Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree

After yesterday's agonies over the Christmas tree lights, I thought you would like to see the finished product. 

The earliest toys go back to the 1940s when they were on a small artificial tree belonging to Dad's brother, Bill, and his family.  They gave the tree and toys to Mum and Dad when they packed up to go to New Zealand. That was the tree of my childhood. Gradually we added to the toys and eventually the tree itself had to be discarded.

Then we have added toys, one or two a year. They are of all sorts and all colours. Ours will never be a designer tree!

I used to have a real tree in this house, until we replaced the French doors and I could no longer throw the dead tree out of the window. (Yes those doors were on the first floor.) Now I have an artificial tree, but  it's good at its job.

Every year, I handle the toys carefully and the memories come flooding back. One box of tiny painted glass toys gave me huge delight as a child. I can remember seeing them for the first time. And so it goes on. The fairy lost her wings some years ago, but she is still on the top of the tree. Under her is an embroidered ornament that says "The Prayer of Christmas is Peace". Mum made this one.

Tonight it was the Christmas party for the Hadrian Singers in Haltwhistle. The roads were very slippery on the way there and I used the A69 for the return journey. The choir sang, then we had a buffet, then individuals and groups sang. It was a very happy evening, although poor Julie had a flat tyre on her way into town and has had to stay the night. The AA came out, but her car has no spare tyre and the damage to the tyre meant that it could not be inflated with the stuff they issue with cars now. I'm glad that mine has a spare tyre.

My extra is another of the tree with all the lights illuminated.