Do you have a favourite tree?

[KateH]

When I was about 8-10 I lived in Gibraltar (40 years ago 😬). There was a tree behind our flat called Old Tom. 
I’m not sure what type of tree it was. It was great for climbing. It's still there; I've just checked on Google Maps.

I was not a good climber but I could do some of the ‘crossings’ which all had a name. I can’t remember the name of them all but I could do ‘zebra crossing’. Only the older really competent climbers could do ‘Highest Point Crossing’. Looking up from my safe spot I would watch them cross nimbly from one branch to another, so high in the air. I can still remember exactly the base of the tree and where the trunk divided and left a gap in the middle for your foot. And the lumps it had kindly grown, like on a climbing wall, to help me up. I don’t remember there being an amazing view. It probably wasn’t very tall anyway. I think when we were in the tree we didn’t look out of it, being in the tree was the excitement.

Sadly I don’t have a picture of it but my sister Valerie says she can send me one. This is her memory of it: Highest point crossing was terrifying, you had to swing your legs and loop them over the next branch and then grab the branch above in the middle and swing across. I can't believe we used to do it! There were 3 knobbles, left, right, left up the two boughs, to get to the first proper branch on the right, I remember those knobbles very clearly!
Someone fell out trying it, Fraser? Not sure, but remember his being terribly winded and me realising just how dangerous it was. Marjorie the doll tried a few times after that  but I don't think I ever did again.

 

My brother remembers being too little to climb it but once leaning his bike against it in an effort to use it as a ladder. I don't think it worked. He was only 4.

Do you have a favourite tree you'd like to share?

 

Have a good week 😊 Kate (& Beccy)

[Doug Tait]

I'd say I have a few favourite trees but to pick one, the all time favourite, it's a Copper Beech in the neighbours garden that I see every day and have known as long as I can remember. 

 

First tree I remember climbing as a child, first tree I could identify, had a swing hung from it, gang hut under it, picnics and even romance, it's had a lot of impact on my life.

And now I do trees for a living, the times I've climbed it to do work have been particularly rewarding.

[AJStrees]

Hard to pick one favourite. Where I work we have a very majestic Cedar of Lebanon which is just absolutely beautiful and enormous at over 8 metre girth and growing and particularly tall. But otherwise probably fondest memories as a kid climbing (what seemed large at the time) an old mulberry tree which happened to be on the estate I grew up on, no idea how old the tree was but the house was built in 1664 and had old greenhouses, etc... Otherwise I would say the big horse chestnut tree we used to climb as kids, it was in one of the farmers fields and the enjoyment of playing conkers for hours at a time with friends. Brings back old memories. 

[KateH]

Thank you for sharing. It has surprised me how many memories I could drag up of Old Tom. It’s actually a lovely pastime of thinking back on trees I have known. My grandparents in Devon had a biloba which was useless for climbing but they loved it. I will think on 😊

[Steve Bullman]

My favourite tree was a big old Lebanese Cedar in Roydon near Diss. It used to span the church like a big umbrella, unfortunately it was removed many years ago. Any locals from that area will remember it though im sure.

 

Proving quite difficult to find an image of it online.

 

‘Photograph of St Remigius parish church, Roydon village, Norfolk’, John Piper, [c.1930s–1980s] – Tate Archive | Tate

WWW.TATE.ORG.UK

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{meta_desc} – part of the digitised collection of the Tate Archive

 

"Roydon Village Sign" by Peggy Cannell at PicturesofEngland.com

WWW.PICTURESOFENGLAND.COM

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- Roydon at PicturesofEngland.com where you can explore the beautiful country of England with photos, history, facts...

 

[KateH]

The Lebanese Cedar seems popular... I'll have a google and see why 😊

[Doug Tait]

Another close contender for my favourite tree is The Capon Tree, an Oak around a thousand years old.

I've a long family history in the Scottish Borders (from a Reiver family) and it pleases me to see this tree and think my ancestors were likely familiar with it.

 

Capon Tree, Jedburgh | Ancient Tree Forum

WWW.ANCIENTTREEFORUM.ORG.UK

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The Capon Tree, a hollow English oak (Quercus robur), is one of the...

 

[WirralBoy]

I remember Old Tom on Gibraltar.

Not a tree by that name though.

 

[KateH]

1 hour ago, WirralBoy said:

I remember Old Tom on Gibraltar.

Not a tree by that name though.

 

Wow, that's a coincidence! Thanks for sharing, my sister will love that! Kate😊

[Dan Maynard]

7 hours ago, Doug Tait said:

Another close contender for my favourite tree is The Capon Tree, an Oak around a thousand years old.

I've a long family history in the Scottish Borders (from a Reiver family) and it pleases me to see this tree and think my ancestors were likely familiar with it.

 

Capon Tree, Jedburgh | Ancient Tree Forum

WWW.ANCIENTTREEFORUM.ORG.UK

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The Capon Tree, a hollow English oak (Quercus robur), is one of the...

 

Wish I'd known that was there, been to Jedburgh quite a few times as had a customer there but now they've closed the factory so I guess I will not be back.