Town's skinny 'Mounjaro' Christmas tree defended by council

Last year's Christmas tree and this year's tree on Rhyl High Street

A newly-arrived Christmas tree has prompted a mixed response from the residents of one Welsh town, with a local woman saying it looked like it was "on the Mounjaro jab".

A 30ft Norwegian Spruce has been put up on the High Street in Rhyl, Denbighshire, and is currently being decorated, ahead of the switch-on of the town's Christmas lights on Saturday.

But while some residents have called the festive centrepiece "beautiful", others have criticised it for being too "skinny".

A Rhyl Town Council spokesperson said a "particularly wet" 2024 growing season, followed by an intense dry period, had "hampered growth, leading to trees which are not as full as in previous years".

"It looks like it's been on the Mounjaro diet!" said Catherine Oliver, 33, when asked her opinion of the tree on Rhyl High Street.

"My Christmas tree's a little bit more bushy than that, and it's only 5ft tall."

"I think the top's okay - it's not too bad up there - but it could be a bit fatter," she added.

Catherine Oliver said the tree "looks like it's been on the Mounjaro there"

Andy Pendleton, 60, said: "If this is how it's going to end up looking, then I think Rhyl could have done better.

"They spent enough money along the seafront - so at least at the festive time of year they could have put a tree in that looks a bit more decent, and a few extra lights from what I'm seeing so far."

Andy Pendleton said he thought "Rhyl could have done better"

Sarah Pendleton said this year's tree was "a bit sparse"

Sarah Pendleton, 56, said the tree was "a bit sparse", adding that last year's tree "did have a bit more meat on it".

Sabrina Jones, 45, echoed her thoughts: "It's downgraded from what it was last year, most definitely. It was a lot bushier last year.

"[It is] very underwhelming, especially for the little ones."

Sabrina Jones described the tree as "very underwhelming"

Michael Cable said it was "far too early" to put up any tree, and it should not have gone up until the end of the first week in December.

But Wendy Foulkes, 68, said: "I think it's a beautiful tree, it's a lovely size and it's a perfect shape considering that we don't have a massive area to commute through."

Wendy Foulkes said the "beautiful tree" was a "perfect shape"

The discussion has continued on social media too.

One person described the tree as a "Temu tree", referencing the online budget retailer, while another said they had seen "dogs dragging bigger branches".

Another asked "where's the rest of tree", labelling it "pathetic", with a fellow contributor describing saying it looked "like half the branches are missing".

"At least we have a tree" wrote one dissenter, who defended the new tree, adding they were confident "it will look great once all the lights and decorations are on it".

Tree growth stunted by unusual weather

Richard Kendrick, who has taken part in a bucket collection for the Helping Homeless North Wales charity beneath the tree over the past few years, said this year's tree was "a bit sparse" compared to last year's.

"You feel like sticking more branches on it," he joked.

"I'm hoping it looks nice when the lights are on," he added.

Mr Kendrick said he would be attending the switch-on and taking part in a collection on Saturday.

Council staff have been decorating the tree ahead of the switching on of Rhyl's Christmas lights on Saturday

A Rhyl Town Council spokesperson said the authority was aware of the comments about the "skinny" tree, acknowledging that, "like all things in nature, the size and style of trees and plants cannot always be guaranteed, and things don't always grow perfectly".

The spokesperson said the British Christmas Tree Growers Association had warned this year would be a difficult one for those looking for the "perfect" Christmas tree, as particularly wet weather followed by an intense dry period in 2024 had hampered growth and resulted in "gappy" trees.

"That shouldn't make them any less impactful or detract from the joy of a real Christmas tree," they said, adding the impact of lights and decorations could make a significant difference to the overall effect.