Spot The Difference

This is what Victoria Parade by the Harbour in Torquay looks like since yesterday after the council had moved on with the chain saws and diggers and removed a considerable amount of vegetation including lots of palm trees. Torquay is famous for it's Palm Trees so the action came as a little bit of a shock and was yet an other example of our wonderful council's lack of understanding of public relations. The reasons the council gave for cutting back on all this formally living matter include unsociable behaviour but were unable to itemise exactly what the unsociable behaviour was and rats. It was also part of a spring clean in the Harbour area.

This is what it used to look like. Many people have commented that while they might be in favour of the change it was a little unsporting of the council not to have told anyone about the chop before it happened. The council responded by explaining that there had been a press release on the councils own web site and it wasn't their fault if no one bothered to read it.

However there was an item in the Herald Express today about 30 other trees, 50 to 80-year-old Monterey Cypress trees in Quay West, Goodrington, are also facing the chop due to the fact they are diseased and likely to start dropping branches on passers by.It is understood the trees are infected with a fungus which causes seridium cardinale. ( Click on the link if you want to know what that is).Work is to start in May so I have a chance to get down there and take a few shots before, during and after. New trees will be planted in both sites just as soon as possible.

One slightly worrying though is that as well as palm trees, Monterey Cypress trees are popular in the Bay area. It is to be hoped there isn't an epidemic of this fungus or we could be short of trees fairly soon.