A WOMAN has decided to spread Christmas joy by setting up a bench with port and mince pies next to her field.

Gilly Downey, 57, was asked in 2011 by one of her clients if she knew anyone who would want to bottlefeed a lamb.

Speaking to the Globe, she said: "I'd never held a sheep or lamb but I was an animal lover so I said I would."

Pollyanna, a lamb, arrived with Gilly when she was just 10-days-old.

Gilly added: "We adored her. We were often spotted walking down the Wirral Way, me, Pollyanna and my dog, Buffy."

In 2013, Gilly received seven rescue sheep, all rescued from various places, and now, she owns 12-13 acres of land, with chickens, sheep and ducks.

As Gilly's land sits near a public walkway, she created a place where people could sit, with a bench and a nice view.

On the bench, a sign reads "a place to ponder, please fell free to sit a while."

Wirral Globe:

Gilly said: "This year I thought I would decorate it, so I put a story upon our storyboard about Pollyanna and put some port and mince pies out for people.

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"I have realised Christmas isn't about the materialistic things, the kindness of strangers touches me a great deal."

Yesterday (December, 14) Rob-Jon Cooper, 42, from Heswall, posted the display on Facebook, after sitting on the bench to rest his legs on his daily run.

He said: "Amazing what special people we have out in our community!! Passed on the port as I was two miles in to my run!!"

Rob, unfortunately, lost one of his friends to suicide last week so sat on the bench to reflect on his friend's life.

Wirral Globe:

He left a Christmas card for Gilly to open which read "Thank you, it made a difference."

Gilly said: "I was more touched by that then if someone bought me the most expensive gift in the world."

You can see Gilly's display on Leighton Road in Parkgate.