Goodbye to the poplars

I woke up yesterday to the sound of chain saws in the cemetery behind my house and later on went out and took this picture - if you look carefully you can see a man harnessed to the trunk of what had been a 70ft poplar in full stately maturity. (I say 70ft but I'm not good at measuring by eye but it was VERY tall!) There has been a group of poplars - almost an avenue- in the cemetery probably ever since it was built - I reckon they were at last 150 years old - maybe more if they predated the cemetery. I loved the one I could see best although I did sometimes wonder if there were a really high wind, if it fell - would it fall across my house?

But it seems they were diseased near the roots and getting dangerous so they had to go. However we are assured of their historical significance and promised that they will be replaced - by 8ft youngsters! Won't be very tall in my lifetime unless they grow really fast!
It's just another little bit of our neighbourhood gone for good and it makes me very sad.
In writing this, I am conscious we haven't been posting recently and there has been lots of news in the last few weeks. Will do an update on next posting.