|
A SAD DAY FOR ST TUDY |
|
|
|
|
|
Wednesday 16th November 2005 Today, part of St Tudy’s history was felled - our beloved Chestnut Tree has died. In 1915 Captain Horatius James Canaan collected six conkers from the battlefields of Ypres and brought them home to England. All were planted and grew into trees. Sadly Captain Canaan died from wounds in 1916 and is buried in the St Sever military cemetery, near Rouen in France. His widow, Julia, gave one of the trees to Rev. Henry Eardley, Rector of St Tudy and in 1921 it was planted by Tom Button near to the War Memorial. At the time of writing this we have no idea what connection Capt. Canaan had with the village, so why the tree was given is a mystery. 92 year old Doris Armstrong (neé Worth) who still lives in the village today, remembers watching the planting ceremony with all the other children from the village school where she later became a teacher. The timber from the tree will not be wasted. The small branches have been shredded and will be used a mulch, and the main branches and trunk will be left to season and will then be used to make perhaps a bench or a wood sculpture. The tree has been the focal point of the village for decades and numerous fund raising events have taken place underneath its branches. Generations of children have climbed it, used its conkers and hopefully, its replacement – grown from one of its conkers, collected in the year 2000, will give as much pleasure. |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Saturday 19th November 2005 The new tree was planted on by Brian Lamerton, Nick Fletcher and Jonathon March. It is protected by a metal frame made by local man Dave Smith which will stay in position until the tree is well grown. Underneath the new tree is a Time Capsule containing the history of the old tree, photographs of the original tree, a 2005 coin, a village calendar, a copy of 'The Binding Stone' (a book published for the millennium containing memories of the villagers over the last century), and a copy of the November 2005 Parish Magazine. |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Saturday 3rd December |
|
| One week later than planned, due to the snowstorm which enveloped the area, the granite kerbstones are in position to protect the roots of the new tree from becoming damaged by parked cars etc. The circular bed has been planted with spring bulbs and will eventually be turfed. | |
|
|
|
|
Let’s hope that it is not too many years before we can again say ‘ We’ll meet under the Chestnut Tree!’ |
|
|
Sue Dibble |
|
