IT IS beginning to look a lot like Christmas in the town centre with the controversial festive decorations glowing brightly.

Thousands of people flocked to the Cornhill to see the unveiling of the new �100,000 decorations last Sunday and then on Monday hordes of excited families returned there to confirm that the holidays are coming as the Coca-Cola truck stopped by to wish a Merry Fizz-mas to everyone.

A town florist called on kind-hearted Ipswich residents this week to help spread the festive cheer a little further while Kevin Bernhardt donated a Christmas trees, lights and stand sto St Elizabeth Hospice and East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices and asked residents to support hospices by donating baubles and decorations.

In other Christmas news, youngsters were excited to meet the mayor and launch this year’s Scouts Christmas Post in Ipswich this week. For just 20 pence, Scouts from Ipswich, Claydon, Kesgrave and Martlesham promise to deliver any sized card in time for Christmas Eve.

A campaign to raise awareness of young people suffering domestic abuse was launched this week. The organisers of White Ribbon Day will be working with young people and targeting schools.

People in Felixstowe have the chance to support four good causes and help raise thousands of pounds for their work. The East of England Co-operative Society has launched its latest Token Scheme collection at its Felixstowe town centre supermarket. Customers at the store in Hamilton Road will be given a token for every �5 they spend and are able to choose which of the projects they want to support.

Also in Felixstowe vets had to amputate the leg of a cat which was shot by a callous thug at point blank range. The animal’s shocked owners condemned the “deliberate and evil act of violence” which left their pet in excruciating pain, nervous and facing a long recovery.

But in Ipswich, animal lovers were joined by their canine pals for a festive event filled with fun and games. About 40 people and 25 dogs went to the event which was organised by the East Anglian and South East branch of the Bearded Collie Club.

There was good news at Ipswich Hospital as the diabetes team won a prestigious national award while Urban Vintage, based in Queen Street, were named Young Fashion Retailer of the Year at the Drapers Fashion Awards and a carer from Ipswich was celebrated after his design for a Christmas card won a national competition.

Muayyd Mohammed, of Bramford Road, only started painting a year ago and he took just 45 minutes to create his winning piece.

There was other heart warming news when, for the first time in her life, brave little Brooke Lawrance, was able to walk. The seven-year-old has just undergone pioneering surgery in America which has allowed her to take her first steps after previously being confined to a wheelchair.

Phoebe and Basil Watson are still enjoying wedded bliss this week, 65 years after tying the knot. They married in 1947 the same year the Treaty of Dunkirk was signed, private healthcare firm BUPA was formed and the University of Cambridge all women to become full members.

The Suffolk Waste Partnership has been urging households to take advantage of the special bags for recycling fabric that are supplied with recycling bins. Hundreds of tonnes of unwanted clothes have been handled by the new recycling service across Suffolk – but officials believe much more fabric could be recycled as we discovered when we visited.

There was a lucky escape for three people in Felixstowe as a landlady’s son told how he kicked bedroom doors in to wake up and rescue the people living above a pub that was on fire this week. Paul Smith, 36, raced to his mum’s pub The Feathers in Walton Street after local resident Ashley Dunningham, 26, of Queen Street, spotted the flames, rang the fire service and then alerted the family.

At Ipswich Hospital there has been a baby boom - amongst staff in the maternity department.

And finally Ipswich Town had an exhilarating night under the floodlights when they beat Nottingham Forest 3-1 on Tuesday. The victory saw the team lifted out of the relegation zone and also gave everyone a confidence boost.