Specialist Christmas tree sellers, farms and stalls were allowed to reopen for sales in England this weekend, after the government changed the lockdown rules to reclassify them as “essential” retailers. The British Christmas Tree Growers’ Association had been lobbying for the change to support the UK fresh tree sector, pointing out that sales tend to take place outdoors where social distancing is easier. David Whitehead, the co-owner of Canalside Christmas Trees of Wootton Rivers, near Marlborough, Wiltshire, said: “We got the news of the U-turn at the eleventh hour on Friday night and reopened on Saturday morning, within fully Covid-safe conditions. About 9 million British turkeys are reared for Christmas each year, but the seasonal sector cannot survive without non-UK labour, it warned. Welcoming the move, the BPC said: “If the exemption helps us deliver a fantastic Christmas and helps our smaller seasonal producers, then it can only be a good thing.”

Source: The Guardian November 22, 2020 14:04 UTC