The Taranaki cow shed where it's Christmas every day

It's too early to start thinking about Christmas, right?

Wrong, if you're in New Plymouth.

There's a converted milking shed on the outskirts of the city where it's Christmas everyday.

To walk through the doors of the Christmas Village in Bell Block is to step into another world.

A sparkly world of tinsel, baubles, Christmas trees and Santas in hundreds of varieties - all underpinned by a suitably festive soundtrack.

The Christmas Village has just thrown its doors open seven days a week as it gears up for the big day.

Co-owner Jenny Field - a former Opunake dairy farmer herself - is a self-confessed Christmas tragic.

"It's just the whole atmosphere. People tend to be nicer at Christmas and all the family would come home, there'd be big Christmas dinners. It's just the whole scenario, the whole scene.

"And I get this funny feeling and I have it most of the year about Christmas. I just absolutely love it - always have and always will." 

Field and her husband Wayne took over the business seven years ago. Field said she was "immersed in what she loves".

The Christmas Village is inspired by a similar store in Scotland and it has seven specialist areas.

One for Santas, of course, nativities, motion settings, statues and white items, nutcrackers and woodland creatures among others. There are a total of 65 decorated Christmas trees on site.

Field said people were often overwhelmed when they visited for the first time.

"Some people cry because they are so overwhelmed what they are seeing which is really awesome and it's for that reason that they can't believe what they are seeing.

"I've always said it's a shop of emotions. We have people coming in for the first time after they've lost somebody or a broken relationship and it's their first Christmas, so you get all of that in here too."  

Steph had come into the store with youngsters Maddie and Harper.

"The first day it opens in April we are here, so we're in the Christmas spirit very early.

"Jenny does an amazing job of making it feel really homely and inviting and it just brings me great joy when I come here."

Mandy was picking up lay-by items with Isabel and Paige.

"It's just amazing. It's just that magical feeling you look for every year especially for the children and there's such a variety of stuff you can get and different colours. It's just amazing." 

Tanya Long had popped in for an early Christmas fix.

"I just love this place you could say it's my happy place and it's like visiting a family member. Jenny's just so cool and we have a few laughs and it's just the atmosphere, the feeling. It's good.

"And when the husband's busy doing other stuff I'll come out here and have a little look and see what I can find without him knowing." 

Long once snuck home an imitation TV with a Santa flying around in a snowy scene.

It cost several hundred dollars and it's been a big hit with the grandchildren.

She said her husband was oblivious.

"He didn't notice. He still hasn't realised. He just thinks it's all part of the collection I've got, so we've got some out in a storage shed and some in the sleepout." 

She reckoned there was no such thing as getting in the Christmas spirit too early.

"It's never too early, never. I think Christmas year round. On Boxing Day I start planning for the next year, so no it's never too early."

Sue Henchman was on the same page.

"In September I started putting my decorations up. I have a house full of decorations and to me September 1st is a good time to start."

And you'd get no argument about that from Jenny Field.

"We start here in February, so no it's not too early. 

"We pull the whole shop to pieces, we redo it all up and open on May 1 and we hit the ground running at May 1 [three days a week] because we do long-term lay-by and we have people coming through the door.

"And they come in and they are happy and people come in here when they are having down days right through the year or just for a buzz, so no it's never too early for Christmas."