Finally getting a chance to join in with Sian's Christmas club. Every week I have racked my brains for a story I haven't yet shared and then always change my mind as I don't have a corresponding picture or I've left it too late. So here it is...
So Christmas 2010 was a pretty memorable one. In many ways it was quite a quiet one as my youngest sister and her husband were working out in the paradise that is Turks and Caicos and my older sister decided Christmas on the beach was a better option.
When we arrived at my parents house we were disappointed, but not surprised, that they didn't have a tree yet. We're a real tree family and so we set off to the tree farms to find the perfect specimen.
This was also the year of the white Christmas and this smattering of white stuff makes everything instantly more magical.
There seemed to be a shortage of trees a few days before Christmas and so we ended up in Homebase where they had two measly specimens left. See below...
Certainly not the best spread of branches and a bit bare at the top. This is when I hit on the idea of asking for a discount.
Now my dad is Irish and like the Scottish and the Yorkshire folk they are very careful with their money (read: tight) whenever we've been shopping and dad asks the price we always halve it and he'll still comment, "that's expensive!" We knew for his sake we had to get a discount.
My mom, however, is the opposite and loves the luxurious things in life. Her idea of a sale if the Harrods sale where everything is 20% off and still barely affordable! So I dared her to ask for a discount.
The pimply sales assistant was clearly not used to such bolshy customers and so he had to call the supervisor and we wee beginning to lose our nerve by the time he turned up.
However she used her South African charms and logic in pointing out that it was one of the only ones left and the big day was almost upon us. He ended up taking a tenner off for us and so we found dad in the bargain corner to tell him our exciting news.
His response? "£18 for a tree? That's expensive!"
Haha! We got a discount on our tree this year because the tree man had just taken the wrapping off it and he said we could have £5 off if we didn't make him wrap it up again.So we shed prickles the whole way home.
ReplyDeleteThanks for joining in Christmas Club Mel. Happy Christmas!
Great story! Bet it looked lovely once it was decorated. Merry Christmas!
ReplyDeleteIt looks like a great tree, even nicer to know you saved £10, I'm rubbish at asking for discounts, im much more like your mum!
ReplyDeleteI love your tree story. I think the less "pretty" trees are always the best ones! I love asking for a discount. When you get it you always feel like you got away with something. haha
ReplyDeleteWell done for getting a discount and I'm so pleased that tree got a good home to go to!
ReplyDeleteI love your story.i usually buy the sad unloved tree and make it pretty with decorations. Getting a discount is even better
ReplyDeleteLovely story. My farmer husband always has his eye on a bargain. I also remember bartering for a tree at a green grocers in London. I had just bee to The Gambia on holiday and had got in the swing of a good barter......it worked!
ReplyDeleteWell done for holding your nerve. I'm sure it looked lovely once the gaps were filled in with your pretties.
ReplyDeleteWell done on the bargain! My Dad once joined the gardeners club at our garden centre just to get money off the christmas tree. He was plagued with letters from them all year!
ReplyDeleteWell done on the bargaining - hope it was a lovely tree no matter the price :)
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