New to the AFLA website

Our recent appointments have included numerous housing projects, information about these can now been found on our website.  Visit our website, http://www.afla.co.uk/, to see more!   If you would like to receive our regular postcard mailings showcasing exciting and interesting new projects, please email info@afla.co.uk.  We'd be delighted to include you in any future postcard and email mailings.

Ash trees - May 2011

We found a fabulous old ash tree at Batcombe Vale camp site, hollow in the centre and large enough to climb through, up into the crown of the tree.  Which is exactly what our kids did, inspired no doubt by ‘The Faraway Tree’. 

How old was the tree I wondered?  I am no tree expert, so a little on-line research found an old Ordnance Survey map dating to 1886.  There on the map was a line of trees, just where our specimen is.  So at least 125 years old but probably much older.   Companions to this tree can be spotted around the coombe where the camp site lies. 

The tree has been pollarded in the past – now the management appears to be crown reduction, to keep the weight of branches down.  With a hollow centre, large branches could break the tree apart.

The children and I loved climbing the tree.  Height gives a different perspective of the world and it is always fun to call out to people whilst hidden up a tree.  After the ash tree, the children then climbed some conifers and got really high off the ground.  They enjoyed the sensation of the tree swaying in the wind but didn’t like the scratchy branches so much.  They did report an empty nest though which reminds me of stories my dad told of tree climbing and egg collecting in the 1940’s.  According to his brother (my uncle) he had gibbon like qualities and would climb the highest trees, carving his name at the top as proof of the ascent.    His brother would climb the tree in disbelief, only to find AIF carved in a neat Roman script.

Which brings me to my last thought – is it ok to carve your name in bark?  I suppose if you own or  grew the tree it is.  But at other times?  Sometimes, it interesting to see old initials and hearts carved into bark (beech appear to be favourite canvasses) but raw lettering in a messy script much less romantic.

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Welcome to our new blog.  We're going to keep it updated with news - exciting new projects, developments and opportunities.  Keep an eye out for our news, or come and visit our website http://www.afla.co.uk/ for more specific afla-related info!

Best wishes
Alex and Kim