Christmas tree widow planted with husband 45 years ago has grown 50 foot high

A widow has paid tribute to her late husband as she turns on the lights of her 50-foot Christmas tree they planted together more than 40 years ago.

In 1979, Avril and Christopher Rowlands planted their £6 fir tree, which was once tiny, to mark their first Christmas together in their new home in Inkberrow, Worcestershire.

Now, more than four decades later, the massive tree towers over their four-bedroom detached house.

Since 2004, the couple used a cherry picker to decorate the tree with thousands of festive lights to switch on for the festive season.

Sadly, this year Avril is decorating the tree by herself as Christopher died from emphysema, a lung disease, in March.

Avril, 80, said: ‘I’m decorating the tree in honour of Chris this year because he loved the spectacle.

‘This year is going to be slightly different because we are using thousands of LED lights.

‘Last year’s Tungsten light bulbs were blown off in the gales but a local firm donated the LEDs which are much sturdier.’

The lit tree stands as the only illumination in the village, which is one of only a few in Britain with no street lighting.

Every year, Avril and Christopher would ask people who viewed the tree to donate to a chosen charity.

Over the years, the couple have raised more than £25,000 for charities.

This year, in honour of her late husband, Avril hopes to raise hundreds for Asthma and Lung UK.

Around 2,000 people attended the light switch-on event held on Saturday December 6.

The famous fir tree is even named as a local landmark and tourist attraction on Google and has attracted five-star reviews.

One person who gave it a five star review wrote: ‘Iconic landmark with a solid charitable purpose.’

It is not just people in the UK who are in awe of the landmark tree, with some reviews coming from Ukraine and Russia.

Avril said: ‘People say that seeing the tree switched on is the start of their Christmas which is just lovely.

‘We never expected that when we moved in all those years ago and planted the tree in the garden that almost 50 years later it would still be going strong.’

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