Christmas tree made from old toilet brush sells for £150

It was first bought from Woolworths in 1937

(Hansons / SWNS)

A Woolworth's Christmas tree made out of toilet brush bristles in 1937, has been sold at auction for £150.

The tree, from 1937, was first bought from the high street store 82 years ago, for the equivalent of 6p, by a family in Dundee to celebrate the birth of their son James.

The fake fir only measures 27 inches (69cm) but was used by the family for 58 years before being put into retirement.

(Hansons / SWNS (Hansons / SWNS)

It was unearthed in the loft of the family home by Claire Barnett, daughter of the original owner, after spending two decades gathering dust.

Ms Barnett, who now lives in Fife, Scotland, said: “My gran, Catherine Smith, bought it for my dad’s first Christmas in 1937, not long before the start of the Second World War in 1939.

“There were some candles on the tree, which has small candle holders on the end of some of the branches as well as some red berries."

On Thursday, it was put under the hammer at an auction house in Derbyshire and a private international buyer paid £150 for it.

Charles Hanson, owner of Hansons Auctioneers, said: “I’m delighted the tree is going to a new home where I’m sure it will be appreciated for its historical value.

“It was among the first mass-produced Christmas trees made in the UK for retail sale.

“This tree takes us back to wartime England in the late 1930s and early 1940s when money was scarce, rationing was in force and people generally lived within their means.

“It acts as a sharp reminder of more humble festivities in days gone by.”

Woolworths started selling some of the first mass-produced artificial trees in the 1920s, importing them from Germany where they were often made by dying goose feathers green.

In 1930 the British-based Addis Housewares Company created the first artificial Christmas tree bristles using machinery utilised to manufacture toilet brushes.

When talking about selling the tree, Ms Barnett said : “[We] thought someone else might like to remember how the festive season used to be.”