Britain’s oldest Christmas tree which survived Blitz put up for 104th year
Britain’s oldest Christmas tree has been put up for the 104th year in a row.
Kay Ashton, 70, says the tree can only go up for two or three days a year as it is getting ‘increasingly more fragile’.
Purchased from Woolworths for sixpence by Kay’s grandmother Elizabeth Naylor in 1920, the artificial tree, thought to be Britain’s oldest, stands at less than two-feet tall.
The tree survived Hitler’s bombs in the Blitz during the Second World War and eight house moves to stay in the family for three generations.
The grandmother-of-three, from Sheffield, South Yorks., said: “It’s still fighting for its life.
“It only goes up for maybe two or three days now, because it’s getting increasingly more fragile, it falls over quite frequently.”
Kay, who retired from working for BT four years ago, says she thinks the damaged tree is beyond repair, but that its flaws are part of its charm.
She added: “To be honest, I don’t want it to be overdone, it’s part of it now.
“It’s got Blitz damage, it’s got other damage.
“It could do with a bit of a facelift, but nothing too much.”
The tree, which stands at 18 inches (45 cm), has survived four monarchs and 23 prime ministers.
It was damaged during a Blitz of Sheffield’s steelworks in December 1940 when the city was bombarded by the Luftwaffe for four days, killing almost 700 people and damaging 82,000 houses out of 150,000.
Kay said the impact of the bomb blast launched the plucky decoration from the kitchen to the living room and sticky tape was used to repair it.
Despite its small stature, the tree still brings laughter to the whole of Kay’s family.
Kay said: “It’s a standing joke and has been for year, it’s just a case of ‘when is the twig going up?’”
“We moved to Disney – we will be spending Christmas Day in the resort”
A couple who moved their entire life to Florida to go to Disney World every day say they’ll spend Christmas Day at the resort.
Disney-obsessed Jessica Pruitt, 42, moved 560 miles from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Davenport, Florida, after her husband, Wes, 56, took her to the park for the first time aged 35.
The couple moved their entire life across country in July 2022 – to go to the parks every day.
Jessica has grown up loving Disney and will visit the parks first thing in the morning or in the evening.
When their three children were younger, the family would often holiday at Disney World twice a year one with the children and one in December for Wes’ birthday.
This year the couple plan to visit the park on Christmas Day on their own – instead of spending the day with their adult children – and will be taking part in a Christmas tree hunt throughout the resort.
Jessica, a content creator, said: “Christmas was already my favourite time of year – as a kid it was a time when all the stars aligned in my family.
“Disney makes it so special with all the different decorations.
“For us, Disney is open 365 days a year, we’re going to visit the park on Christmas Day.
“You only get to go to Disney on Christmas Day once a year.”
Jessica and Wes, a mortgage broker, spend $1,400 each on a top-tier annual season pass – which they pay monthly to split up the cost.
They go to the park every day and have already started celebrating Christmas at the park with Mickey Mouse – by attending a parade and fireworks display.
Jessica said: “Christmas starts early here at Disney.
“The first party happened here on November 11th – they do special ticketed events called Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party.
“They have a special parade, fireworks and it is just so magical.
“You get to see Cinderella’s carriage, Mickey in his holiday outfit.
“It is something you can only see once a year which makes it so much more magical.”
Jessica says each park is decorated differently and they love nothing more than checking out all the decorations.
They also take part in a Christmas tree stroll through the park.
Jessica said: “Each park is decorated differently for Christmas time.
“One of our favourite locations is Jock Lindsey’s Hangar Bar.
“They have special foods and cocktails – they have hot chocolates, pigs in blankets and turkey croquettes.
“We are going to all the resorts, we like to see all the different Christmas decorations.”
Jessica and Wes have already seen their children for the holidays and are planning to spend Christmas Day at Disney World.
Jessica said: “We are going to all the resorts.
“They also do a Christmas tree stroll to check out all the unique trees.
“Hollywood Studios is my favourite park to visit at this time of year.
“They decorate it with retro decorations – it reminds me of being a kid.
“When January comes around it is a little sad, it feels like something is missing from the park.”
Mum’s mega babies – in 99th percentile and born too big for baby clothes
A mum has told how she only has mega babies – one in the 99th percentile and the other who wore clothes for 12-month-old tots from day one.
Brittany Opetaia-Halls, 29, welcomed her first child via c-section, Malayisa-Maree, in August 2020 – weighing 9lbs 4oz.
Four years later, she gave birth naturally to another little girl, Milana-Mae, who
tipped the scales at 9lbs 2oz, in a 24 hour labour.
Malayisa-Maree, now four, wears clothes that should fit an eight-year-old.
And after just six months Milana-Mae, born in June 2024, is a whopping 22lbs 9oz – more than 5lbs heavier than the average tot her age.
This puts Milana-Mae in the 99th percentile – which means a baby is heavier than 99 per cent of tots of the same age and sex.
Strangers ask “what are you feeding them?”.
She was wearing clothes labelled 12 months when she was a newborn.
Brittany, who works in marketing and social media, from Brisbane, Australia, said: “I think I just knew they’d both be big.
“I was showing pretty quickly with both of them.
“My husband is very tall so in my head, I went ‘oh no!’.
“Even when the midwives were scanning me they just didn’t know if it was fluid but I knew in my head it was the baby.
“People on TikTok comments always said I was about to pop and I’d be way out.
“The views about my bump went so high and everyone was so shocked.
“When I take both of them out it’s always like ‘what are you feeding them?’.”
After 20 weeks of pregnancy with Malayisa-Maree, Brittany’s bump was already measuring over the average for that stage.
Brittany – who is married to Rajan, 31, who is 6ft 2in – said: “The midwives would put me on scans every few weeks and she was sitting on that high 98th percentile.
“Around 36 weeks they told us she was already hitting that 99th percentile size so they gave me a few options for birth – I was measuring quite big.
“I decided to have a caesarian and when I had her she actually got stuck coming out of the incision with her shoulder.
“When she did come out they rushed her off as I was losing a lot of blood.
“She ended up in NICU for three days and after the second day, I was able to see and hold her.
“I felt horrible that my huge baby was in this room of premature babies.”
With Milana-Mae, Brittany was keen to have a natural birth.
She said: “We were monitoring throughout and I had a little bit of guilt for not having Malayisa-Maree naturally.
“I knew Milana-Mae would be big regardless and she was hitting the 88th percentile whilst she was inside of me.
“I went to 41+1 weeks with her and I was meant to be induced with her but luckily I went into labour without being induced and I really wanted to deliver her naturally – I was told it was safe.
“I was in 24 hours of labour and pushed for 45 minutes because she actually got stuck coming out.
“I think I was just in the moment of being glad I got to do it though.
“She was a little smaller than Malayisa-Maree but gradually after birth that’s when she grew into the 99th percentile.”
Now, both Brittany’s children are wearing clothes well above their age.
She said: “Milana-Mae has just had her six-month weigh-in and she was 10.8kg at six months – the average is 7.4kg.
“She’s practically the size of a 12 month baby.
“Milana-Mae is wearing one and two size clothing and she’s only six months.
“Malayisa-Maree is four at the moment and she’s wearing aged eight clothes.
“It felt like I’d be rotating clothes every few months.
“Something would fit one week and not the next.
“I think from when Malayisa-Maree was one-and-a-half I started to buy really big to ensure that it wouldn’t be too small within a few weeks.
“It’s slowed down a little now but we’ve saved all of Malayisa-Maree’s clothes so we haven’t had to buy Milana-Mae but it does feel like I’m rotating hers a lot quicker than Malayisa.”
Over 150 dog owners dress pups up as Nativity characters in adorable display
Over 175 dogs across Britain have been dressed up as Nativity characters for a festive Instagram display.
After more than 60 dogs took part in the festive stunt last year, the team doubled their efforts again this year.
The Nativity display, which owners are posting throughout the course of today, is in aid of a disabled animal rescue charity.
The group of dog owners banded together on Instagram to divvy up the main characters – including Jesus, Mary, Joseph and the Angel.
More are joining on the day too – to create a wave of Christmassy pooch pics to “bring a smile to people’s faces”.
The original Nativity idea came from Hannah James, 31, from Cardiff, back in 2022 with just a handful of dogs taking part after the owners met online.
Hannah, who has seen the event snowball since then, said: “People have been so excited to take part, and have been planning their outfits.
“It’s just something fun and wholesome, you see so many bad things on social media but this is just cute dogs celebrating Christmas.
“My dog, Alffi, couldn’t care less – I’ve dressed him up as a reindeer, and he just sits there in his outfit until I let him go!
“If it can raise some money for a good charity and bring a smile to a few people’s faces, why not?”
Characters were allocated to each of the original 150 dog owners involved in the plan on Instagram.
They all went away and bought, sourced or made their costumes before the big reveal today (Mon).
Jesus is played by Milo the dog, owned by Erin, from Ayreshire.
Mary is played by Biscuit the dog, whose owner is Natasha, from Aylesbury.
Joseph is played by a different Milo, whose owner is Ruby, from Brighton.
The stunt is in aid of Broken Biscuits, the UK’s leading disabled animal advocacy charity, which is based in Lincolnshire.
Fundraiser: https://www.gofundme.com/f/the-nativity-pups
Festive family create Christmas window display – for 30th year in a row
A festive family has come together to create a Christmas window display – for the 30th year in a row.
The King family, from Rochester, Kent, first started transforming their windows into a winter wonderland back in 1995.
Janita King, who has five children with her husband Phil, says she was first inspired by a memory from her teens – when the care home where she worked would paint their dining room windows for Christmas.
She decided to start up the tradition with her family – and each year, she and her children Claire, Andrew, Neil, Melanie, and Jonathan painted their windows in a different festive theme.
Even though they have all now moved out, Janita and Phil’s kids still return each year for the family tradition – and now their own children have started taking part.
Jonathan, Neil, and Melanie still join in on the painting – while Claire and Andrew return to see the finished piece.
This year, the display is inspired by Hogsmeade Village from the Harry Potter series – in a tribute to actress Maggie Smith, who played Professor McGonagall, and died earlier this year.
Youngest son Jonathan, now 31, said: “As the youngest sibling, Christmas is always associated with painting the window.
“It’s a tradition that goes back as long as I can remember. I really enjoy the challenge of thinking about and designing compositions.
“It’s a lot of hard work in a condensed period of time – we are effectively painting a mural in the space of 24 hours.”
Melanie, now 37, added: I feel very nostalgic about painting the window and love that it has become a family tradition.”
And Neil, now 39, said: “What started out as simple characters depicting the nativity or characters from Narnia, developed into whole sceneries as our skills and confidence have grown.”
This year, the youngest King generation got involved too.
Janita said some of the seven grandchildren “had a little paint under supervision” – before declaring they wanted to paint the whole thing next year.
For Janita and Phil, the festive tradition is an essential part of their Christmas.
Phil said: “I can’t imagine a Christmas without the window painting now. It’s something to look forward to.”
Meanwhile, Janita added: “It’s lovely that the children want to come home and we love to hear their laughter together. That’s the real joy of it.”
Real life Santa’s little helpers give up toys to help kids less fortunate at Xmas
Meet the real life Santa’s little helpers – the siblings giving up their toys to help children less fortunate this Christmas.
Charlie Seymour, seven, and his little sister, Molly, four, told their mum and dad, Michelle, 36, and Alex, 39, they wanted to make sure other kids got their dream
Christmas presents too.
The pair had a clear out of their old toys and enlisted the help of the parents to sell them online on websites like Vinted and Facebook marketplace – to raise £100.
The siblings were told they could spend the funds on a day trip or new toys but insisted they wanted to give back to other children who don’t have as much.
They plan on spending the money on Christmas presents to show the true meaning of Christmas and Michelle says she’s so proud of her children – who have gone on to raise over £500.
Michelle, a personal assistant, from Guildford, Surrey, said: “I asked them what they wanted to do with their money, I suggested they could use it to go on a day out, or go to a toy shop.
“But I was amazed when they said they wanted to instead send present to children in Africa.”
Michelle told her generous kids it might be difficult to send presents to Africa, but told them there were lot of people in the UK who were also in need too.
Charlie and Molly then decided to gift their money to a local children’s hospice – Shooting Star Children’s Hospices – to provide presents for the kids there.
Michelle said: “The idea to donate came totally from them, that’s the nicest thing about it.
“I very much told them both it’s your money, you can do what you like with it, when they suggested this I was blown away.
“It’s such a nice gesture – a lot of adults let alone kids wouldn’t even think of doing that.”
Michelle is taking Charlie and Molly to the shops on Sunday along with a wish list of gifts they have been sent by the hospice – including Lego, lava lamps, musical toys, and kids smart watches.
The family will then drop off the presents to one of the nurses at the hospice – just in time for Christmas!
Michelle said: “Every day the kids have been asking when we can go shopping and what they can get.”
Dad Alex thought Charlie and Molly’s idea was so touching he decided to set up a GoFundMe page – which has raised more than £500 so far – to give all the children in the hospice their dream Christmas presents.
Michelle said: “They are really really generous kids, we try to remind them how privileged they are so it has been so lovely to see.”
You can donate to their fundraising efforts here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/shooting-stars-childrens-hospice-guildford.
Former miner, 100, retires from pantomime with final Cinderella performance
A veteran panto actor who has trodden the boards since the 1930s has taken his final curtain call at the grand age of 100.
Great, great grandad Harvey Kay first took the stage at as a nervous eight year old in the 1930s at a theatre in his home town in High Green, Sheffield, South Yorks.
In the ensuing decades he had panto and musical roles.
These include being the wizard in the Wizard of Oz, as Starkeeper in Carousel, as well as starring in Cinderella, the Sound of Music, and Calamity Jane.
But he took his final bow at the EPPiC(c) Theatre in Sheffield at the weekend where he received a standing ovation from the crowd.
He added that he nearly cried after receiving the ovation at the end of the performance of Cinderella.
The former miner, who worked at Barrow Colliery, was promoted to the mine’s deputy before he took early retirement in his 50s.
Widower Harvey, who used to perform alongside wife Agnes prior to her death in 2018, said he feels ‘lost’ because he now has ‘nothing to do’ following his final show.
He said: “Well, I nearly cried. I nearly cried but I didn’t. I thought it was tremendous.”
Harvey added that it was ‘definitely’ his last show, despite previous false retirements, adding: “Definitely, because I can’t see, I can’t hear, I can’t walk, so that’s it. That’s me done.”
Harvey, who has seven children, thirteen grandchildren, and ‘a lot of great grandchildren’, as well as a great great grandchild, started performing aged just eight years old.
He founded the High Green Musical Theatre Group in 1948.
Granddaughter Laura Hall, 40, said she grew up watching her granddad perform in pantomimes. Now she performs in the group herself.
The primary school teacher said: “I remember going to see him around 1992, when we went to watch Cinderella, he’s been in a lot – more before then.
“My granddad got my dad involved, and then got me and my sister involved, and I’ve stayed all that time – I got my 30 year award earlier this year.
“My granny was in it when she was alive, and my uncle’s been in it as well. Over the years, a lot of us have been involved at different points.”
Laura said her granddad has previously announced his retirement before returning the next year, but this time it feels like the retirement will stick.
Harvey played the ‘Royal Equerry’ role in a production of Cinderella earlier this month, with his son and Laura’s dad Alan playing the king.
Laura said: “When we did the last show on Saturday, it did feel quite final.
“Everybody felt quite emotional. We kind of made up a part for him and let him do what he wanted, with him being 100.”
She added: “A lot of people have said to me this week that he’s a role model and an inspiration, and that a lot of the younger ones look up to him.
“All the younger ones love him, and without him, because he started the group all those years ago, there wouldn’t be a theatre group.
“Somebody said to me ‘think of all those children who maybe would have gone off and done other things, and he’s got them into it’.”
Striking picture of parakeet biting tree-climbing lizard wins top award
This striking picture showing a parakeet attacking a tree-climbing lizard has won a top photography award.
Hira Punjabi, from Maharashtra, India, took the stunning photo in Keoladeo National Park in Rajasthan back in January 2024.
She had to wait by the same tree for four days to get the perfect action shot – but her patience paid off as she managed to capture the moment the bird bit down on the lizard’s tail.
The image placed first in the SINWP Bird Photographer of the Year 2024, in aid of RSPB.
Hira said: “This is a sanctuary where many migratory birds come in winter.
“The last 30 years [I have visited the park], I had observed this behaviour of birds attacking snake and lizards – as they feed on bird eggs.
“So I continued observing the same tree [for four days] and one morning a pair of parakeets came along with some 10 birds and started attacking the lizards.
“The whole drama lasted for an hour or so and I managed to shoot many images. But this one is my favourite.”
Second place was awarded to Thomas McDonnell from County Antrim, Northern Ireland, for a photo of a bird mid-flight – and third place went to Maggie Bullock from Cheshire for a shot of an owl.
Since its inception, the SINWP Bird Photographer of the Year has raised an impressive £16,138 to support vital conservation efforts led by the RSPB.
This year, £2,867 was raised.
Hira shot the winning photograph with a Nikon Z9 with 600mm VR TC lens.
The competition was judged by specialists Jon Ashton ARPS, Charles Farnell ARPS, and Tracy Lund FSINWP.
Three children receive ‘best Christmas present ever’ – bionic arms
Three children were left overjoyed after receiving ‘the best Christmas present in the world’ – bionic arms.
Zoey Hampton-Pigeon , 8, Finn Jarvis, 11 and Ettie Baker, eight, were given their new ‘life-changing’ Hero Arms yesterday (12 December) – thanks to The Big Hero 3 campaign.
The campaign, launched by mother Sarah Lockey, helps families of children with missing limbs to fundraise for bionic arms.
Ettie’s Mum, Alyse, said her daughter ‘screamed’ when she found out about her new Hero Arm – which she would get just in time for Christmas.
Alyse said: “Ettie has always shown so much love for her difference and loves celebrating differences.
“However, as she is getting older, she is becoming increasingly aware of just how different she is.
“She’s becoming more conscious of the stares when out and is sometimes frustrated that she can’t do things the same as everyone else – so having the opportunity to receive a Hero Arm is life-changing for Ettie in so many ways.
“For Ettie, she’s excited about being able to do things like handstands, ride her bike without an adaption and tying her shoes.
“As parents we are excited about these things too, but also all the other ways the Hero Arm will change Ettie’s life.
“We see how strong she is when asked about her limb difference on an almost daily basis and we know it will help her feel more confident so she can continue to embrace her perfectly imperfect self.
“We are absolutely over the moon to be working together with two other children and are really hoping to see them all receive this life changing arm.”
The Open Bionics Foundation, which provides financial support to people who need multi-grip upper limb prosthetics, The Worshipful Company of The Glovers, Foresight Group and an anonymous donor have all contributed £40,000 towards the children’s new bionic arms.
The last £20,000 has been raised by all three families working together.
Zoey’s Dad, Thomas, said his little girl was so excited upon receiving the news that she was ‘jumping up and down squealing’.
He described the ‘life-changing’ opportunity as ‘amazing’.
The family found out about their daughter’s limb difference at her 20-week scan.
Thomas said: “It was a very scary and emotional time not knowing what to expect.
“When Zoey was born she saw several specialists but there are no answers about why this happened to Zoey, it’s just one of those things.”
Now eight-years-old, Thomas says Zoey is a ‘very happy, caring, confident, and adventurous little girl’.
He added: “That being said, Zoey is getting to an age where she is becoming more self-conscious and less happy to accept help.”
Zoey is an active young girl ‘always on the go’ – as she is a member of a gymnastics club, does swimming lessons, and loves trampolining.
Thomas says with her new hero hand Zoey is looking forward to being able to use a skipping rope.
He explained: “Zoey does struggle with some everyday tasks such as tying her laces, using a knife and fork, doing up a zip and carrying a tray.
“A hero arm will make such a massive difference to her independence enabling her to do all these tasks, as well as her beloved skipping, without relying on help from others.”
Sarah Lockey was inspired to set up the campaign, which is now in its fourth run, after her daughter lost her hand to meningitis at just 15 months old.
She said: “It turned my world around and I promised one day I would get Tilly her hand back.
“She now wears two hero arms daily – so I want to support others who are going through the same thing.
“I know first-hand how daunting it is to raise money for prosthetics and how scary it can be – so the campaign helps take some of the stress out of crowdfunding for families.
“It is just incredible for three children to benefit and for their families all to meet and fundraise together.”
Finn Jarvis, who is the third child receiving a hero arm, has been described by his loved ones as ‘the boss of the family’.
Young Finn was born with no hand due to his Mum being involved in a serious car accident whilst carrying him.
Finn’s Dad, Ben, said: “Finn is a happy go lucky boy – he is kind, fearless and extremely switched on.
“He is now 11 and about to attend Brymore academy secondary school – an agricultural school.
“With this opportunity of a Big Hero Arm the possibilities for him to excel are endless.
“Finn has always been encouraged to see things as a challenge when his lack of limb has posed a problem. This he has always embraced and conquered, although at times having to compromise, where others have not had to.
“Finn is so excited to be given this opportunity and to see where and how this is going to change his life.”
Sarah added the campaign is her ‘favourite thing’ to do – and it has been a delight for the children to meet and receive such a life-changing opportunity.
She added: “We are hoping to do another campaign next year if any donors who want to get involved to help are interested.”
For more information, visit: https://www.gofundme.com/f/big-hero-3-uk-2024-here-we-go-again
Britain’s oldest Christmas fairy lights out after 55 years when bulbs finally blew
Britain’s oldest Christmas lights have failed to shine for the first time in more than FIFTY years – after the bulbs finally blew.
The tree fairy lights – bought for just £3 from Woolworths by Vina Shaddick in 1969 – had been lit for 54 consecutive years without a single bulb ever being replaced.
But her son Ross-Farr-Semmems, 45, who inherited the lights after his mum died six years ago, says they have finally given up and won’t be on display for the first time.
Ross said the first bulb went at the end of last Christmas and he replaced it – but now fears he ‘disrupted’ the circuit and another six have now blown.
Ross, a music teacher from Plymouth, Devon, said he hasn’t dared touch them again since and they are now carefully wrapped up in a box.
He said: “”It is very very sad they are not up this year and it is the first year they haven’t been on display.
“It just felt they would be going on forever and it feels like the end of an era.
“Towards the end of last Christmas one bulb went out. A few years ago a lovely lady in St Austell had seen the story and sent me a few old bulbs she thought may well match them.
“I found one that I thought might match the original and put it in. But when I put it in it shone a lot brighter than the others. I thought ‘this is not good’ and before I knew it another six had gone out.
“It must have put more stress on the rest of the circuit so I turned them off and left them. I daren’t do anything with them anymore.
“They are now in a box and I have bought myself new bulbs that match the originals.
“I am trying to be brave enough to see if they work – but I am not holding my breath.
“I just feel if one is playing up it changes everything for all of them.”
Ross said he had now safely stored the lights in a nice box to have a go next Christmas and if he can repair them he said he’d love to make it to 60th anniversary.
He added: “I will definitely keep them – my mum is no longer with us and she did buy them in 1969. I am not into hoarding but like to keep a few little things – and they will definitely go in my box of little things to remind me of mum.
“It is not just all those Christmases – it is also the exciting journey we have had. Finding out everyone was interested in our old little lights and being in the papers every year. It was exciting. To have them come on when I met my now wife Ruth and when the boys came along.
“Three generations of us have now enjoyed those lights and they are definitely staying in the box – to remind us of all of that.
“It was always going to end at some point and we may well have reached that point.
“I hope not and if we can make it to 60 – that would be amazing. Let’s see next Christmas.”
Ross, who has two children with his wife Ruth, aged two and three, said they like to “grab and break everything” so was already reconsidering how they displayed decorations this year.
He added: “At some point I’ll have to find time to have a go and put extra bulbs in.
“But I still have a degree of optimism for future Christmases – I’ve got enough new bulbs to go in but it would be a shame if I had to change every single one but that would probably be wise for the circuit.
“Some previous reports said we had only changed one bulb previously – but that was wrong – we have never changed a single bulb and they were all original until the first one went at the end of last Christmas.”
Ross said although he is a fan of all Christmas decorations – he said it would be almost impossible to replace those lights.
He added: “I don’t think we’ll ever reproduce those quality of lights. They were just a different quality from a different age.”
