Pat Hackney works the whole year through to earn his living in December. This is when everyone in Bridbury buys their Christmas tree from him. For the rest of the year Pat is at work in the woods surrounding Bridbury selecting and marking the best trees ready for the coming December.

He brings them into shape and cuts away nearby bushes to allow his trees more room to grow. In late November he borrows the farrier Frank Cobham’s horse and cart and goes into the woods to chop down the trees. By now he knows exactly what each person wants. Mayor Geoffrey Redbridge wants a very large tree for in the square in front of the town hall and two smaller trees, one for in the hall and one for his home. Annie Brent of "Annie's Boutique" always wants a small tree for in the shop and Angie Russel likes a nice full one for in the lobby of the "Hotel Victoria Inn".

Father Jessy Anthony Green likes to have five small trees for around the crib and lots of loose pine branches for decoration during the midnight mass. But no Christmas tree enters the house of the fire officer George Biggin, in his opinion the custom is “life threatening”. The dozens of candles in the dry trees ensure that there is always a fire somewhere in Bridbury. Pat's trees are a constant source of worry to him throughout the entire Christmas period because he knows he may be called out at any time. Of course besides trees, "Pat's X-mas Trees" also sells decorations of all sorts, streamers, tinsel, gold-painted pine cones and candles. Each year he gets Caroline Croydon of the sweetshop "Sweetie" to buy in special Christmas sweets to hang in the tree.