A LOCAL Christmas tree business is in demand as the festive period draws closer.
Christmas Trees - Little Orton is a family business owned by Craig and Stephanie Norman, where freshly cut and locally grown Nordmann Fir Christmas trees are sold.
The business began in 2003 with the first planting of trees in Little Orton, and now, almost 20 years later, Craig and Stephanie's family are playing their part as Santa's little helpers as this tree provider continues to bring local festive charm.
Reflecting on the journey so far, Craig Norman explained how his family got into the Christmas business.
READ MORE: Cumbrian 'big cat' expert disputes latest sighting figures
He said: "We have been selling the trees for about 12 years. We used to sell them at Moorhouse but we moved up here in Covid, it's a bigger site, more accessible and it's doing really well.
"It was an idea we had. We had some land available for it.
"We first planted the trees in 2003, the very first trees and we were still at university then," Stephanie chuckled.
From a small intial crop, the business has developed with the move from Moorhouse partly motivated by the lack of Wifi, which is now used to make transactions easier.
Furthermore, a delivery system was also set up during the pandemic to ensure that people could receive their unique tree.
Ever since this first crop, Craig and Stephanie have seen a rapid expansion of their business, with it now being a staple amongst local communties at Christmas.
READ MORE: Carlisle College's first refugee engagement officer supports local asylum seekers
Stephanie said: "We get a lot of people saying it's become their new Christmas tradition now. They like to come an pick the tree with their family.
"We've got families we've seen go from couples to baby bumps to babies and then toddlers and every year you see their growth and we like that."
As well as being a festive must-have for locals, the business also champions local trees and sustainability at a time where climate change issues are at their most prominent.
Craig said: "For every tree that is cut down another one is planted, that's the nature of Christmas trees, they are in a cycle.
"You're not throwing a plastic tree in the bin afterwards like some poeple who get sick of a tree. They can be chopped up or chipped and used for composting or all sorts of things." Stephaine added.
The cost-of-living crisis has also taken its toll on Christmas this year, with many households scaling back on their festivities. However, Craig and Stephanie believe a quality local tree is not something people are willing to give-up on.
Craig said: "Costs have gone up for every business, but we have always tried to keep the trees as reasonably priced as possible so that everyone can enjoy them."
Finally, Craig gave his top tips to maintaining a real Christmas tree.
He said: "Always cut a bit off the bottom and then put it into water.
"Do not let it run out of water and keep it topped up, check it every day.
"If you put it in a stand make sure your stand allows the tree to sit off the bottom just slightly so the water can get underneath it."
READ MORE: Carlisle has multiple areas with worst access to affordable food, new data shows
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here