UK's 'oldest Christmas tree' goes viral after being in same family for 93 years
A tiny Christmas tree – only 30cm tall – has been within the same family for 93 years and is now proudly on display for another festive season.
John Beynon, a 70-year-old sheep farmer from Swansea, put up the little tree in his farmhouse on Kimley Moor once again this year. When his daughter, Ellie Beynon, posted photos of the mini tinsel tree on a Facebook group called 'Gower Life Past and Present', it prompted 11k 'likes' and nearly 700 comments, with the public being touched by the tree’s long family history.
The tree has great 'sentimental value' to Beynon, he explains. Having lost his beloved wife to cancer in September 2022, he moved back to the remote Welsh farmhouse he grew up in, where the tree has been stored and proudly displayed for the past 93 years.
"I feel privileged that the tree has remained in the family for all those years without being broken or thrown away,” he says. "Especially after I lost my wife, it brings back Christmas memories." He hopes it will eventually be passed to the next generation within his family.
The artificial tree was bought back in 1931 by John’s mum Josie, for sixpence – the equivalent of two and a half pence – from Woolworths, the much-loved store that went into administration in 2009.
Every year, the tree is placed in the same position in the farmhouse kitchen, sparking treasured memories from the past 93 years.
"It has come out every year, ever since I can remember,” says Beynon. "It would never have been anywhere else. It's only one foot tall and we leave the decorations on it. How it survived all that time I do not know.
"We had a proper Christmas tree but that tree has always been there – it’s no taller than a candlestick."
So why did the family end up hanging onto the tree for so long, when books like The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying by Marie Kondo top our bestseller lists and extol the joys of 'clearing clutter'?
"I don't like throwing things out and my mother was the same," laughs Beynon. "We've been here so long and we don’t throw things out. The tree won’t go anywhere – it'll be there for my daughter Ellie and whoever comes after her with a bit of luck."
For Ellie too, the tree is full of memories. She remembers her grandmother getting the tree out every Christmas, before she died in May 2022 at the age of 90.
She says, despite the tree being only 30cm high, it remains the family’s main tree of the Christmas season.
"It's been in the family for so long that it’s important to keep the tradition going," smiles Ellie. "It’s nice to keep something of my grandmother and keep the traditions alive."
Elllie was surprised to see the huge reaction their family tree sparked on social media.
"It's really blown up," she enthuses. "It’s fun though. It’s nice to see that people are finding joy out of my post and can relate to it. They are loving it.
"One person commented on Facebook, 'That is so beautiful. I love this. When things were made to last… Now that's what I call environmentally friendly.'"
Another person wrote: "What a lovely memory. Keep it going."
Given an estimated eight million Christmas trees are bought in the UK every festive season and discarded trees create 12,000 tonnes of waste a year, the Beynon family are certainly doing their bit for the environment.
If, come January, you’re wondering what to do with your own 'real' Christmas tree, bear in mind many councils now offer a tree collection service – and real trees can be recycled and turned into compost or wood chippings, rather than being discarded.
Research by SWNS.
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How to pick out the best real Christmas tree (Yahoo Life UK, 6-min read)
