A majestic 40-foot Sitka spruce, heralded as the perfect Christmas tree, has been felled in Northumberland's Kielder Forest in preparation for its grand journey to London, where it will stand

proudly near the Houses of Parliament in the shadow of Big Ben.

Forestry England's diligent workers delicately cut down the 40-year-old tree, carefully wrapping it before loading it onto a lorry for its 330-mile trek southward.

Handpicked from the expanse of about 150 million trees thriving in the forest, this Sitka spruce will soon grace a prominent spot near the iconic Great Clock of Westminster, commonly known as Big Ben, despite the misconception as it's actually the name of the bell, shared Richard Cooper from Forestry England.

Richard Cooper, speaking on behalf of Forestry England, expressed the significance of this annual event: "I fell and plant a lot of trees every year, but this is always the most special. It's got to be perfect. It's not just about how good it looks in the forest, it's a real skill to bring it down safely and transport it all the way to London without causing any damage. So many people from all over the world will see it lit up, and I'm really proud to see something from our corner of Northumberland take pride of place."

Wrapped meticulously for its journey, this splendid tree is part of Kielder's yearly contribution of around 180 civic trees, dispatched to various locations like Ipswich, Sheffield, and Stockton in Teesside.

Kielder Forest ensures a continuous supply of large trees by planting new seedlings every year. As Mr. Cooper expressed, "It'll be someone else's job to choose the 2063 tree, but there's something very special about planting a sapling with such a unique future ahead of it." Photo by Iain Thompson, Wikimedia commons.