Many of you will have noticed that yet another of our old horse chestnut trees has recently been taken down.  The horse chestnuts that border the Staines Raod, and Hampton Road sides of The Green, are sadly nearing the end of their natural span.  They are checked annually by the council’s tree officer, and when deemed no longer safe, they have to be removed.  As a species they are not coping well with climate change, hence we are slowly replacing them with London Plane Trees.  This type of tree was chosen after careful consultation with the council and local residents.  It is a species, we have been informed, that can cope better with changing climatic conditions.  So far we have three London Planes planted. We took the decision to plant fifteen foot young trees, and not saplings, in the hope that they would stand a better chance of getting established.  Each tree costs The Friends, £150, and comes with a two year maintenance contract.  Given the number of trees that we will have to replace in the near future we are consequently, looking for local sponsors for our young trees.  If you are interested, either in sponsoring a whole tree, or sharing a tree, please contact us via this website.

If you look behind the Cricket Pavilion, near the re-cycling bins, you will see that the tree adjacent to the re-cycling centre has also had to be removed.  This will soon be replaced by an Asa, that I am happy to inform you, is being sponsored by Twickenham Cricket Club.  We are grateful for their support, and wish them every success in the coming season.

Finally, it is good to report that new turf has been laid near the entrance on Hampton Road, and also on the patch near the central pathway.  Given the unfortunate damage that occurred last May, it is good to see The Green making a recovery.  May it continue to be enjoyed responsibly by many.

Howard Roberts, Chair, Friends of Twickenham Green

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