"Miserable" Christmas tree in Yarm replaced ahead of new festive lights going up
A "miserable" looking Christmas tree in Yarm has been replaced - after complaints, including one councillor saying "it would be dead before Christmas"
Ahead of new Christmas lights going up on Yarm bridge next weekend - a "miserable" looking Christmas tree has been replaced on Yarm high street.
Councillors welcomed the decision to take away the derided decoration after branding it an embarrassment to the town. Cllr Andrew Sherris had called it an “insult of a tree”, commenting that it “will be dead before Christmas”.
Fellow Yarm member Cllr John Coulson protested to council chiefs, saying: “Yarm’s Christmas tree is absolutely pathetic. It’s disgraceful. Brown branches more than green. The public are outraged, and rightly so in my opinion.”
Stockton Council, who are responsible for the tree and decorations, removed the old tree earlier this week, installing a new one - which they say was free for the council.
Councillors Coulson and Sherris expressed relief at the news of the tree’s replacement, with Cllr Coulson saying: “What a bloody mess. I thought it was a miserable excuse for a Christmas tree. Pressure’s counted and rightly so.”
Cllr Sherris said: “I was down on Sunday and a lot of people were telling us it was very slim. Residents were complaining about it being dead on one side.
“It’s an embarrassment for Yarm and an embarrassment for Stockton Council. A very poor specimen that was actually dead in places and it just didn’t do justice to the High Street.
“Anyway they’ve got the message and it’s coming out. We’re very pleased that at least someone’s listening and taking notice. We feel sorry for the workforce who have wasted a couple of days.”
Julie Appleton, from Yarm, said: “I don’t think it’s very nice. It looked half-dead to be quite honest. It looks a bit brown in parts.”
One member of the public remarked: “It’s an austerity tree. When I first saw it I thought it looked pretty limp. I’m glad they’re changing it. We can do better than that, can’t we?”
Another shopper said it was “a decent size, canny”. Another said: “I’m quite happy to embrace it. It does look a bit scarce in places. I feel sorry for the tree now.”
A passer-by added: “Surely when you put some lights on it, it’ll be fine. It’s such a shame to take it down just because people don’t like the look of it. Poor tree.”
Cllr Sherris said the town could now look forward to the switching on of the Christmas lights on the afternoon of December 7, and next weekend sees the switch on of new lights on Yarm Bridge, provided in a joint venture between Yarm, Eaglescliffe East and Eaglescliffe West wards.