Most people use plastic Christmas trees now simply because it’s cheaper and more convenient.
But one granddad who planted an actual Christmas tree in his garden in honor of his then baby granddaughter shows why real trees are special.
Keith Turner was on his way home from work in December 1990 when he bought a small potted fir tree. It was going to be the first Christmas of his granddaughter Charlotte and they placed the small tree in the middle of their dining room in Rotherham.
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Charlotte, who was only 10 months old at the time, was entranced by all the twinkling lights and shiny baubles so her grandparents decided that this special day should always be remembered.
And there was no better way to do that than to plant it in the garden. The tree was 4 feet tall back then. Three decades later, it stands proud at 30 feet in height.
Charlotte, now 29, lives close to her grandparents so she gets to see them regularly most especially at Christmas and she loves seeing “her” tree in the garden because it reminds her of that special first Christmas ever.
Charlotte said: “I always see my grandparents on Christmas Day – my mom lives over the road and we normally go there for our Christmas dinner.
“I have three children now and we decorate a fake Christmas tree at home each year, but I’d love to do something similar or the same for my kids or grandchildren if I ever have any.
“It’s really lovely to go to my grandparents’ house and see the tree and know it was planted for me and is more or less the same age.
“It’s really sentimental and just makes it extra special that it was planted by my granddad as we are very, very close.”
Keith, now 77, said: “I bought Charlotte’s tree in December 1990 in Doncaster when I was working as a shuttering joiner.
“I’ve always liked real Christmas trees over the fake ones, and so we had them every year, but usually they were without the roots.
“We had all of our close family members round for Christmas Day and Charlotte just loved the tree, she never left it alone when it was in the house, always staring at it and wanting to be near it.
“She loved the tree so much that we decided to plant it in our garden twelve days after Christmas, and I’m so glad we did, it’s very special to us.”
Grandmother Alice, 70, said: “We never expected it to grow so tall, and everyone who visits the house comments on how big it is!
“It’s a nice reminder of Charlotte’s first Christmas and we always think of her when we look at it as it is her tree and it has grown with her for all these years.”
Charlotte herself is a mother-of-three now but has never forgotten the magic of the holidays and makes sure Christmas is as special for her children as it was and continues to be for her.
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