Wiggly Tree

St John's Garden

We lived almost opposite this garden for 34 years, and visited it frequently. It was a place of both solace and joy. The first place to find snowdrops (some years even before Christmas), and the last to enjoy the maturity of late autumn. Usually the mood was that of the season, but sometimes a contrariness could set in. A beautiful spring day, with sun and sharp shadows after a shower, could seem strangely sad, and a misty autumn day with dim light could seem surprisingly heartening.

Our children often came with us from the ages of about three or four to eighteen. Not always willingly, it has to be said, but recognising that food might be forthcoming subsequently. Our parents and step-parents really did enjoy this place, and as they became too old to venture much further from our house, this garden gave them great pleasure.

The 'wiggly tree' is a centrepiece of one of the lawns, and it must be very old. It looked virtually like this when we first arrived 45 years ago, and was obviously fully mature then.

Enjoy this photograph, or better, visit the garden.