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Early, in 2000, "The Tree" was inspected. Half the trunk, just a few feet above ground level was rotten. The full extend of the damage was obscured from the casual observer by a large, dead section of rotten trunk. Immediate action needed to be taken to prevent it being felled. |
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Far Left: Photograph from 'The Sun' UK Newspaper showing the damage to the Tree from the accident. Click the image to view a larger version which shows the destroyed Concrete chain-link fence post which the car hit before coming to rest at the Tree. Near Left: The area of bark missing from the road-facing side of the trunk had increased by Summer 1978. To match up the photographs - You can just make out, at the top of the 1977 photograph the knot prominant in the 1978 photograph. |
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The section which was made barkless by the accident and by fans taking pieces of bark home left the inner wood open to attack from woodworm. Fee had known for some years that this part had woodworm and that the section was becoming loose. |
  
| Fee even took long lengths of ribbon to 'bind' the trunk. But of course this could not cure a sick tree! The messages needed to be removed to examine the full extent of the damage. Near Left: Kev removes the messages while Bolan fan dylan watches. |
vTo everyone's horror, the woodwormed, barkless section was completely seperate from the main tree. It was only the ribbons holding it in place!! When this section was lifted away, the trunk supporting the full weight of The Tree above was soft and crumbly to a depth of over 1 inch due to dry rot which had literally eaten the strength out of the wood. Top Row: Left: Woodlice living inside the woodworm eaten loose section. Middle & Right: The amount of the trunk left when the rotten section was lifted away. Bottom Row: Left: Spots of fungi (mould). Right: Jim Ryder inspects the dry rot inside the Tree trunk. |      |
 | Far Left: Woodworm excrement under a laminated message which had been pinned to the Tree. |
 | Left: The Tree with the rotten section removed. You can clearly see how much of the trunk is missing! Trees grow so that there is enough trunk to support the weight of the upper tree and leaves in a high wind. However, it was clear to everyone that a high wind was likely to bring The Tree down. It was essential to do something as soon as possible before the council found out the extent of the damage and demanded that The Tree be felled immediately. |  |
 | Above Right: After consulting Tree surgeons a metal calliper was made to measure and fitted to the Tree. This is a traditional method of saving important trees with lower trunk rot. A wooden 'skirt' was added over the top to screen the missing section from view and to make a safe place to leave messages which would not harm the Tree. Left: A passing motorist, one of many who slow right down as they drive along Queen's Ride and pass The Tree waves and smiles as we work. |
