CHRISTMAS is not cancelled as The Gardens Group has announced plans for the return of its displays in Sherborne next month.

The displays, which will also be in Dorchester and Yeovil, will include a range of new measures designed to keep families safe and socially distanced.

While this year’s themes remain tightly under wraps, as director Louise Burks and her team put the finishing touches on displays they’ve been planning since January, The Gardens Group has revealed the steps being taken to ensure that visitors can enjoy the experience with confidence.

Every element has been reviewed with safety in mind and new measures include additional space within the displays, reorganised routes to avoid congestion, hand sanitising points before and after each display, extra tills to reduce queuing, one-way systems and two-metre markings to help guide social distancing.

With the ever popular opening night events unable to take place this year, due to the huge numbers that regularly gather for this annual spectacle, The Gardens Group is encouraging people to consider visiting at quieter times of day over the coming weeks.

The display at Castle Gardens in Sherborne starts on October 16 and will run until Christmas Eve.