'Real honour': Northamptonshire growers to supply Downing Street trees
Couple achieves runner-up status in national Christmas competition
A Northamptonshire Christmas tree farm has been chosen to supply two trees to Downing Street this Christmas after impressing judges in a national growers' competition.
Will and Ella Miles, who run Welford Christmas Tree Farm, will provide two 12ft (3.6m) Nordmann firs that will be displayed in the entrance hall and Pillared Room at Number 10.
The honour came after the farm's tree was named runner-up in the British Christmas Tree Growers Association's annual competition, which attracted about 120 entries from across the UK.
"We were really surprised and really pleased," said Mr Miles. "It's a real honour and a real privilege."
The competition judges entries on factors including shape, colour and branch spacing.
"It's a really high standard," he said. "They're looking for something that's even all the way up, with good spacing on the branches and a nice dark green colour."
While the Downing Street selection marks a major achievement for the business, it follows a difficult growing season.
Mr Miles said almost all of the farm's newly planted saplings died during the hot, dry weather earlier in the year.
"We planted them in early April and all we seemed to get was a lot of really hot sunny days," he said.
The trees have since been replanted during the autumn, giving them more time to establish roots before next summer.
The family-run farm, which has been growing Christmas trees since 1993, said a typical 6ft (1.8m) tree can take around nine years to reach saleable size.
Despite increasingly convincing artificial alternatives, Mr Miles believes real Christmas trees remain popular because of the experience they provide.
"I don't think you can beat a real Christmas tree," he said. "The smell that it brings to a house and the whole experience of choosing a tree in the field is something people really enjoy."