Worcester Cathedral is delighted to announce that the winner of its Christmas Tree Festival 2024 is Halesowen-based metal fabricator Jason Saunders of Wise Fabrication Ltd, with his handmade forged steel Christmas tree.
More than 150 schools, charities, businesses and organisations took part in the biggest festival yet, with a new token voting system introduced for 2024. After the festival ended on 6 January, the tokens and Facebook likes were combined, counted and verified and with 1,828 votes, Jason’s tree was the People’s Choice.
Having spent around 160 hours on the tree, Jason was thrilled to win.
He said: “I decided to enter after visiting with my daughter Winnie last year and noticing there wasn't anything made from steel. It was a personal challenge and I was excited to be able to add something a little different to the line-up.
“After signing up, I had no clue what design to go for or even how to draw a steel tree let alone fabricate one - a Google search revealed steel trees just aren’t that common! But I love a challenge, so started sketching, trying to go with what I thought possible and push myself to new depths in my smithing career.
“I had my rendering, much coal and a strong passion to create something special, so I started forging hot steel over the anvil in October, and branch by branch the forged Christmas tree started to come to life.
“Overcoming late deliveries, fast changing weather conditions and even a flooded workshop which rusted everything I had worked on, I pushed forward every chance I got and by the end of November I was able to focus fully on the tree, with only nine days to go!
“Winnie had watched me work on the tree for weeks. One of my biggest inspirations was the thought of Winnie’s face seeing something inside the beautiful Cathedral that daddy had made. Not telling her my tree was there, her face lit up when she saw it for the first time when we visited. That was everything I had worked for!
“I had no idea there was a competition element to the festival. The only competition that took place was me against myself and my own skillset and ambitions to create something special. For me I had already won when I saw Winnie’s face that first time she saw the tree in the Cathedral.
“I am truly humbled and very grateful for all the votes and all the nice things people have said to me. The Christmas Tree Festival is so magical to me now. After pulling up on the install date not knowing if the tree would get laughed at or what reception it would receive, I can truly say it brought me and my family so much joy over the festive period.
“The tree now has new owners, a lovely local couple who plan to display and enjoy its presence all year round, changing its decorations each season.
“Thank you all, I am very blessed and very grateful.”