Celeb Christmas tree favourites Pines and Needles have named a tree from Northern Ireland among Britain’s worst top 10 of all time.
Back in 2017, residents in Newry were less than impressed by their Council’s festive offering on Hill Street which was slammed for its poor decorations.
However, since then, Newry Council officials have given their tree a huge makeover in answer to calls from residents who had labelled it bland in 2017.
Pines and Needles, which has supplied trees to everyone from Sir Elton John to Madonna as well as Downing St and Royal palaces, said officials up and down the country were taking the sparkle out of Christmas by not realising the importance of the festive fir.
Pines director Veronika Kusak said: “It’s a monumental job organising the tree and other decorations for a town centre or landmark building which will often mean a great deal to the residents.
“But it’s not just what it means on an emotional level - a fabulous Christmas tree attracts shoppers and visitors, all of whom spend money and bring a vital boost to the local economy.
“Ordering a tree like this is very different to organising one for your home. There is so much more to consider in terms of location, size and variety that will give the best results. And for those who want a living tree it is doubly important to liaise with experts to ensure the tree grows in a way that creates the effect we have all come to expect from a Christmas tree. In this situation you cannot underestimate the value of bringing in people who have specialised over many years in growing trees.”
Top ten worst Christmas trees
1 Hattersley, Manchester - Less is never more. It’s this year’s latest howler and the worst with its skinny lacklustre branches. Dedicated care would have given this tree fuller branches.
2 Grimsby - Go big or go home. Residents hit the nail on the head in 2018 when they said they had a bigger one at home.
3 Tylesdley Greater Manchester. A true festive flop from 2018. Drooping the colour was never a good idea as this tree sparked residents to say their tree looked “half-dead” thanks to its droopy branches.
4 Crosby - Slim seasonal pickings in 2019 as this tree was widely criticised for its lack of horizontal impact. A tree simply has to look fulsome.
5 Ottery St Mary’s in Devon Someone should have twigged it would take more than shiny baubles to disguise this ugly tree from 2017.6 Muswell Hill London - It's Tiny Tim not tiny tree that sums up the best of Christmas. Barely peaking over the barrier put up to protect it even the tree itself looked embarrassed back in 2018.
7 Cardiff - All that glitters is not gold even at Christmas as Cardiff was forced to apologise in 2016 over its alternative to a real tree which was not as big as crowds expected it to be and was late for the Christmas lights switch on after being shipped from China.
8 Camborne - Just one Cornetto, give me a tree. In 2017 Camborne in Cornwall hit the wrong note with its modern conical structure lampooned as an “upside-down Cornetto” - did not even make it to Christmas Day after it was repeatedly vandalised and had its star stolen. A year later it was replaced with a traditional spruce.
9 Walsall - How many workmen does it take to fix a tree - six in Walsall, apparently! One expert here would have solved the problem of the town’s 2023 tree.
10 Newry - Makeover magic. At least Newry stepped up and gave its tree a makeover to answer calls from residents who had labelled it bland in 2017
