A couple have decided to celebrate the festive period by cutting a 20ft tall conifer tree in their front garden into the shape of a Christmas pudding.
Roger and Valerie HOLLEY have turned it into something of a landmark in Yeovil, Somerset because they have created the giant pud for the last five years at Christmas.
On top of the sculpture are lashings of cream, holly and a robin.
Grandfather-of-three Roger, 62, said: 'We are really proud of our Christmas pudding and robin.
'It has taken a lot of work to make it look this good, but the effort was worth it.
'The tree is still a real favourite with the neighbours. They kid us about it but I think they really look forward to seeing it every Christmas.'
Pud you believe it? The tree transformed into a giant Christmas dessert... by the HOLLEY family
By Daily Mail Reporter
22nd December 2010
Daily Mail
With such a festive-sounding surname, Roger and Valerie Holley might have felt obliged to bring some Christmas cheer to their quiet residential street.
So the couple decided to clip their 20ft conifer tree into the shape of a Christmas pudding - then completed it with lashings of cream, huge holly leaves and big red berries.
The front garden hedge also has a giant robin perching on top and has become a popular landmark in Yeovil, Somerset, over the past five years at Christmas time.
Christmas... with all the trimmings: The festive dessert dominates the front garden of Roger and Valerie Holley's house in Yeovil, Somerset
Grandfather-of-three Roger, 62, said: 'We are really proud of our Christmas pudding and robin.
'It has taken a lot of work to make it look this good, but the effort was worth it.
'The tree is still a real favourite with the neighbours. They kid us about it but I think they really look forward to seeing it every Christmas.
'The local schoolchildren just love it as well. It's become something of a local phenomenon among residents - who say it looks good enough to eat.
'We have been displaying the pudding each year since it was created so this year we wanted to make it look a bit different and the robin certainly makes it stand out.
Fun house: The specially trimmed hedge has become a local landmark at Christmas time
Watch the birdie: The robin that sits on top was made in just a fortnight using a gym ball for its body, golf balls for its eyes, a light bulb and fibre glass for the red chest and carpet to create the look of feathers
'My wife came up with the idea of having the robin sit on top of it eating a berry so we got to work and made the bird using a 65ml gym ball.'
The incredible pudding is made up of two 26-year-old conifers which Roger merged together to make a single bush outside their three-bedroom detached home.
Christmas pudding is unique to Britain and Ireland. Many households have their own recipes which are handed down through the generations, but it is basically a blend of suet, sweet spices, dried fruit, nuts and raisins. It is boiled or steamed. Brandy, beer or some other alcohol is also sometimes added to it and, when serving it up, it is traditional to saturate the surface with brandy and light it, causing a blue flame. This represents Christ's passion. The pudding is usually very dark in colour and is very filling. It is also traditional to stir a silver coin into the mixture when baking to wish good wealth. Like the Holleys' conifer Christmas pudding, the pudding is traditionally decorated with cream and sprigs of holly and berries. The holly represents Christ's crown of thorns. Christmas pudding was first eaten in the 14th Century when it had meat in it and was originally called "hakin" or "frumenty." It has been eaten in its present form since around 1595. However, in 1654 "lewd" Christmas pudding became banned by Oliver Cromwell and the humourless Puritans ruling England as a custom unfitting for those who followed the ways of God because of its use of alcohol. He also banned Christmas for a few years. It wasn't until 1714 when King George I re-introduced the pudding in the year he came to the Throne. He ordered it be served at the royal feast during his first Christmas in England (he was German and couldn't even speak English) It was for this recent he became known as the "Pudding King."
Roger and Valerie, both keen gardeners, began pruning the tree into its round shape five years ago.
They spend hours every summer intertwining its boughs and trimming its tips to give it the cylindrical shape.
Delicious: The real thing
In contrast the Robin that sits on top was made in just a fortnight using a gym ball for its body, golf balls for its eyes, a light bulb and fibre glass for the red chest and carpet to create the look of feathers.
Retired Roger, who worked at nearby Yeovil District Hospital, said he was given the idea to create his Christmas masterpiece by his 12-year-old granddaughter.
Father-of-two Roger said: 'She took one look at the tree and said "That looks like a massive Christmas pudding".
'So we decided to take things a bit further and decorate it appropriately.
'Little did we know that it would become something of a tradition.'
dailymail.co.uk
Roger and Valerie HOLLEY have turned it into something of a landmark in Yeovil, Somerset because they have created the giant pud for the last five years at Christmas.
On top of the sculpture are lashings of cream, holly and a robin.
Grandfather-of-three Roger, 62, said: 'We are really proud of our Christmas pudding and robin.
'It has taken a lot of work to make it look this good, but the effort was worth it.
'The tree is still a real favourite with the neighbours. They kid us about it but I think they really look forward to seeing it every Christmas.'
Pud you believe it? The tree transformed into a giant Christmas dessert... by the HOLLEY family
By Daily Mail Reporter
22nd December 2010
Daily Mail
With such a festive-sounding surname, Roger and Valerie Holley might have felt obliged to bring some Christmas cheer to their quiet residential street.
So the couple decided to clip their 20ft conifer tree into the shape of a Christmas pudding - then completed it with lashings of cream, huge holly leaves and big red berries.
The front garden hedge also has a giant robin perching on top and has become a popular landmark in Yeovil, Somerset, over the past five years at Christmas time.
Christmas... with all the trimmings: The festive dessert dominates the front garden of Roger and Valerie Holley's house in Yeovil, Somerset
Grandfather-of-three Roger, 62, said: 'We are really proud of our Christmas pudding and robin.
'It has taken a lot of work to make it look this good, but the effort was worth it.
'The tree is still a real favourite with the neighbours. They kid us about it but I think they really look forward to seeing it every Christmas.
'The local schoolchildren just love it as well. It's become something of a local phenomenon among residents - who say it looks good enough to eat.
'We have been displaying the pudding each year since it was created so this year we wanted to make it look a bit different and the robin certainly makes it stand out.
Fun house: The specially trimmed hedge has become a local landmark at Christmas time
Watch the birdie: The robin that sits on top was made in just a fortnight using a gym ball for its body, golf balls for its eyes, a light bulb and fibre glass for the red chest and carpet to create the look of feathers
'My wife came up with the idea of having the robin sit on top of it eating a berry so we got to work and made the bird using a 65ml gym ball.'
The incredible pudding is made up of two 26-year-old conifers which Roger merged together to make a single bush outside their three-bedroom detached home.
Christmas pudding is unique to Britain and Ireland. Many households have their own recipes which are handed down through the generations, but it is basically a blend of suet, sweet spices, dried fruit, nuts and raisins. It is boiled or steamed. Brandy, beer or some other alcohol is also sometimes added to it and, when serving it up, it is traditional to saturate the surface with brandy and light it, causing a blue flame. This represents Christ's passion. The pudding is usually very dark in colour and is very filling. It is also traditional to stir a silver coin into the mixture when baking to wish good wealth. Like the Holleys' conifer Christmas pudding, the pudding is traditionally decorated with cream and sprigs of holly and berries. The holly represents Christ's crown of thorns. Christmas pudding was first eaten in the 14th Century when it had meat in it and was originally called "hakin" or "frumenty." It has been eaten in its present form since around 1595. However, in 1654 "lewd" Christmas pudding became banned by Oliver Cromwell and the humourless Puritans ruling England as a custom unfitting for those who followed the ways of God because of its use of alcohol. He also banned Christmas for a few years. It wasn't until 1714 when King George I re-introduced the pudding in the year he came to the Throne. He ordered it be served at the royal feast during his first Christmas in England (he was German and couldn't even speak English) It was for this recent he became known as the "Pudding King."
Roger and Valerie, both keen gardeners, began pruning the tree into its round shape five years ago.
They spend hours every summer intertwining its boughs and trimming its tips to give it the cylindrical shape.
Delicious: The real thing
In contrast the Robin that sits on top was made in just a fortnight using a gym ball for its body, golf balls for its eyes, a light bulb and fibre glass for the red chest and carpet to create the look of feathers.
Retired Roger, who worked at nearby Yeovil District Hospital, said he was given the idea to create his Christmas masterpiece by his 12-year-old granddaughter.
Father-of-two Roger said: 'She took one look at the tree and said "That looks like a massive Christmas pudding".
'So we decided to take things a bit further and decorate it appropriately.
'Little did we know that it would become something of a tradition.'
dailymail.co.uk
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