It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Well, no not really, but it seems that Christmas has come early to the little town of Liskeard.

Jo Wallis, proprietor of Unique Crafts Cornwall, based on the town’s historic Fore Street, has decided that it’s time to put up her Christmas decorations – including Santa, a snowman, fairy lights, a reindeer and a suitably attired penguin.

Small children have already been spotted staring longingly into the unseasonally seasonal window of Jo’s shop.

But there’s no need to panic or to check your calendars. Christmas is still a quarter of a year away. There is of course a good commercial reason for Jo to bring Christmas forward a little bit this year. The shop stocks Jo’s own range of luxury home fragrance products, as well as an array of locally crafted gift items, from handmade gift cards and jewellery to mosaic coasters and ceramic jars.

Jo said: “It’s a good time for people to start considering their stocking fillers”

She added: “We sell a lot of treats and gifts. This year more than ever, with prices of everything rising, we’re all planning well in advance for Christmas. So, we thought we’d give people a bit of a head start”

Retired professor Dr Alec Charles is Jo’s bemused business mentor and manager of the ‘Market Makers’ enterprise support project.

Alec said: “I’ve never seen anything like it. I like Christmas as much as the next elf, but not usually in September. This is proper Christmas crackers, totally festive fruit and nuts!

“We’ve been planning to run a Christmas fair this year, but, as that would still be two months away, I fear we may have already missed the boat! You’ve just got to get into the festive spirit!”