Peterborough City Council in Cambridgeshire paid thousands for the 10-metre-tall tree, which is made up of a pile of silver balls, five years ago. But it proved hugely unpopular, with residents likening it to a stack of Ferrero Roche, a “Heston Blumenthal-inspired croquembouche” and “bubble-wrap.”
They have now opted for a traditional tree in their city centre and gifted the controversial silver metal sculpture to neighbouring Wisbech Town Council for free. But many Wisbech residents are angry that they have now got to suffer the hand-me-down spruce.
“Just because someone else doesn’t want something it doesn’t mean that we’ve got to have it, I think it looks horrible,” said local resident James Howarth, 68. Another resident, Sarah Tayler, added: “We don’t want someone else’s cast-offs. It looks like baubles in bubble-wrap. We’re a traditional market town and a green fir tree would be much better.”
The tree has been put in the Fenland town’s market square and is expected to glow red when it is switched on.
Another resident tweeted: “I wonder when the bizarre pyramid of plastic balls (aka second hand Christmas tree) in our Market Place will be connected to the mains? It will cast a ghastly glow on the closed retail units, street drinkers, bookies, phone shops and fast food haunts. Ho, Ho - bloody Ho!”
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