Britain's oldest Christmas tree bought in Sheffield Woolworths during Spanish flu pandemic turns 101

Each year Kay Ashton, 67, from Mosborough in Sheffield, faithfully decorates and erects the two-foot tall tree which has endured three monarchs, a world war and now two global pandemics.

The artificial spruce, thought to be the oldest in the country, was bought from Woolworths for sixpence by Kay's grandmother Elizabeth Naylor in 1920.

The tree survived Hitler's bombs during the Second World War and has remained in the family for three generations and eight house moves.

And now - lovingly decorated in bells from Kay's childhood - it takes pride of place in her kitchen in Sheffield.

Kay said: "Year after year it gets more fragile. It's been bashed in over the years.

How has the Christmas tree lasted so long?

"I try not to handle it too much. I put it in the kitchen because it if was in the living room and the door opens, the slightest gust of wind will blow it off.

"People ask me why I don't ever fix it, but I wouldn't want to get it repaired, it would take away from its story and history.

"It's become a joke really. Every year it comes out and it looks a bit dodgy, but it makes people smile and even laugh out loud."

Kay, a grandmother-of-three, says her own grandmother would be "absolutely flabbergasted" to hear it was still going strong.

Elizabeth called it "William's tree" to mark her new-born son's first Christmas that year.

The sad story behind Britain’s oldest Christmas tree

William sadly died prematurely in 1940 aged 19 and the tree became a treasured family memorial to him.

Elizabeth - known as Nanan - died in 1981 aged 80 and the tree was inherited by her daughter, Joyce Ashton.

When Joyce died in 2012, Kay became the third generation to own it.

Kay added: "It's not a cherished tree. People laugh because I say it's ugly. But I'm fond of it because it's so bloody ugly.

"It has seen generations of my family and the social history of working class people and how they have changed over the years from 1920.

"The most recent of the decorations on it are from the 1960s, I wouldn't want to spoil it with anything more modern than that.

"It's special that it has made it so long I don't now how because it was never really cared for, it was just always there.

"When my mum died, it was passed down to me. I was discussing what to do with it with my sister and I said 'I'll take it and I'll put it up'. I couldn't see it thrown in the bin.

"It's amazing it survived my mother to be honest, she was notorious for throwing things away.

"She threw my dad's medals away from World War Two, so it did well to survive her throwing it in the bin."

How Christmas tree survived the Sheffield blitz – just

The tree incredibly survived the Sheffield blitz in December 1940 when the city was bombarded by the Luftwaffe for three consecutive nights.

Elizabeth kept the tree in the kitchen, but the impact of a bomb blast was so much that it blew it into the living room.

It was hit by shrapnel and sticky tape was used to repair it, which is still holding it together.