Fenland town’s wonky Christmas tree wish comes true

A Cambridgeshire market town which became the centre of a global news story about its wonky Christmas tree last year has had this year’s delivered – and it is a wonky one again.

March Town Council said it had been inundated with requests to try to replicate the “banana” shaped tree this year, and so it had asked its suppliers for one.

Sarah Lemmon, the clerk of the council, said the supplier told her it could not make any promises.

But Christmas came early for fans of wonky trees when this year’s leaning one was unveiled on the recently pedestrianised Broad Street.

“I loved it last year. It was very ‘March’, so quirky,” said 29-year-old Emily Parkes.

“I hope it is now a tradition. I want to try to get a slice of the old one. It’s a piece of history now.”

Fenland District Council member Paul Hicks said he thought it was “absolutely brilliant” to have another wonky tree.

“It put March on the map last year. We had tourists, [and] shops made T-shirts and greetings cards celebrating the leaning tree,” he said.

“It boosted the local economy and I’m chuffed to see we have another one.”

Daniel Fortuna is a tree specialist from March who has been responsible for putting up the town’s Christmas trees for the last two years.

“It was unusual for me to have around 20 people watching the operation today. Last year, there were only two,” he said.

“The council requested a wonky tree, and it definitely has got a lean.”