Peterlee's Christmas tree set to get the brush-off

Dec 4 2008 by Neil Mckay, The Journal

AFTER having to accept a “toilet brush” apology for a Christmas tree, the people of a County Durham town were snowed under with offers of replacements yesterday.

And today the Forestry Commission will install a splendid 20ft Norway spruce in Peterlee town centre.

It was being chopped down yesterday by workers in Hamsterley Forest, near Bishop Auckland. The commission’s offer to provide a replacement tree was one of a dozen from nurseries since The Journal broke the story of Peterlee’s sorry tree.

Forestry Commission tourism and communities manager Alex MacLennan said: “We have been growing trees in Hamsterley for decades and we take a lot of pride in our Christmas trees.

“We acted in double quick time so that people in Peterlee can share in the festive spirit and enjoy a handsome specimen full of fragrance and forest freshness.”

The tree will be transported free and supplied at cost price. Manager of Peterlee’s Castle Dene Shopping Centre Mike Weston said: “We are thrilled with the kind offer from the Forestry Commission.”

He said he had received 10 to a dozen offers to replace the original tree, which local councillor Joan Maslin described as “an insult to Peterlee” and which one local woman said resembled a toilet brush. Among offers were one from local nursery Plants R Ross and another from Heighley Gate Garden Centre, near Morpeth in Northumberland.

Coun Maslin said: “I am delighted that the people of Peterlee are getting a tree they deserve, instead of the threadbare specimen which was foisted upon us.”

Fame global

SHOPPING centre boss Mike Weston found himself unexpectedly in the eye of a media storm this week after local councillor Joan Maslin complained about the state of the town centre’s threadbare Christmas tree.

Although he readily admitted he thought it awful, the much-maligned tree had been delivered just hours before ex-Atomic Kitten singer Natasha Hamilton was due to switch on the town’s Christmas lights.

There was no time to find a replacement before the switch-on.

Earlier this week the tree cut a sorry figure, standing forlornly in the windswept shopping centre, festooned with a dozen Christmas lights.

Yesterday it was surrounded by TV and radio crews.

One young girl, at the behest of a local radio crew, sang a song dedicated to the Peterlee tree.

Mr Weston said: “There are more camera and radio crews in the town centre than shoppers.

“I’ve even been texted from as far afield as Egypt about the old tree.

“A colleague on holiday over there had seen an item on Sky News, but it’s now destined for recycling into mulch.”