There are few occurrences as unsettling as the changing of the landscape by drastic natural means.
A few years ago residents of the seaside town in which I grew up, exchanged photographs across the world when the sea stack, which had had arches through which we paddled as children, collapsed. The unsafe remains had to be blown up by the army.
Since we moved here, thirty six years ago, a feature of my very local landscape has been the pair of poplars on the green, over the road. I have always liked the way they have stood between the traffic going round the round about and our house, hopefully absorbing unwanted gasses and definitely offering sound reduction.
In the gales of last week, glancing out of the spare bedroom window I was surprised to see a police car stopping traffic next to the roundabout slip road.
By the time I found my camera the council workers were already in attendance and continued to be there through driving rain (it was coming sideways), brilliant blinding sunshine, in daylight hours for a couple of days. I thought the action they took was timely and absolutely heroic. The huge branch that had fallen had damaged the tree it had fallen on to and itself.
Can you see the chap who has climbed up the tree from whence the branch fell, to assess it?
You can see how dangerous the situation is. The traffic continued to flow, right next to the action, through most of the incident.
Having put the ladder up the second tree, which had been damaged by the falling branch and looks very dodgy, they then sent the brave tree surgeon up it, equipped with a rope to tie himself on (to the dodgy tree) and a little hand chainsaw.
And then – they took the ladder away!
This is a two part adventure, the blog does not like a lot of pictures at once, but part two will follow.
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