Ian Kingsley and his crew arrived precisely at the appointed hour one frosty morning to cut down a Norway spruce which, as legend has it, was planted 50 or so years ago as a six foot Christmas tree which grew to a 75 foot giant whose roots destroyed the clay drainage pipes of the house.

First they fixed ropes that would guide the tree in the direction they wanted it to fall. I was nervous to ask if I could take some pictures as distracting a man half way up a 75 foot tree could lead to a serious accident, I thought.

When they were all safely on the ground and Ian, on the right in the photograph, had his saw out and was beginning his cut. I was standing on the drive, 180° from the intended direction of the fall.

"Am I all right standing here?" I asked

"Something very serious will have gone wrong if you're not."

He continued with his cut, gave the tree a little shove and down it crashed, exactly where they planned it.