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| Mansion's Christmas trees magic | Mansion's Christmas trees magic |
| (about 13 hours later) | |
| A Grade II-listed building in the heart of mid Wales has pulled out all the stops this festive season. | A Grade II-listed building in the heart of mid Wales has pulled out all the stops this festive season. |
| Instead of one exquisitely decorated festive tree, The Hall at Abbey Cwm Hir, near Llandrindod Wells, Powys, boasts 52 - one for each room. | Instead of one exquisitely decorated festive tree, The Hall at Abbey Cwm Hir, near Llandrindod Wells, Powys, boasts 52 - one for each room. |
| In October the Gothic-style mansion closed its doors to the public for three weeks. | In October the Gothic-style mansion closed its doors to the public for three weeks. |
| A group of seven dedicated women from the local village descended on the hall sprinkling their magic over the trees. | A group of seven dedicated women from the local village descended on the hall sprinkling their magic over the trees. |
| "One in particular stands out for me," said Dorothy Richards, a member of the team that dressed the trees. | "One in particular stands out for me," said Dorothy Richards, a member of the team that dressed the trees. |
| "All the decorations have been hand-made by a group of ladies who have all beaten breast cancer. They were on a trip to the hall last year and decided they would like to have their own tree." | "All the decorations have been hand-made by a group of ladies who have all beaten breast cancer. They were on a trip to the hall last year and decided they would like to have their own tree." |
| Peeking out from its white branches are 125 delicately stitched brassieres, flowers and handbags, all in shocking pink. | Peeking out from its white branches are 125 delicately stitched brassieres, flowers and handbags, all in shocking pink. |
| We have so many repeat visitors, we like to mix it up a little Dorothy Richards | We have so many repeat visitors, we like to mix it up a little Dorothy Richards |
| For a moment you could be forgiven for not realising that this tree isn't the centrepiece in the hall's drawing room, but in the bathroom of the master bedroom. | For a moment you could be forgiven for not realising that this tree isn't the centrepiece in the hall's drawing room, but in the bathroom of the master bedroom. |
| The "girly theme" as Mrs Richards describes it, carries on into the adjacent dressing room, but instead of a white and pink frosted tree, the colours here are a little more grown up. | The "girly theme" as Mrs Richards describes it, carries on into the adjacent dressing room, but instead of a white and pink frosted tree, the colours here are a little more grown up. |
| The art deco feel of the room has been reflected in cream and toffee tinted trimmings on a black tree. | The art deco feel of the room has been reflected in cream and toffee tinted trimmings on a black tree. |
| "I just love this one," said Mrs Richards. "It's so decadent!" | "I just love this one," said Mrs Richards. "It's so decadent!" |
| On closer inspection it looks like the ladies raided some very expensive jewellery boxes. | On closer inspection it looks like the ladies raided some very expensive jewellery boxes. |
| Draped over the branches are tiny pearl necklaces, bracelets and stud earrings. Holly Golightly of Breakfast at Tiffany's fame would be in her element. | Draped over the branches are tiny pearl necklaces, bracelets and stud earrings. Holly Golightly of Breakfast at Tiffany's fame would be in her element. |
| Deck The Hall: A resplendent tree in one of the 52 rooms | Deck The Hall: A resplendent tree in one of the 52 rooms |
| The Victorian hall's most recent owners are Paul and Victoria Humpherston. The couple bought Abbey Cwm Hir in 1997 and spent the next nine years restoring each room to its former glory. | The Victorian hall's most recent owners are Paul and Victoria Humpherston. The couple bought Abbey Cwm Hir in 1997 and spent the next nine years restoring each room to its former glory. |
| They started opening the hall to the public a few years ago. | They started opening the hall to the public a few years ago. |
| "The tours began as a means to pay for a new boiler pump," said Mrs Humperston. "We had been told it would cost about £800: money we didn't have." | "The tours began as a means to pay for a new boiler pump," said Mrs Humperston. "We had been told it would cost about £800: money we didn't have." |
| She said it was the local community who urged the couple to open the hall at Christmas. | She said it was the local community who urged the couple to open the hall at Christmas. |
| Despite her husband Paul's initial concerns that "nobody would want to see our house", Mrs Humperston said they were inundated with requests and had to refuse 200 people. | Despite her husband Paul's initial concerns that "nobody would want to see our house", Mrs Humperston said they were inundated with requests and had to refuse 200 people. |
| Since then, the Christmas tours have become a regular feature and thousands of people make the trip annually to see the hall which overlooks the ruins of a 12th Century Cistercian Abbey. | Since then, the Christmas tours have become a regular feature and thousands of people make the trip annually to see the hall which overlooks the ruins of a 12th Century Cistercian Abbey. |
| Visitors are offered a warm welcome in the depths of winter | Visitors are offered a warm welcome in the depths of winter |
| If decking out 52 trees wasn't enough, each year every room has a new theme. "We have so many repeat visitors, we like to mix it up a little," said Mrs Richards. | If decking out 52 trees wasn't enough, each year every room has a new theme. "We have so many repeat visitors, we like to mix it up a little," said Mrs Richards. |
| The ladies are inspired by shops, magazines, catalogues and the people that visit the house. | The ladies are inspired by shops, magazines, catalogues and the people that visit the house. |
| This year, new additions include a knitted room. Interlocking chains of plain and pearl are festooned on the boughs of the green fir and to spice it up the ladies have spent hours knitting treats for the tree, with sweets made by Mrs Richards. | This year, new additions include a knitted room. Interlocking chains of plain and pearl are festooned on the boughs of the green fir and to spice it up the ladies have spent hours knitting treats for the tree, with sweets made by Mrs Richards. |
| Others have continued the food theme with fat Christmas puddings and cup cakes. | Others have continued the food theme with fat Christmas puddings and cup cakes. |
| To top it all off, next to the tree sits a nativity scene entirely concocted from wool, another donation from a past tour group. | To top it all off, next to the tree sits a nativity scene entirely concocted from wool, another donation from a past tour group. |