Monday 10 November 2008

Floods and Trees

I am registered for telephoned Flood Warnings from the Environment Agency and this year I have received several - most turning out true and resulting in me having to wear wellies to carry our waste to the bottom of the garden to put into the compost container. Whether or not Global Warming is taking place, it certainly seems to be true that we are getting much wetter in Penkridge - I have even got a rain guage in my garden now to measure it. I am seriously thinking of acquiring a boat - maybe a canoe - as I think we may need it before long.

Trees - wonderful plants that I wouldn't be without. We have several in our garden and I wish I had more ground and could grow more. I believe no tree should be cut down or even pruned without very good reason. Not only are they important as habitat for wildlife, they also act as screens, camaflaging ugly man-made structures that seem to be spreading throughout our countryside. So imagine my surprise when I drove back into Penkridge from Stafford and noticed a few days ago that they had pruned all the Willows on the Market Site which grow on the banks of the River Penk. Now I know that willows will pollard and grow again but suddenly we now see not one, but three, Mobile Phone Masts sticking up and taking over the landscape from the trees. Its ironic really, when you think that the Planners actually encourage the Phone Companies to make their masts look like trees. I have seen lots that look like Pine trees both elsewhere in the UK and overseas.

We now have to look at these ugly masts until the willows re-grow and hide them again. As soon as they do, no doubt they will prune them again. You would have thought they could at least have not done them all at the same time. And this has all happened right on the edge of the Conservation Area. Yes, we can see the Church much easier from the north but we can also see the buildings on the Market site too which aren't exactly beautiful!

Is it just me?

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