Glastonbury man says ‘hold my pint’ and tops tree with star
By Laura Linham 4th Dec 2025
A Glastonbury carpenter has turned Christmas critic into festive fixer — adding a giant handmade star to the town's tree after online moans about its lacklustre lights.
The Frost Fayre and Christmas lights switch-on drew crowds last weekend, but not everyone was feeling the cheer. Social media soon lit up with complaints that the tree decorations were too sparse — with some even claiming it could be Britain's worst.
Enter John Tucker, a Glastonbury-based carpenter who'd already crafted the wooden bells hanging on the tree, that were decorated by local schoolchildren.
"I was at the Frost Fayre and the mayor thanked me for cutting the wooden bells the kids decorated," he said. "I told him that next year, if they wanted, I'd make a star for the top of the tree, too. He said that would be nice, and I didn't think much more about it."
But an (traditional) online backlash about the lights and decorations on the tree, saw a cherry picker heading to the town centre to add more lights to the branches, following rumours that the BBC camera crew were scheduled to arrive in the town to do a piece on the 'worst decorated tree in the area'.
When John saw a cherry picker by the tree earlier this week — he got to work.
"I've always thought of myself more as a Grinch than some sort of Christmas fairy," he said. "But I saw all the haters on Facebook and it upset me. There's way too much negativity. When I saw the cherry picker there, I asked how long they were there for. They said about two hours, and it was a real 'hold my pint, I'm coming' moment."
A dash to his workshop in Dyehouse Lane and two hours later, he was back, with a huge star he'd designed and made in less than two hours.
"The whole thing was totally off the cuff," he said. "But there was so much negativity and it's a lot easier for people to moan then it is for them to do something about it. "
John said he didn't have time to wire the star with lights but hopes to improve it next year, with a bit more planning and notice.
The hand-built topper has since been welcomed by locals, with many praising the gesture and calling it a bright spot in what had become an unexpectedly heated festive row.
"It's not perfect," said John, "but it's better than nothing — and that's something to build on for next year."
More local stories:
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• Rare grey long-eared bats make comeback at Glastonbury Abbey
• Glastonbury Abbey Medieval Fayre set to return in April 2026
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