OOTS: Poole's Festive Tree Controversy


Little did I know when we ventured south to Poole on Thursday that we were entering the nation's hotbed of Christmas tree controversies. NAH's aunt soon filled us in on all the details: there were complaints that last year's real Christmas tree looked rather ugly. It was spoiled by the boards surrounding it and the guy ropes needed to secure it to prevent it falling on passers by. So, the shopping centre's management decided to have a fake tree this year, complete with hidden speakers to play carols to shoppers at a cost of £14,000. Naturally, this also led to howls of protest with the replacement tree being described as an astroturf witch's hat.

This local news story had all the key ingredients needed to make it go national: members of the public raging against decisions made on their behalf by faceless local management; the health and safety angle; rather a lot of money being spent, possibly at public expense [however, the press says the local shopping centre management has stood the costs]; lots of choice quotes from incensed passers-by and local shopkeepers; the use of social media to start a one-sided protest campaign [5,000 followers on Facebook]; plus lots of opportunity to have punning headlines like Why get needled over Poole's Christmas Tree? It made most of the national newspapers as well as the national TV and radio news. This link gives you a flavour of what's been said as well as showing the artificial tree by day and night. I also rather like the local paper's response to all the national publicity which tries to get it back into proportion.

So the shopping centre management replaced the witch's hat last week with a real tree at a further cost of around £4,000: £400-500 for the tree, plus £3,500 erection and decorating costs. The replaced tree has gone for repair because it was damaged by vandals. Naturally, I had to go and have a look for myself and as you can see the new tree is being largely ignored now that it's gone back to looking just like last year's.

It got me thinking though. I can understand why last year's tree wasn't liked: most of the outdoor real Christmas trees I've seen thus far are awash with guy ropes and boarding for health and safety reasons which rather detract from the tree itself, especially during the day. It seems Poole can't win really. Erect a real tree and there's complaints; install an artificial one and there's a vigorous campaign to get it replaced. I suspect what everyone really wants is the kind of unfettered real tree + decorations seen everywhere else around town in the windows of shops and offices.

I've come up with a third way: why not plant a real tree instead? The natural vegetation surrounding Poole is heathland, so a large conifer or silver birch would bring a sense of that back into the heart of the town. I believe it would be far cheaper to plant, maintain and decorate each Christmas than the costs quoted for a six week temporary display and if planted correctly it wouldn't need securing like the current tree does. It would give year-round pleasure and help to clean the air a little. Come to think about it, why don't we do that in all of our towns and cities and call them our celebration trees?

Comments

  1. Helen/patientgardener19 December 2009 at 14:58

    In Malvern they decorate some largre decidious trees with lights which look stunning. Will try and get some pics for you but it is so cold!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Moonstone Gardens19 December 2009 at 17:31

    Your solution is brilliant and rather logical. Why didn't someone else think of it much sooner? There are never enough trees in the world. Maybe Santa will bring Poole a real tree for Christmas.
    Cindee

    ReplyDelete
  3. BilboWaggins19 December 2009 at 18:14

    Grrr, this makes me so mad. All this H&S stuff is utter nonsense. I live in Cockermouth, we have a tall and wonderful tree in the middle of Main Street. On 19th November millions of gallons of water rushed past and the dear tree still stands - without guy ropes, bless it!

    In the interests of "Health & Safety", two huge Copper Beech trees have been felled in the garden of Wordsworth House (National Trust). Not because of the flood water, but because they might have become unsafe and there is a nearby footpath so, hey ho, let's get the chainsaw out and destroy decades of growth just in case someone walks near them. Sorry to hijack your comments, just get a bit insensed by this sort of thing.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anna19 December 2009 at 22:30

    Oh poor tree - that boarding could be much more attractive. We recently went to a concert where we had to hand in the top off a bottle of mineral water because of health and safety rules. Never mind if I had tripped whilst carrying it, a passer-by sneezed into it or I knocked it over tapping my feet to the music. Celebration trees=common sense but sadly it often seems to be in short supply :(

    ReplyDelete
  5. Angie20 December 2009 at 02:14

    Yours is a great idea, I hope you have told 'THEM' that are in charge & the local papers.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Carrie20 December 2009 at 07:55

    Oh my goodness you are a genuis!! Has anyone ever told you your a genuis, cos you are. Plant a tree, enjoy it, decorate it for christmas as a treat. Perfection. Genuis

    ReplyDelete
  7. Dawn/LittleGreenFingers20 December 2009 at 13:02

    I am going to start a 'VP for President' campaign immediately. Your solution is perfect!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Monica the Garden Faerie20 December 2009 at 14:13

    Man, I don't know where city planners shop, but I could have hooked them up with a sizable fake tree for waaaay less! ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  9. VP21 December 2009 at 11:54

    PG - they do that in Bristol too and it looks very effective.

    Moonstone Gardens - I do hope so!

    Bilbowaggins - I hope things are OK with you after all the flooding? Will pop on over to yours to find out. BTW ranting away is fine here in the comments, that's what I'm here for!

    Anna - that's just plain mad!

    Angie - good point, I'll email them a link to this post :)

    Carrie - you flatter me! The idea just popped into my head whilst I was thinking about what to write :)

    Dawn - another flatterer :) I'm sure it's been thought of before, but perhaps more of our towns and cities need to do something like Malvern and Bristol do?

    Monica - I think most of the costs are in the costs for putting the tree up and taking it down, but yes, it does seem rather excessive doesn't it? It is 30 ft high though...

    ReplyDelete

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