Where to find good quality tinsel

[twointhemorning]

Does anyone know where I can find good quality tinsel in the uk? In gold and silver strands.
I'm looking for the nice thick heavy stuff like I had as a child in the 1980s.
I ordered some from Amazon and it's rubbish.

Have you tried going to a decent Garden Centre? Or depending on your location a Christmas exhibition normally one in London, Birmingham direction.

I hadn't thought of a garden centre, thanks.
I'm in the north so probably a bit far from Birmingham or London.
I don't mind paying for decent quality.
Buying online is hit and miss and impossible to judge colour and thickness.

I hate tinsel bear with me and actually saw some in selfridges last year that almost turned me

It's expensive but it was really thick and squeezable (if that's even a word)

If you're in/near Newcastle Fenwicks tend to go hard on the Christmas section. It opened at the weekend but I haven't been in yet.
Also, if memory serves House of Fraser in Metro Centre had some FAB stuff last year. I don't know when they get it in though.

If edinburgh there's a Christmas shop on the royal mile

I think you just need to go out there and have a good squeeze op

I was in m&s and saw no tinsel bit their tree decorations are so so beautiful

I love tinsel too. It reminds me of childhood. Maybe try John Lewis.

I saw some in John Lewis this week that was almost too thick.

I don't think any tinsel will match the tinsel of my childhood. I remember it being lots and lots of very very thin strands, so it was very soft; and when it fell apart it turned out to be strung on cotton thread, not plastic, so it hung very differently than today's plasticky tinsel which is just glued onto plastic.

I do quite love tinsel, though I've never had any on my own tree and my parents got rid of it sometime in the mid-90s to go all tasteful. But nothing surpasses the remembered trees of my youth with their tinsel and pastel coloured lights (today's LED lights just aren't the same, they are too bright and always have blue in them which is totally WRONG!)

One thing my parents always had and still have is lametta, which you rarely see any more. How I used to love putting that on the tree!

DD is still quite small so all my tree decoration at the moment is felt and paper Scandi stuff that can't be damaged/swallowed/etc. Boo!

Ah just read on wikipedia that the old-fashioned tinsel contained heavy metals and lead, which is why it hung better than the modern PVC-made stuff. Perhaps not such a bad thing we got rid of it, then....!

If you are anywhere near Preston try Barton Grange

Just a quick update, if anyone's interested ( I see from another thread that tinsel is 'common' ).
I went to a local garden centre and they had some tinsel by Festive Productions Limited made in south Wales; this was nice and thick and reasonably priced at £2.49ish for a 2 metre length in various colours.

I also ordered some from Selfridges and this is made by Weiste, a Finnish company and it is supposed to be the best tinsel you can get. It cost £7ish for a 2 metre length. It is similar thickness but heavier and better quality (no loose bits).

I'm going to keep both types. I just hope the tinsel isn't too thick for the tree.
I will bin the made in China tinsel that I bought from Amazon though.

I spend a vast amount of time playing with tinsel. I don't have any in my house but I love the smell of it. Everywhere we spot it DH goes "fill your boots you absolutely flaming nutter" and I sneak towards it and bury my face in its tickly tinselly loveliness and inhale the scent of it.

My DH thought I was mad as I gave my tinsel a hair cut

I love tinsel and it needs to be thick so it's not weedy - but I hate how long and bushy they can be. You can't see any decorations! So I bought some lovely tinsel and then used scissors to get it to a more reasonable width