer who enlisted the support of other parents to help run the stalls and generally provide a good time for all.

'Mrs Rimmer has done a magnificent job - as has everyone else who got involved,' said Mrs Alison Miller, the Prep School headmistress. 'There was lots of fun and laughter - the perfect start to the Christmas season.'