After some rather disappointing specimens for the last few years, there is a great improvement in the quality of the Christmas tree in Park Parade this year. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the plastic, utility company style barriers.
While it must be acknowledged that the tree should be behind barriers for health and safety reasons, the bright orange monstrosities which defend it this year seriously detract from the tree itself. Unlike the usual metal barriers that other public trees are generally surrounded with, there are minimal gaps and the bottom third of the tree is completely covered, unless you go right up and peer over, and so children particularly are not getting the full effect.
However it would be churlish not to congratulate the organisers on getting a much better tree this year.