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# the c word
Dublin City Council is looking for its Chr**tmas trees already
It’s the most wonderful time of the … oh.
NOT TOO FAT, not too sparse, just the right height…. Dublin City Council has already started looking for that perfect Christmas tree.
Well, loads of perfect Christmas trees.
The local authority has already issued its invitation to foresters to tender for the supply of trees for the 2014 festive season.
The council wants “competent suppliers in order to establish a single party framework agreement for the supply of Christmas trees for the 2014 Christmas Tree Programme”.
DCC is very particular about its trees, requiring them to meet market specifications such as “height, straightness of stem, length of stem handle, symmetry and fullness of foliage”.
The stem handle should also be cut at right angles to the stem to leave a flat base, it has told prospective applicants.
“Each tree [is] to be healthy and in a vigorous condition, fully furnished from the appropriate length of stem handle base to top of tree, with no damaged, dying back/ dead or missing branches,” it added in the tender documents.
The tender is looking for 151 trees, ranging in type and height. The bulk of the order is for 90 8-foot Abies procera, which look a bit like this:
The largest trees being sought are five 45-50-foot Abies nordmanniana, or the Nordmann Fir.
The council also wants 32 of them in the 30-36 foot variety.
It is looking for people to apply for the job of supplier by lunchtime on the 5 September.
It might seem too early to most, but let’s not forget Brown Thomas set up its Christmas shop during the week.
So, better stop being naughty.
ALERT! The Brown Thomas Chr**tmas shop is almost ready to open
