The Christmas Tree

Hugely enjoyable and brisk-moving this 1966 tale is in the classic B&W CFF tradition-3 resourceful kids-a little 6YO boy being protected by an older girl and boy-having various adventures on a 30-mile trek to London in wintry conditions.

All the roads we see are virtually empty; all adults are friendly and helpful, including a scary sequence where river workers plonk the kids into the jaws of a huge crane to lift them over the water-and they fall off! There's also a dangerous looking weir featured. I assume that there were appropriate "health 'n' safety" precautions in place? I know that we were tough in those days but.....!

The two payroll robbers are typically incompetent once they encounter the kids, though earlier we are shown the victim of their coshing-this seems slightly out of place in what is essentially a feel-good Christmas tale for children.

Well worth a watch.