A church's thanksgiving celebrations for recovery from a terrible fire are captured on television cameras as a debut free festival takes place.

TELEVISION is another world; they do things differently there. David and Carrie Grant - "You know," someone said, "they used to be Gloria Hunniford" - spent getting on eight hours at St Paul's in Spennymoor last Saturday, and with a crew, fed and watered in the church hall, that could probably have sailed the Queen Mary.

It was for a BBC1 programme called What The World Needs Now - "Ten takes just to light a candle," said someone else - and tomorrow morning at ten o'clock they will find out just how long their moment of glory is to last.

The portents aren't particularly promising. The BBC website notes that the programme will include footage of the Salvation Army's "front line troops waging a war on poverty in Sunderland", of Lucy Winkett on the trail of the Wise Men as they follow the Star of Bethlehem and of "teenage singing sensations All Angels living up to their name".

Though there is no mention of Spennymoor, we shall see what we shall see, and set the video, an' all. "I hope they make it worthwhile," says the vicar's mum, "they had our Lynda run off her feet."

It was the church's first Christmas tree festival, something of a growth industry these days, to mark the end of the 50th anniversary celebrations of St Paul's rededication after a devastating fire. The inferno had been spotted on the evening of Saturday, July 25, 1953, firemen from as far away as Stockton and Chester-le-Street called to tackle it. "Over half the roof and many of the fittings, furniture and ornaments were destroyed," reported The Northern Echo on its front page.

One man had been injured by falling slates as he tried to rescue valuables, the following morning's service was held in the school down the road. The church clock never stopped.

The rededication took place on November 1, 1956. Fifty years later, St Paul's is ablaze with the lights from 50 Christmas trees - a green party, as it were - and the Raby Estate must be looking pretty denuded. The smell as redolent of that glad season as grandma's Christmas cake rising triumphantly to never-doubted perfection.

Some of the money raised will go to the Great North Air Ambulance and to the Butterwick Hospice, some to the £10,000 fund needed finally to replace the stained glass window in the east of the church. They hope it will be installed within a year.

The festival is the idea of Norma Downs and Maureen Kirkup, who've spent a year in planning and fund raising and almost every waking moment for the past four days ensuring that it'll be all light on the night. "We just heard of tree festivals elsewhere and thought it would be a good idea," says Norma whose husband, happily, is a retired electrical engineer. They'd no idea, she adds, that it would be so much work.

Maureen had asked the television people if they didn't get tired of doing the same little thing over and over again. They said that they didn't at all. "To be honest," says Maureen, "every one of them was lovely."

The theme is anniversaries, three of the Guides marking a tenth anniversary with a Tin Tree - decorations ranging from the Tin Commandments to Tinny and Susannah, from Tinsel Town to Dirty Dance Tin.

Sponsors range from the Hillingdon pub across the road - whose theme's the World Cup - to the Royal Navy Association, from every school in the parish to familiar local musicians Shirley and Joe Prest, who've noted the anniversary of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

The main festival service is on Sunday evening - much, much more than a collection of readings and carols loosely strung together. The Rev Lynda Gough, as bright shining as any, has prepared a thoughtful and reflective service themed around the Christmas message.

"Illuminate the darkness of my thinking," we pray, "with the brightness of your seeing."

There are confident carols from Rosa Street School choir - aren't teachers looking younger these days? - and an accomplished organist. She's called Sue Amos, which probably explains everything.

Dot Fawcett has made and iced a magnificent cake in the shape of the church. Though all agree that it's an awful shame to cut it, they fall unanimously upon it when it is.

The service ends with Joy to the World, that greatest of all carols, and with wine and whatnot in the vestry. Lynda, dashing off to see a sick parishioner in hospital, says there's been a really special atmosphere.

Norma Downs talks of how wonderful it's been to hear all the enthusiastic comments; Maureen says the best bit's been sitting quietly in church, after everyone's gone home, looking at the lights and taking it all in.

"It's magic, just sitting there and thinking that after all the effort, we've done it. It's been an awful lot of work, and an awful lot of stress, but like Christmas itself, it's been worth it."

* Christmas services at St Paul's, Spennymoor, are at 6pm tomorrow, a service of Nine Lessons and Carols, 6pm on Christmas Eve - Christingle and children's nativity service - and 10am on Christmas Day.

* What The World Needs Now is on BBC1 at 10am tomorrow.