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The Christmas decorations with special meanings

Jo Bullwinkel A bauble with a couple's photo insideJo Bullwinkel
Jo and Jonathan Bullwinkel have hung this bauble on their tree for 19 years

Christmas trees twinkle in homes across England with branches laden with lights, tinsel, baubles and ornaments. But for some families there is one special decoration that holds sentimental value.

Jo Bullwinkel Jo, Jonathan, Brice and Harriet BullwinkelJo Bullwinkel
Jo and Jonathan Bullwinkel tell their children the same story every year

Every year Jo and Jonathan Bullwinkel hang a bauble containing a photo of themselves as teenagers and tell their children Brice, 13, and Harriet, 11, the story behind it.

"My husband and I were 18 or 19 when we met," said Mrs Bullwinkel, who lives near Stockton-on-Tees. "We lived in a cottage that was provided by our employer and we hardly had any money.

"We couldn't afford Christmas decorations, let alone a tree, so we stuck a photo booth photo on a gift tag and hung it on a plant.

"We've since put it inside a see through bauble and every Christmas it has pride of place on our tree.

"We tell the children the same story every year but they just give us an eye roll. They don't know how lucky they are.

"The bauble is special to us because it's something we've had since the beginning and a really good reminder of how far we've come and to be grateful for what we do have."

Family Christmas photo
Anna Skelton said her family had used the same paper chains for the last 11 years

Anna Skelton, from Newcastle upon Tyne, strings up the paper chains her husband and daughter made one wet weekend 11 years ago.

"They've had a few repairs along the way but they're still going strong," she said.

"Our decorations are an eclectic mix of ancient and homemade oddities.

"We must have three or four large boxes of a hundred different things that we've amassed over the years.

"There's homemade stuff from when the kids were little or when I was little and decorations we've picked up all over the world or that people have given us.

"Every item has a story behind it and we can remember where it came from, what holiday we were on and who gave it to us."

Wilma Gravenor, from Taunton, is only six months older than her Christmas tree.

Wilma Gravenor, 82, from Taunton is celebrating Christmas with her tree, which is the same age as her.

Mrs Gravenor, who was born in Barry, Wales, was given the festive decoration when she was a baby.

Since then it has become part of her family, and is given pride of place on the mantelpiece every year.