I can’t remember a Christmas without a Christmas tree… My dad always got it on Christmas Eve, from the cattle market in Cambridge, where he also got the turkey… thinking about it now maybe he got the tree a day before that and it was kept in the garage… we didn’t have a car when I was very young and I can’t imagine him cycling home with a turkey and a tree! Once we had a car that was fine! Even when we moved and we got the Harry turk as dad called the bird, and the tree from somewhere else he still left it as late as possible to get it.
One year he did lave it too late… no trees anywhere. he drove round all the shops and farms and places which usually sell them to no avail. My mum being very inventive and unflappable, just gave a sigh and a loving look and decorated our potted rubber plant! I wish I had a photo! Eventually the rubber plant grew to big for our house, lush and with shiny leaves and dad took it to the research institute where he worked and it was put at the bottom of the stairs. last time I visited, which was many years ago, the rubber plant was a magnificent beast and reached up to the ceiling two floors above!
Lois Elsden 
Why did your Dad always leave buying the tree to the very last minute? Was it an English tradition or just a family thing?
LikeLike
I think it was a bit of both – we would put it up on the 24th and take it down (and all the other decorations) on the 5th January… also it was probably cheaper!! 😉
LikeLike
All the enviromentalists or tree huggers around here are torn between buying a real tree that was cut down as a baby and never new true love or buying a fake one that wasn’t bio-degradable and probably exuded toxic waste. They no doubt hate Christmas and all the moral dillemas. As for me I like the drinks and the food and the happy memories. Merry Christmas Lois from close to the north pole.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Awww, thank you David, and the same to you! Our tree, Tim, is real and lives in a pot outside and eventually when he gets too big he will be planted and enjoy a happy retirement with the other Tims who live happily in our garden.
LikeLike