Christmas trees selling well on a Tamar Valley farm as people press on with a traditional Christmas with all the trimmings, undaunted by the current cost of living crisis.

Christmas tree farmer Peter Coombe of Dupath Farm was doing a brisk trade yesterday afternoon.

He said he didn't think the cost of living crisis had made 'any difference at all' to trade.

'People are coming out to the farm and if they usually buy a big tree they are buying a big tree. In fact we are selling less of the Norway ones, which are the ones that possibly drop their needles, and more of the dearer ones, the Nordmann.'

The farm sells cut trees rather than potted ones. The Coombe family buy in the majority of them, grown on the edge of Dartmoor near Ashburton, but also grow some on the farm.

Here, the size of trees range from table-top dainty to showstopper size.

'We don't dig any up because it is far too much work,' said Peter, walking among his plantation. People can either pick what they like, or choose a tree out of the barn.

'What we do is if someone wants a tree cut down, we cut that tree down for them. There are quite a few pubs that come and want that sort of size of tree to go outside their place. That one is about 18ft.'

The trees are a sideline for the Coombe family, Peter and his wife Jenny, son Adrian and daughter-in-law Lyn, on the arable and livestock farm.

Back in the barn, people have arrived to choose their tree from among ready-cut specimens. Festive lights decorate the walls and local crafts and jams made by Lyn on the farm are for sale.

Once a tree is chosen, Adrian, Peter or Lyn deftly poke it through a special machine that puts in place a cover like a hair net, which secures the tree in place and protects its branches until the customer gets it home.

Peter's father started this sideline on the farm 20 years ago. 'It is growing every year,' said Peter. 'It is what you call a diversification project.'

Last year, he said, 'people bought early' because it was thought there would be a shortage of trees.

'Then there wasn't a shortage at all and we sold right up to Christmas. We sold out in fact, which was really good.'

This year, he said, they were having a good year. 'As far as we can see, it hasn't affected our trade at all, and we are fairly close to Christmas now, aren't we?'