WHAT a tree-mendous occasion!
The UK's most famous Christmas tree – the one destined for London's Trafalgar Square – landed in Immingham at the weekend to start the final leg of its 700-mile journey from Norway.
It was shipped to Immingham from Norway by DFDS Seaways and left the port for the capital on Saturday morning.
Once at Trafalgar Square it will be decorated in traditional Norwegian style, with vertical strings of energy-efficient lights ready for the switching-on ceremony at 6.30pm on Thursday.
Sean Potter, managing director of DFDS Seaways said: "For many people around the world, the Trafalgar Square Christmas tree symbolises the start of the Christmas season. We are honoured to transport the world's most famous Christmas tree through Immingham.
"This year we were experiencing strong winds and our DFDS Seaways vessel and stevedors from Norway did a first-class job shipping the tree safely and securely from Norway to Immingham.
"Our Immingham team was ready to ensure the tree continued safely on its journey ready for the big switch-on in London.
"Immingham is strategically well located and handles a wide variety of UK-international trade with daily liner sailings between Immingham and Europe, Scandinavia, The Baltics and further afield."
Children from Immingham's Allerton Primary School have been taking part in a project with the Poetry Society based on the Trafalgar Square Christmas tree and a box of the children's poems was sent with the tree to London, to be read out at the ceremony.
Judith Palmer, director of the Poetry Society, said: "During the lighting-up ceremony the poems will be read to the crowds in Trafalgar Square, with the poems also displayed on banners around the tree.
"Through the project, local children are finding out about the role DFDS and stevedors from the Immingham community are playing in shipping the tree from Norway to London, while building goodwill between the people of Norway and Britain through their learning experiences."
