THE barbecues may have been fired up, the sun lotion splashed on and shorts given their first airing of the year – but that hasn’t stopped Selby Town Council thinking about Christmas.

The season of roasted chestnuts and red-nosed reindeer maybe months away, but employees of the town council have been out shopping for their annual Christmas trees.

Unsurprisingly the local garden centre did not have any in stock, so Andy Argyle, the council’s resource manager, went slightly further afield, scouring the woodlands around Castle Howard, near Malton, to make sure the town gets the pick of the trees for this year’s festive display.

With the orders of Coun Steve Shaw-Wright ringing in his ears, “as big as you can get”, Andy was on the look-out for four trees – three for the town council and a relatively small 15-footer for the inside of Selby Abbey.

Andy said: “It may be a little strange to be looking for Christmas trees in May, but if we don’t make our choice now, we may not get the quality of tree we want.”

Town clerk Tina Mason said that the council liked to stay a step ahead of the competition and were well into the planning of un-seasonal celebrations.

She said: “Selby Town Council likes to keep a good Christmas, and the trees are the main focal point. The council is always one or two seasons ahead.

“We are well into the planning for Bonfire Night, Remembrance Sunday and Christmas and as soon as this year’s Funday is over, we will start planning next year’s event.”