This is a sad day indeed and I am very sorry to hear from the Conservation Foundation that David Bellamy, the great Botanist died this morning. I met him several times. He was a great character with so much energy, laughter and enthusiasm. He also never forgot people and I was stunned when he phoned me up on Christmas day! I remember telling him about the Welsh Historic Gardens who some 20 years ago had butchered the 1,000 year old magnificent yew tunnel and him instructing me to slip in, in disguise to get photos for him! He then arrived here with Russel Ball, told the gardens the tunnel was unique in Europe and they were not to touch a single twig more and that all eyes were upon them. It was a bad business as nothing would stop them doing what they wanted which was to turn the magnificent yew tunnel into a neat little affair. TPO's put on the yews were waived aside in the interests of tourism along with £25,000 fines which demonstrated they weren't worth the paper they were written on. Luckily the yews survived and rallied though to my mind we lost what was a thing of great beauty and mystery which will take centuries to return to it's former glory. The tunnel was responsible for my interest in yews . I discovered it in 1975 when exploring the derelict house and grounds. I tripped and fell through a hole in what I thought was a hedge and found myself in another world!

David Bellamy will be well remembered and sorely missed.