> Hs2 needlessly cut down thousands of ancient oaks
That depends whether you agree that HS2 is justified. HS2 would argue that the loss to humanity/UK of cutting down those ancient oaks is worth it due to the benefits of HS2.
Whereas cutting down the Sycamore Gap tree benefited no one.
Yes, all agreed. I've lived on a large lot in Canada where every year some trees were logged to give the rest breathing room. This wasn't done by someone who used a chainsaw for the first time, neither was it done with a small saw, that's a very clean cut. To add insult to injury they aimed the drop straight at the wall.
That's an exceptionally clean tree-felling, though the position of the hinge indicates it was meant to fall toward the wall.
The paint looks like an indication on how big to make the hinge, which actually suggests someone who "knows what they're supposed to be doing" but not "used to doing it all the time".
Highly unlikely, that can happen in a dense forest with unmarked trees but this is controlled land and there is only the one tree there in that particular setting.
Also: then the tree would have been stripped and removed. Someone just cut it down and ran off.
There is zero chance this was a mistake, it’s the only tree in the area and to say it’s iconic in the North East is an understatement - this was a deliberate act, the only thing in doubt is their state of mind.
I was trying to figure out the significance of this tree. It is alongside the wall but does not date to its construction, or anywhere near.
It is several hundred years old, which is certainly remarkable though far from unique. It seems to be known primarily for being picturesque, which is less about the tree itself and more for being located in an interesting gap in the hills. It shows up in a number of movies, and as far as I can tell, its being really famous only dates to the 1990s.
I don't mean to diminish this. It was a much-beloved icon destroyed in senseless cruelty. I was just trying to put it into context for myself. Its proximity to the much older icon is largely coincidental.
I’ve walked along that part of Hadrian’s Wall and stopped at that tree a number of times and it truly was a beautiful spot with real impact.
I don’t think there is any rational significance to the tree - it was just an ancient beautiful tree, standing alone in a very dramatic landscape. A tree that many folks paused to rest at and admire as they walked along Hadrian’s wall (itself steeped in history).
Nothing sadder than 30' of remaining strip to the side of the road and clearcut from there to the horizon. If you're on the road you don't even see the difference but ecologically speaking it's a disaster.
That is probably because it is a Newsquest Media publication, rather than a Reach PLC publication. Reach PLC journalism is sometimes laughably bad, sometimes lamentably.
Some Newsquest Media titles are running the rather longer piece from the Press Association. For example:
Yes, I was particularly thinking of Retch PLC, which Private Eye recently reckoned had had one of its own senior execs complaining about how bad the website was.
The immature, probably ill-raised boy who perpetrated this 1-tree act at Hadrian's Wall - a boy not even old enough to understand what "heritage" truly is - becomes the symbol of hatred around the world, and the full-grown man upon whose orders dozens and hundreds are killed with as-near-equally-thin-justification as to not matter, gets to be (then) Prime Minister, lauded high class high-table sitter of the world, paid 5-figures to talk for an hour, for the rest of his life.
The rage we should expend upon the latter, but which we are societally programmed to simply accept as compromise, instead gets emotionally expended upon stupid little 1-hit-wonders like this young kid at Hadrian's - as a symbol of all that's wrong with the world, and in lieu of actually expending our deep displeasure with those who make such acts systemic, everyday business.
Readit News
What kind of bastard destroys such a thing of natural beauty?
This bastard is not alone, there are other bastards out there. For example, Sheffield council: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/mar/06/sheffield-ci...
and Plymouth council: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-64961358
and this guy: https://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/news/19660776.northwood-ma...
and especially this guy: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-65890748
https://www.chicagotribune.com/midwest/ct-madison-arboretum-...
That depends whether you agree that HS2 is justified. HS2 would argue that the loss to humanity/UK of cutting down those ancient oaks is worth it due to the benefits of HS2.
Whereas cutting down the Sycamore Gap tree benefited no one.
The oldest trick in the book of war
One look at the base of that trunk and I think you can upgrade that to 'we know it was deliberately felled'.
A cheapo chainsaw wouldn't be long enough to do this without needing to go in from both sides.
There is also a paint line along the cut. Who paints along the line they're about to cut if they're just cutting down a tree?
Looks like it was a 16 year old kid:
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/sep/28/boy-16-arres...
Deleted Comment
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/sep/28/boy-16-arres...
The paint looks like an indication on how big to make the hinge, which actually suggests someone who "knows what they're supposed to be doing" but not "used to doing it all the time".
Deleted Comment
They need to make sure that someone wasn't trying to take down a different tree and made a mistake.
Also: then the tree would have been stripped and removed. Someone just cut it down and ran off.
It is several hundred years old, which is certainly remarkable though far from unique. It seems to be known primarily for being picturesque, which is less about the tree itself and more for being located in an interesting gap in the hills. It shows up in a number of movies, and as far as I can tell, its being really famous only dates to the 1990s.
I don't mean to diminish this. It was a much-beloved icon destroyed in senseless cruelty. I was just trying to put it into context for myself. Its proximity to the much older icon is largely coincidental.
I’ve walked along that part of Hadrian’s Wall and stopped at that tree a number of times and it truly was a beautiful spot with real impact.
I don’t think there is any rational significance to the tree - it was just an ancient beautiful tree, standing alone in a very dramatic landscape. A tree that many folks paused to rest at and admire as they walked along Hadrian’s wall (itself steeped in history).
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-66952980
* edit: i mentioned this on another forum and was corrected- the land is owned by the National Trust, my run ins were probably with a tennant farmer.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-66947040
Some Newsquest Media titles are running the rather longer piece from the Press Association. For example:
https://www.romfordrecorder.co.uk/news/national/23819640.fam...
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/tears-rage-hs2-killing...
The immature, probably ill-raised boy who perpetrated this 1-tree act at Hadrian's Wall - a boy not even old enough to understand what "heritage" truly is - becomes the symbol of hatred around the world, and the full-grown man upon whose orders dozens and hundreds are killed with as-near-equally-thin-justification as to not matter, gets to be (then) Prime Minister, lauded high class high-table sitter of the world, paid 5-figures to talk for an hour, for the rest of his life.
The rage we should expend upon the latter, but which we are societally programmed to simply accept as compromise, instead gets emotionally expended upon stupid little 1-hit-wonders like this young kid at Hadrian's - as a symbol of all that's wrong with the world, and in lieu of actually expending our deep displeasure with those who make such acts systemic, everyday business.
We have it backwards.