THERE is fierce competition between York hotels this year for who owns the tallest Christmas tree, after The Press published a photograph of The Churchill hotel’s festive display.

The Grange Hotel across the road from the Churchill in Bootham, boasts a 27- feet tall blue spruce which sits in the staircase, stretching right up to the top floor.

General manager George Briffa said the hotel have been buying their trees from Stockton-on-the-Forest supplier Jim Boldry for the past 22 years.

He said: “It is a gorgeous tree, very tall and narrow, and is always admired by our guests.

Parties come in to have their photographs taken with it and mothers from the local school come in for coffee underneath – of course, there is Christmas music playing and the whole hotel is decorated with twigs and lights.”