Families in Stockport say their town’s wonky Christmas tree is the ‘worst in the UK’ – branding it a ‘disgrace’ over its pipe cleaner-esque appearance and location on a roundabout
Residents have ridiculed their town’s wobbly Christmas tree, calling it “the worst in the UK”.
The slender 12-foot-tall spruce has sparked outrage among locals, who say it resembles a “pipe cleaner” and “looks like too much has been drunk from it.”
The tree was planted at a roundabout in Stockport, Greater Manchester, and was chosen to “minimize the impact on road users”.
It was not intended to be a Christmas tree, but the Council said members of the community wanted it to have lights.
Stockport City Council said the spruce will benefit the community for “many years” once it reaches its full potential.
Zoe Gough, 64, pictured next to a tree pretending to be the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
Zoe works in a supermarket next to the tree and says residents have compared it to a “pipe cleaner”.
The tree is located on a roundabout in Stockport and was chosen to “minimize the impact on road users”.
Residents have dubbed the tree “the worst in Britain”.
But residents are unhappy, with some calling it a “disgrace” and joking that the council “declared war” on Christmas Day.
Zoe Gough, 64, works at the supermarket opposite the tree. said: “I see this every day.
“Customers come in, see a tree and ask, ‘What is that?’ It’s “blink and you’ll miss it.”
“People say it looks like a chimney sweep. It’s just there and it’s shaky. I think it looks like he drank too much.
— The light there is not very good. But it made us laugh, and it’s better than nothing.”
People on social networks shared their thoughts about the not-so-holiday fir, which has almost no spreading branches.
Some residents joked the council had ‘declared war’ on Christmas Day
Zoe said the tree looked like it drank too much.
One person defended the tree, saying it needs time to grow, noting that the world’s “great” and good people were once children.
Stockport City Council said the spruce will benefit the community for “many years to come” once it reaches its full potential.
One person wrote: “Shame on this Christmas tree. A few years ago it was very beautiful and colorful here.
“This is probably the worst Christmas tree in the whole of Britain.
“Stockport is spending stupid money on cycle lanes. Go to Crewe Market Hall, the trees are beautiful.”
Another commented: “This is an absolute disgrace.
“St George’s Church has a beautiful tree, much better than the branch we were subjected to.”
“I think the wind just blew it off the real tree along the way… of course that’s not it,” said another.
Zoya said that the light on the tree was not very good, but it made people laugh.
The tree was not intended to be a Christmas tree, but the council said the community would like it to have lights.
The newly planted tree is a live Serbian spruce picea omorika replacing a dead tree.
One person joked: “The battle lines in the Christmas war are already drawn.”
Defending the tree, one man said, “If it is planted and alive, it will grow.” It takes time. The great and the good of this world were once children.”
It comes two weeks after local residents slammed another “living” tree planted by the council in nearby Hattersley, saying it looked “half dead”.
A Stockport City Council spokesman said: “The main Christmas tree in Bramhall is the one that is placed in the village center next to the church each year.
“The recently planted tree at Bramhall roundabout is a live Serbian spruce picea omorika – it replaces a dead tree and was not intentionally planted as a Christmas tree, but the community wanted it to have lights.
“This tree will be there for many years to come and was chosen as it is an upright variety to minimize the impact on road users.
“As the tree continues to grow over the years, it will fill the area and benefit future generations by providing essential habitat for wildlife.”