please log in to view this image As much as I love tree's, all tree's, but in the right place or looked after properly, the Sycamore is not in my top 10! But alive or dead tree's have that unbelievable presence bringing a sense of calm and beauty to many places and panorama's. The evil act of vandalism taken against this specimen is unforgivable and I hope the perpetrator gets the full weight of the law descend upon him. [ so far a 60 year old and a 16 year old arrested ] When I moved into this house 75ft from my back door was a small sapling, about 5 or 6 metres tall. Now, 41 years later, it is exceeding 25metres tall and has a spread of some 18 metres, and is poorly looked after! However, as a member myself of The woodland trust, .... rather loose comments from ...... Mark Feather, estate manager at the Woodland Trust, said it would "take a few years to develop into even a small tree and around 150 to 200 years before it is anywhere close to what we have lost". ... LOOSE because small tree is deemed to be 10m tall, and big trees over 20m ! and what is a few years? 10 years? 15 years? The sycamore at the bottom of my garden is about 46 years old! and grows at about 2m a year. 2m a year? qualify that... it sheds about 100,000 or more seeds, I filled a large B&M BAG last year with seeds, from my garden, This year pulled out 177 seedlings before 1st June [ stopped counting then ] Largest seedling removed was August after the Gooseberries were finished .. it was 136 cms not including the below soil level root ... about 4ft 6"! ... in 5 month's. Around the base of the tree at bottom of garden is about 40 shoots, appeared about August 2022 they are currently in excess of 7 foot! So a new tree near Hadrians is certainly likely, but hopefully not from the trunk, but from the root stock as seems to be the case here!
I am not in any ‘tree club’ and I don’t even know much about them to be honest, but this type of mindless vandalism really boils my piss. WHY do this? I can’t believe it’s for firewood. Some tw@ just did it for the sheer devilment of destroying something beautiful that people loved. It reminds me of the Glastonbury tree that was supposed to have been planted by Joseph of Aramathea when Jesus Christ (allegedly) visited England with his uncle. Whether you believe that legend or not, it was a nice story and the tree’s age fitted with it - until some other mindless tw@ (probably the Hadrians Wall tree’s grandparent) chopped it down in the 1960s and various attempts to replant the same type of tree there have met with them being destroyed - either by anti-Christian people or just idiots. Like I said, it boils my piss. Same as people who desecrate graves or churches - or carve their names into historical monuments.
There has been a lot of "similar events, vandalism!" in the past few month's Greek and Roman historical sites in Europe "so called" peaceful protestors against climate change /oil but also a number of [ likely in all areas of UK ] smaller acts.. like burning down kids play areas, snapping off of newly planted tree's or branch's of others, up rooting waste bins grafitti damaged property [ local open space has names and phrases sprayed on signs/ tables/seats ] mindless ...
Mindless is right The older I get the more intolerant of such deeds I become Unfortunately I can’t see the law handing out a just sentence in this case although if it were down to me those responsible would be hung
Just back from up North, there is site near [ pass it on way everytime go up the hill ] has 3 prtection orders on it SSSI / SNH / and a archaeology protection order .. no fires no digging, by law, are the 2 main exclusions. On my last trek down 2 PEOPLE carrying tents sleeping bags long burn logs [from tesco? ] heading up [ they would arrive in the dark as was getting dark and thet 30+ mins or more to walk. I pointed out [ as we special pernissions ] they couldnt do as they were going to as no digging fires or camping within the caves. Their last comment was "are you a policeman? then f off .. ...what a surprise when the Rangers and head ghillie wanders up about an hour after they get there and reads the riot act and makes carry it all down and makes sure the site is clean and tidy ... its deer stalking season as well as the rutting season ... one visit a couple years ago we picked up 2 carrier bags of rubbish and cleaned 5 words of graffitii ............... dont like being a snitch ... but we need to protect ourselves from vandals / vandalism!
what a week ............... mindless vandalism in my area over the past couple of weeks... besides the odd attempted stabbing and confrontation some serious vandalism! .. arson!! In broad daylight ! set fire after splashing with flammable liquid the telephone terminal metal box at base of the mast, top deck of a bus with passengers on board whilst travelling along road [ must have got out at the last stop?] before it took hold ... bus shelters smashed up along with cars damaged wing mirrors / scratch's and house windows put through .... in side of 16 days. Latest shop / bills.. they say inflation holding a downward spiral !! well I usually do a major monthly shop and then a smaller intermediate [ fresh stuff ] this intermediate shop [ minus the ODD Christmas items, on offer snapped up ] was suppoesed to have been circa £60! it was £84 after bonus point offers etc. That old yardstick measure I use [ two items ] was a shock 48 weetabix cost about 50p less than the last packet of 72! comparing like for like prices from 1 month previous net rise was 9.2% ............... VEHICLE INSURANCE [ REMINDS ME NEED TO ACTUALLY SELECT IT AND PAY ! ] .. last year was £342 renewal £547! best quote so far from 16 different companies is £498 but want £55 to protect no claims bonus on top but offer free breakdown "get you home" [ in the RAC just paid a month ago! ] sods law. Decided after my last 2 year fixed utilty ELEC/GAS bill of £116pm needed sorting ... now £174 [£160 variable ] fixed for 2 years ... I made a good saving on last fixed, ended in September. I kept payments same and banked all the energy amounts due and is currently £873 credit! so will put up monthly to £134 and use the banked money, [ or pay £60 pm and bank £80 month in a savings account] till the£832 is gone! ]. oh and triple nectar points shopping and diesel! Virgin broad band have a good deal with Virgin, although phone is now O2 and a good deal with sky [ getting even better as a customer for 24 years giving me a 18 month deal with top of range box etc etc and fixed payment of what I pay now] Virgin however says your contract is up and your discount needs reviewing from Jan 2024... long story short. their best package is . including newest router, 1000mb speed, broad band and email house phone weekend free a sim card free minutes texts 4gb data but different phone number!!! [ its O2 now for mobiles ] AND a complete TV PACKAGE [ over 300 channels ] and just £5 more than last contract............... !!!!!!!!!!! ... gobsmacked!
It’s all a con Had a letter from British Gas this morning advising md they are decreasing my Direct Debit by £20 a month This coming just as the heating goes on for the winter and the energy price cap is to rise by 5% in January
well the forcast is rather up and down over the next 4 qtr's but it looked like par [ the annual amount max being as now £1834? from memory? ] I dont know how that works as the forcasted amount on my tariff [ fixed ] is £2022 ]. I took out my last 2 year fixed just a week or so before it started to rise so missed out on the increases but not the payments! hence £873 credit .... My standinding charges and kwh after the 2 years almost doubled so goodness knows what I may have had to pay! last winter was very mild and frosts were few and far between.. already we have had a frost and ground higher than 700 ft has had 2! .. with snow forcast over next few days and temps at 3-6 degree's! so heating on during daylight set at 16.5 [ tends not to come on at all atm..... steady at 18 .... just put on second T shirt [ longsleeve ]. Note. some shos like B&M / Home bargains / etc have/ do sell tog 2 or 3 rated t shirts at stupidly low prices bought 4 for £6 a couple years ago [sold in pairs ] Lidl did some @ £4 for 2, only 1 pair left of my size .... tog 2
