I DO hope some of the money raised in York at the weekend in aid of the Christmas lights can be used to return coloured lights to our Christmas trees.

The tree in the photograph in last Friday's press - so professionally decorated and colourful - dates back to the days when the employees of Northern Electric's street lighting department proudly and skilfully decorated the beautiful Christmas trees with strings of lovely coloured lights, my husband, Thomas Morton, being one of those men.

"Decorating days" were eventful occasions which usually merited a photograph in the press. Since then, our magnificent Christmas trees have looked so sad with their strings of pathetic white lights just thrown on in any old way.

Last year's tree in St Helen's Square was a pathetic, disgraceful sight. Please, please, city fathers, can we give St Helen's Square and the Mansion House a decorated Christmas tree to be proud of this year?

Mrs Mary Morton, Acomb Road, York.

Updated: 09:40 Saturday, October 02, 2004