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Hi, Rusty!
If you are visiting your elder son and family on Christmas morning, then no, you will certainly not want to be driving up (and down again!) a steep hill!
But at least it is not too far...
We are driving over to our younger daughter's for Christmas lunch... a much further drive - and will certainly not wish to do that in the snow!
Yes, we do have a Homebase, only a short drive away.
The store can be expensive, yes, ...but it is near...and time is of the essence.
We had not expected the tree to collapse!

Good morning, Elle!
Seems a dry morning out!
The less I have to do with driving in snow, the better!
I looked online and my Homebase has closed.
It was fairly close to a B&Q which had a much bigger range of stuff and was less expensive.
And there was a Screwfix not far off, too.
So, not missed!
Hope you get a decent tree there.
Is it today you are going?
I found this fairly comprehensive piece about SPOTY.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/dec/13/ben-stokes-overwhelming-favourite-to-win-sports-personality-of-the-year

Update, Elle!
There was an item on BBC News earlier saying Eliud Kipchoge has been voted World Sports Star of the Year in the BBC SPOTY programme.
So, if that vote has taken place, what about the SPOTY vote?
Just checked with Paddy and they have knocked Dina out to 20-1, and KJT out to 100-1.
Stokes remains fav at 1-10.

Good morning, Rusty!
A lovely, sunny, but bitterly cold morning here.
It was great out walking!
Yes, we are planning to go up to Homebase once the shop opens, which I am presuming will be 11am.
There are probably better - and no doubt cheaper - places from where we could get a replacement tree....but we just don't have the time, or inclination, to shop around right now.
So fingers crossed!
Thank you for the info on the Sports Personality award .
I think Dina's chances are looking bleak......
If the voting is live tonight, let us hope that there are not many cricket fans watching!
Tonight's SPOTY show is just for British Sports people , isn't it?
Eliud has won the World SPOTY award!!
And well done, him!
What time are you and Miss O heading out to the Pine Cone?

Hello, Elle!
Just home from Pine Cone.
The roads were icy but Miss O drove very carefully.
I was impressed!
The cafe was busy and I bought a wreath for the cemetery, too, and they are much cheaper than in the local florists.
Quite a few folk buying Christmas trees.
Super trees, all sizes, and they have a machine which wraps the tree up in netting, for easier transport.
Very good idea.
So, how and where and when did folk vote for Kipchoge?
Bit of a mystery this SPOTY voting!
I hope Dina can do it, bit it looks like it will be Stokes, according to Paddy P.

I just looked up voting on SPoTY (not that I will be watching it or know who any of the people you mention are!)
You can vote during the show on-line (I guess you have to be registered) on by phone and no other way.
If it is anything like the on-line voting for Strictly, you might have trouble trying that way.

Good afternoon, Rusty!
I am glad that you and Miss O enjoyed the outing to the Pine Cone...and that she negotiated the icy roads skilfully, getting you both safely there and home again!
We have not fared very successfully at this end!
I was not very impressed by the trees being sold at Homebase....they were regrettably far inferior to the one we have potentially abandoned!
So I hit on the idea of trying to replace the base attachment of our original tree........
Bases / tree stands were being sold for "real" Christmas trees, so I thought one of these might perhaps be able to be adapted to fit our artificial tree.
On the advice of the very nice and helpful young man who was helping us, we brought home the cheaper of the two bases, on the understanding that we could change it if necessary.......
Well, it was an excellent idea of mine in theory...and it very nearly worked!
We are now about to head back to Homebase, this time bearing the bottom section of our tree to see whether the alternative base will do the job!
So........watch this space.....!




Hello, Ros!
Thanks for the update on the voting for SPOTY.
I have voted by phone during "The Voice: UK"......and that worked fine.
So will use that method to support Dina!

The best time to buy a new artificial tree is December 26th onwards, elle!

I should think one of the clamp systems for real trees should work- I hope so. Maybe a garden centre if Homebase doesn't have the goods. I don't know if this would defeat your cat-
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ouvin-Inches-Christmas-Bracket-65Green/dp/B07GL5G8XQ/ref=sr_1_7?keywords=Bases+for+artificial+Christmas+trees&qid=1576423924&sr=8-7
In the years I have wanted to keep a real tree to plant out, to keep the wind from blowing them over I simply tied them to something, generally in more than one place.

We have three different ex-Christmas tress in pots in the garden - all now far too heavy to move back inside! We have a new bijou one for this year, which might do a few more years yet....

Hello, Elle!
All my young ones are very good drivers.
They learned early, and learned well.
I can not really visualise what sort of fitment you need for your tree, but hope you can find something that does the job.