The moment I stepped onto the grounds of Ivy Cottage Tree Farm, I felt that first tingly surge of Christmas spirit - despite December still being a few days away. The scent of pine mingled with the lush evergreen canopies made me feel as though I was wandering towards Santa's workshop, and I found myself wishing for a sprinkling of snow.
After voicing this opinion to yard manager Sarah Fisher, she wasn't so sure. Sarah explained the cold weather often brings out difficult customers, who request workers to clean the snowflakes off their freshly-cut trees. She's also used to unprepared visitors arriving in gleaming white trainers at this time of year. Looking down at my walking boots, I feel relieved that I don't fall into that category.
Image:
CHRIS NEILL)Image:
CHRIS NEILL)For those who work at the Wilmslow-based farm, plenty of hard work and mud goes into creating the sort of homespun Christmas magic that brings generations of locals back year after year.
According to Sarah's sister and retail director Angela McPake - who is brilliantly donning a festive pair of earrings - it's the toy train inside the glittering gift shop that little visitors remember into adulthood.
She tells me tree decorating trends change every year, especially since the dawn of Instagram, but traditional reds, greens, and golds continue to hold strong.
Sarah's father Anthony Riley started the Christmas tree farm as a 'pre-retirement hobby' back in 1983, and it has since flourished into a beloved landmark.
The team caters to a number of high-profile clients too, with an enormous bushy tree chopped down and ready for display at Manchester Cathedral.
Image:
CHRIS NEILL)It takes around eight years for a traditional spruce tree to grow from a tiny sprig to a fulsome 6-7ft, and, much like at the North Pole, employees here work all year round to bring Christmas cheer.
Two-year-old saplings are planted in springtime, with 5,000 planted to make up for any that don't make it.
I'm surprised to hear they begin shaping the trees in triangular, uniform shapes in summer.
It's also during these sunny months that the farm starts getting requests from companies ready to craft their festive ads.
At this time, however, the branches will still be too soft, meaning they will have to be wired.
Sarah, 50, recalled: "One company had their photoshoot during the heatwave on the hottest day of the year. They definitely had the air conditioning up!"
Image:
CHRIS NEILL)As Christmas approaches, life at the farm unsurprisingly gets more hectic.
Earlier on in the season, they'll be focused on delivering trees to commercial clients, making sure to cut down any enormous trees first thing in the morning when customers are safely off-site.
They've previously felled trees as tall as 60ft, which would have been too big to sell.
Once they get deeper into the festive season, the team will be busily sorting a 'dig and a cut' list for customers to come and collect their trees.
Sarah herself recommends getting your tree in the second week of December to ensure it lasts you through to the New Year, but personally, I don't have that sort of restraint.
Image:
CHRIS NEILL)After a quick walk around, it became clear just how much physical labour is required, from lugging trees on and off trucks in all weathers to wielding chainsaws.
The team also chops firewood all year long, which Sarah says has become more in demand amid the ongoing energy crisis.
Revealing her personal tree preferences, Sarah said: "I love a pine personally, but the pine is a bit like Marmite, you either like it or you don't. Fraser firs also have a really nice smell.
"None of them have a bad smell in my opinion, but some just aren't as fragrant as others."
Sarah explains firs and pines also hold their needles the best, while Norweigen spruces ("the type your granny would have had") aren't the best in this regard.
Image:
CHRIS NEILL)For small spaces, she recommends 'compact and bushy' Fraser firs.
Advising those who don't want their tree to look 'depressed' by the time the big day arrives, Sarah added: "Put it in a water retaining stand. Everyone likes a drink on the run-up to Christmas, and so does your tree."
Sarah also had some advice to share for any cat owners fearing the yearly feline vs fir battle this year.
She suggested: "If you know your cat or your dog is going to try and chew on your tree, try and tie the top of the tree somewhere, so if it does get hold of it, it can't pull it over.
"Some people might take a picture down when they're decorating their Christmas tree, and so could attach a little piece of fishing wire to the picture hook."
Image:
CHRIS NEILL)It's a nice business to work in not least because, as Sarah reasoned, "most people are happy when they choose a Christmas tree", and thankfully, it hasn't made her sick of all things festive.
Her least favourite part of the job however is when things go wrong, and the team has previously had to deal with some pretty whacky complaints.
With some amusement, Sarah remembered: "My best-ever favourite comment was a guy who wanted the roots put back on. What he meant was, his wife had bought the wrong sort of tree. I just thought it was hilarious."
Another customer complained that their tree was just too big for their house, and ended up swapping it for another one.
Naturally, Sarah has also fielded loads of unusual requests over the years, including 'I need a tree with a gap in it because my cat likes to sit in the middle of it' and 'it needs to be flat on one side because I put it against the wall'.
Do you have a festive story to share? Email us at julia.banim@reachplc.com