Even though I went to the park as a child every sunny summer Sunday, we never visited the tree. Not until 1990 did I follow the new signposts and find it. Its dead carcass was held up by a huge metal stanchion. But I was amazed and flummoxed to see that it wasn't anchored to the ground - the bolts to secure it and make it effective just weren't there!
A couple of months later, there was a storm almost as strong as the 1987 hurricane. Obviously the so-called support, under these circumstances, was more of a liability than a help, because this is how the dead ancient oak now looks.
4 comments:
At least the Major Oak in Sherwood Forest is still standing. Propped up by large wooden staves, and you can no longer go inside it's hollow trunk like you could when I was a kid, but it's still there and upright!
There's really a Sherwood Forest?
Yes, JoJo, in Nottinghamshire. As is Sheriff of Nottingham (there really was one, and a Prince John who later became King, and a Richard the Lionheart. Only Robin and his band are fictitious).
By the way, Diane, in fairness, the Elizabeth Oak has been dead for hundreds of years, but I still don't think that's any excuse to the authorities for failing to keep it upright.
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