IT may still be 10 weeks until Christmas, but for visitors to Bents Garden and Home, the festive season starts now.

The Glazebury garden centre launched its Christmas at Bents scheme on Wednesday and 16 beautifully themed displays were revealed to shoppers and invited guests.

And this year, the official Christmas opening marked another special occasion; that of John Bent’s 80th birthday and the team invited John to celebrate the milestone by inviting him to be part of this year’s opening event.

John is a well known figure around the Manchester Road venue, with many customers having also enjoyed visits to Weeping Ash, his garden located just next to the centre.

Before retiring from the family business in the 1980s, John helped his brother Ron build what was their parent’s rose growing business, into the start of what is now one of the most awarded garden centres in the country.

To celebrate his 80th birthday and help get the Christmas festivities under way at Bents, John’s nephew and current managing director has invited his uncle to lift the lid – or more precisely –press the button as part of the official opening ceremony.

Matthew said: “It’s not quite Britain’s got talent, but this year’s opening event features a big red button which got a good response from the audience!

“Once again the team has worked tirelessly to put together what I think is another fantastic display and we’re really excited about unveiling this year’s Christmas extravaganza.”

This year’s feature themes include Cool Copper which combines simple shapes with muted tones for a modern and effortless look.

Dressed to Impress sets a sophisticated scene using black, white, silver and pearls, while the Iconic seventies takes its cue from the decade of bold prints and paisley patterns.

There’s lots planned in the run up to Christmas including Father Christmas’s official arrival on Saturday, November 9 and Bents’ popular family fun weekend on Saturday, November 30 and Sunday, December 1.

Watch our video of the opening extravaganza below.