Harrogate hospice lit up by Christmas tree in memory of much-missed mother
Two beautiful Christmas trees have lit up Saint Michael’s Hospice in Harrogate and St Monica’s Hospital in memory of two much-loved women.
The trees, donated by Alice Wombwell and Lizzie Standeven of Newburgh Christmas Trees of Coxwold, were in memory of Alice’s mother, Penny Denny and her grandmother Patricia Lamarque.
Alice said: “Both my mother and grandmother received wonderful treatment and care at Saint Michael’s and St Monica’s respectively.
"They were looked after with such love. This was my way of saying thank you.
“It was very emotional dropping off the trees.
"Lots of powerful memories came flooding back.
"The work that hospices and cottage hospitals do up and down the country is phenomenal, and I feel they often don’t get the praise and recognition they deserve.”
Bethany Grace, marketing manager of Saint Michael’s Hospice was thrilled with the tree, saying: “This is a wonderfully generous gesture by Alice and the Newburgh Priory Estate.
“Christmas is such an important tradition and this lovely tree makes Saint Michael’s feel very much like home at this special time of years for everyone here.”
Alice and Lizzie, her business partner at Newburgh Christmas Trees, who runs the estate’s Christmas Pop-up Shop, have also delivered free trees to Queen Mary’s School at Topcliffe and Husthwaite and Sessay primary schools.
Alice said: ““Every Christmas for the past nine years we have also selected a number of nurseries and schools, together with churches, in the Coxwold, Malton and Thirsk to give our trees to.
"We feel it is so important to contribute to the community this is a joyful way of doing it.”
"The Newburgh Priory Estate Christmas tree operation is going from strength to strength.
"Following a superb festive season selling all 30,000 of the trees last year, the estate is hoping to sell almost 35,000 this year."
Newburgh Priory diversified parts of the estate for Christmas trees, shortly after Stephen Wombwell and his family took ownership of the Estate from his father, who retired in 2010.
Selling Christmas Trees below the tomb containing the alleged headless torso of Oliver Cromwell, which lies in the Newburgh Priory Estate attics, adds to the excitement – as Cromwell tried to ban Christmas.