The earliest Christmas party of the year will be held in Leicestershire this summer as tree growers of the world unite to make plans for the festive season.

The British Christmas Tree Growers Association (BCTGA) is hosting the Christmas Tree Growers Council of Europe (CTGCE) annual summer meeting from 30 May to 2 June at Hinckley.

It’s the first time the event has been held in the UK for more than 15 years.

Harry Brightwell, secretary of BCTGA, said: “The event sees growers from across Europe attending with some delegates coming from as far as the USA.

“We will be taking our guests to visit some exciting Christmas tree farms -  Woods Farm in Solihull, Cadeby Tree Trust in Nuneaton and Friezeland Christmas Tree Farm also in Nuneaton - where we will be sharing advice and updates on growing beautiful trees.”

The British Christmas Tree Growers Association, based in Tuddenham St Martin, Suffolk, was established in 1979 to provide a quality standard for Christmas tree growers in the UK and champion the purchase of real Christmas trees. It has over 300 members.

Mr Brightwell said: “We have various activities planned and we are expecting the event to be an informative and interesting few days for all attending and is a wonderful opportunity to share a bit of British Christmas cheer.”

At Woods Farm, they will see what is believed to be the biggest tree bailer ever made (by Howeys of Michigan).