Festive holly cost flies high
The cost of a festive holly wreath could double this year - because greedy birds have gorged themselves on berries. The cost of a festive holly wreath could double this year - because greedy birds have gorged themselves on berries. But the price of a Christmas kiss is unlikely to rise because there are good supplies of mistletoe. Buyers from across the UK and Ireland descended on Brimfield, near Ludlow, today to buy holly and mistletoe at the annual auction organised by Tenbury Wells-based auctioneer Nick Champion. Read the full story in today's Shropshire Star
The cost of a festive holly wreath could double this year - because greedy birds have gorged themselves on berries.But the price of a Christmas kiss is unlikely to rise because there are good supplies of mistletoe.
Buyers from across the UK and Ireland descended on Brimfield, near Ludlow, today to buy holly and mistletoe at the annual auction organised by Tenbury Wells-based auctioneer Nick Champion.
The event, the largest of its kind in the UK, started at 8.30am and two further auctions will take place over the next fortnight.
Mr Champion said there were a staggering 825 lots of mistletoe and auction being sold.
He said: "The cost of mistletoe is going to be fairly steady at about 25-50p per lb. But the cost of holly is going to be double, compared to last year, at more than £1 per lb.
"The holly price has risen so much because we've got a poor crop. The birds have got at it in the past few weeks and they've eaten a lot of the berries, so it's quite scarce."
