The slaying of an oak tree in the car park of a Toby Carvery is a shocking betrayal
The slaying of the oak in Enfield’s Toby Carvery car park is unforgivable. With a mighty 20ft girth and a listing on the Woodland Trust’s ancient tree inventory, it may only have been midlife, with the potential to make it to 1,000 years old.
Yesterday, in one of those apologies/not apologies usually connected with spoilt toddlers, restaurant owners Mitchells & Butlers (M&B) apologised for “the upset it has caused” but not for the actual felling.
A slaying and a shocking betrayal apparently.
Gosh, now I even feel guilty about slaying that tiny, innocent horse chestnut sapling. It was one of many which sprout when local squirrels kindly bury conkers in our garden.
And the tiny yew sapling which probably sprouted from a seed embedded in bird droppings. That little mite could have lived for well over 1000 years.
But while we are on the subject of shocking betrayals...
4 comments:
They didn't slay it. They coppiced it. Just keep grazing animals away, don't add fertiliser, and wait. Shoots will, ahem, shoot up and it'll be in leaf soon enough.
Tough old beggar, your deciduous tree.
Sycamore are the worst. And elder a close second. In our last garden, I waged a three-year war against elder in our large and unmanageable garden, and bequeathed some magnificent specimens to the poor sod who moved in after us.
If anyone wants a current definition of betrayal, successive governments participation in the Islamification of Britain is more precise than cutting down part of a tree.
Penseivat
dearieme - we have a magnolia doing just that after being cut down. New shoots from the stump were knocked back over winter but some have buds.
Sam - we find ash to be very persistent, but the garden is manageable and nothing gets away from us - yet.
Penseivat - I agree, no debate, no explanation, never in any manifesto that I can remember.
Post a Comment