Leave Our Tree Alone!

I was going to write about anti-marketing and how it's starting to dominate my life, as I peddle through the book I am currently writing, which will probably only ever have a readership of... one. But then something happened on the bus into Bromley this morning. Something that stirred my passions and got me angry.

Now, this all might sound like the deranged rantings of a grumpy old man... but hear me out. I think I may have a point.

There is a massive, imposing oak tree at the end my road, which has been there for over 200 years. It could have seen the celebrations after Waterloo, certainly saw the coronation of Victoria, survived bombs dropped around it in WW1 and 2, put up with the recent building of a housing estate nearby and now witnesses Nigel Farage taking the night bus home (he lives somewhere round here). It has seen all these things and happily sits at a roundabout welcoming everyone and everything with open branches and a cheerful smile (OK, not the smile) to Bromley Common.

That is until now. That council, in its infinite wisdom, has decreed that it is to be chopped down, because it is 'in the way and looks sick'. No one is quite sure what it is in the way of, apart from a daft council's ridiculous decision. As for being sick, I really don't blame it. I think I would be. But it is due to be levelled at some time, when no one is looking - a job which will cost the tax payer thousands, no doubt. Even primary schools have started putting yellow ribbons round it, for heaven's sake. We love our tree! Leave it alone! Think of the children!

I sometimes wonder what the council is up to here in Bromley. They regularly dig up the area around the shopping area in the town centre and lay a different set of colourful bricks. They also love digging up the roundabouts, uprooting all the flowers and plants there and then putting a new set in, for no apparent reason. A friend of mine reckons that someone on the council has a relation or friend, who owns a garden centre nearby, needing meaty contracts. But I couldn't possibly comment on this scurrilous possibility.

Oh... and they cut down all the trees in the town centre too last month... and replaced them with an identical set of trees!

I can only think that they have a budget to spend and not much idea what to spend it on... apart from cutting down trees!

I am not happy about this. I was going to say nothing, but the 200 year old tree was one twig too far.

So, Bromley Council, spend your 'destruction' budget on building houses, child welfare, more buses and filling in all the pot holes in the roads round here.

But leave our tree(s) alone!

There... sorry.... rant over...

Back to anti-marketing.

Sigh.