Kent

I chopped down a Robinia tree which had blown over in my Mum's friend's garden in Gillingham today. This has a nice hard, yellowy heartwood which is very durable outdoors (I think they call it Ironwood & Black Locust in the USA). It's a wood that I haven't used for a while and it seemed like an opportunity to acquire a couple of good logs and help someone out.
Had to remember a few old tree surgery techniques as the tree was hanging right across a bed full of lovely Summer flowers. So with a rope tied to the crown and my Mum & Vanessa pulling hard I cut a side-gob and hinge and it swung safely onto the adjacent lawn.
I think it will coppice and new shoots will grow as the root wasn't pulled out of the ground . . . but it's quite a nasty, spiteful tree and has vicious thorns even on the bark of big logs - watch how you carry it !

We had a nice lunch with her afterwards then drove down to Faversham to see my Dad and Velma. It's the first time I've seen him since that day in the hospital in Margate. He looks great - back to his old self nearly . . .