'Twas a nice sunny day yesterday, so I took myself off for a jaunt around one of my former neighbourhoods to lose myself in memories of yesteryear. I was saddened to see that a line of seven or eight trees at the bottom of my old street had been reduced to two by the recent storms, and parts of their dismembered branches still lay on the ground, the result of their encounter with council workmen who'd cut up and removed the fallen trunks.
I was even more saddened though, to learn that one particular tree, situated closer to my old house, had also been removed - though not as a result of the storms. The discoloured remains of the flat, scarred base of the trunk was testament to the fact that it must've been felled some months ago, likely due to disease of some kind, but it was a sad sight to see. The tree had yet been there on my last visit, and displayed no obvious signs that its days were numbered.
It was a large tree just off the side of a field (or what remained of a field to be more precise, as half of it had been requisitioned for amenity houses for the elderly 30 or so years back), used by neighbourhood kids as a swing. (In fact, it was the main tree used for this purpose, though occasionally others served the same function.) Indeed, when I lived there, and on my frequent visits thereafter, more often than not it had a rope (with a piece of wood tied to the end of it for sitting on) hanging from an overhanging branch. I climbed that tree as a kid and swung on it many a time, and it represented a cherished part of my childhood. (A few years ago, I had another swing on one of those ropes when no one else was around - what fun!)
Come June 14th, it will be 50 years since I flitted from the area, but as I visited regularly over the years on account of still having friends who lived there (or thereabouts), my familiarity with the place never diminished. In fact, there was a spell that lasted for quite a number of years where I hung about the area more often than would've been the case had I never moved. You see, while staying there, I'd already started to stray further afield in search of adventure, but once I'd flitted, I could hang about to my heart's content without worrying about the potential risk of parental observation and intervention in my escapades.
Over the decades, as is my wont, I took quite a number of photos of the tree (and others), and once I've finished typing this, I'll dig out one or two to accompany this piece. Another friend from childhood now gone, alas, and I find my heart is heavy at the reminder that nothing lasts forever. I always took a certain comfort on seeing familiar sights (whether it be trees, lampposts, 'phone boxes, original street signs, etc) when revisiting any of my old neighbourhoods, and the fact that some old 'pals' will no longer be there to welcome me in my own rapidly diminishing future is a sad and sobering thought.
I'll try and wring some small measure of consolation from the fact that its roots still run deep where it once stood, and hope that there will eventually be some regrowth around its base. However, I'll miss it whenever I visit from now on and the place won't seem quite the same again. It's been there all my life up to this moment and it just doesn't feel right now it's absent. Anyone else ever think like this, or am I just bonkers?
I should just add that the plastic tree on the Aurora Batman model kit (above) always slightly reminded me of a pruned version of the real, now departed one, as I fancied it leaned at nearly the same angle though it wasn't to the same scale. By that I mean Batman was larger than the plastic tree he swung from, whereas a fully grown man would've been dwarfed by the real one. (Yes, okay - I'm bonkers.)
Feel free to indulge my madness by leaving a comment should you feel inclined.
15 comments:
Phew! Nobody's called me bonkers yet. I must be okay.
Strangely on a similar ((but less “bonkers” 😊 ) subject just yesterday I was in my old home town and the traffic stopped outside a house on the main road that I used to pass every day. The house didn’t really register with me but it had a Monkey Puzzle tree that was about 10 foot tall back when I was a kid ( tall to a 9 or 10 year old) and as soon as I saw it I remembered my pal Alan and myself being fascinated by the tree. I was more amazed to see just how tall it had grown as it must have been well over 30 foot tall, then again it was over 50 years ago. It was nice to see it was still there as when we visited the town itself (Rutherglen ) very few shops remained that I knew back in the day - Johnny’s (the world’s best ever combined comic. sweet and toy shop) was now a charity shop, R. S McColl’s newsagent was now a Virgin Money shop, the Bank where my brother had his first job was a large convenience store and the supermarket / restaurant I used to get my lunch (chips and beans more days than naught) was a carpet store. The town was not as good for shops as it used to be.
Interestingly, the charity shop (if it's the one I'm thinking of) that was once Johnny's was Johnny's Mark II, as it had originally been in smaller premises a few units along. It was a flower shop the last time I looked (admittedly a while back), yet the outline of the name on the old Johnny's sign (sat above the new one and painted green) was still discernible.
I find that most town's aren't as good for shops as they used to be, McS. All charity shops, pawn shops, and pound shops, which have their uses, but we really need supermarkets, furniture stores, and prestige department stores, etc. Especially in my town's main shopping area.
And good to hear that the old Monkey Puzzle tree is still there. Sadly, when it gets too big, some council bigwig (or new occupier) will order it to be cut down. (I'd like to be more positive and optimistic, but long experience has taught me otherwise.)
This isn't quite the same but I was in Tesco this morning and I was shocked to see that all the CDs and DVDs had vanished, the entire CD/DVD/Blu-Ray section was completely empty which is something I've never seen before. I don't know if they'll be re-stocking or whether this is the end of an era and my local Tesco has decided those things don't sell any more.
It's always disconcerting when things one is used to (whether it be trees or CDs) disappear from their accustomed place, CJ. That tree was a welcome sight whenever I visited that old neighbourhood and it's sad to think it's not there anymore. You'll be the same (to a more limited extent perhaps) with Tesco's CD/DVD/Blu-Ray section. However, maybe they're just being moved to another part of the store.
Kid, I thought about that but I couldn't see them anywhere else. I'll keep a look-out.
And the woman on the check-out (her name's Jean) told me that four check-outs are being removed to make way for an expanded self-service section. The times they are a' changin'.
To Be fair sometimes you have to cut trees back / down when they get too big. I had a tree that must have been nearer 25 foot tall , you could actually see it from the bottom of the town 1. 5 miles away. But it became too big and dangerous I had to do something. During one storm a couple of years ago 2 massive branches (over 5 feet long and thick) took out my fence (needed to get a new one ) and broke a neighbours small hut (has to get that repaired as well lol) . After that I had to get it cut back if it had fallen it would have destroyed my wee cottage or could have hurt someone - plus the roots were in danger of affecting my foundations. It cost me an eye watering amount of money to get it cut right back and the roots treated (turns out they weren't that bad) . It’s now about 7 foot tall and looks great has loads of vines on it and Wrens and Tits nest in it now. Light is so much better in my garden and the tree (stump-its still alive seemingly) looks amazing
Colin; it’s the same in Sainsburys they no longer sell CDs in my local store. The only supermarket I see still selling CDs etc is ASDA and that’s now been radically reduced.
What's worse, CJ, is that people will probably be losing their jobs because of those self-service checkouts. Why is so-called progress often a step backwards?
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I don't mind so much when some sensitive pruning is applied, McS, especially in circumstances such as yours, but too many people cut down trees and slab over their gardens (as a first resort) just because they can't be bothered maintaining hedges, trees, shrubbery, grass, etc. Then they wonder why bees and certain types of birds are declining and in danger of extinction.
I’ll tell you what’s funny. I’ve been living here 25 years and I remember when they built the nearby mini shopping center. And tonight for the first time I noticed the Starbucks actually has a sign which lights up. Not a very good detective am I?
Maybe someone just forgot to turn it on over the last 25 years until tonight, PS?
Did a quick photoshop to combine Batman with the real tree for you only to find I canny upload it. This is why I stick to pen and ink lol.
Thanks, that would've been interesting to see. I'll just have to imagine it.
Kid, I can now confirm that my local Tesco has definitely stopped selling CDs, DVDs and Blu-Rays. Funnily enough, I'd already decided that ABBA's 'Voyage' would be my last ever CD and as for DVDs, I've only bought three in the entire 2020s so far.
So your local Tesco's CD and DVD department withered away because you failed to support it, CJ. You should be ashamed of yourself - you killed it.
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