So, with the deadline to save the tree looming fast now, I have contacted Baroness Young at the House of Lords, who is in the process of having a Bill to protect heritage trees from being felled or otherwise harmed, put through Parliament and made into law. Baroness Young has subsequently passed the issue of the tree to the Woodland Trust, who I hope will be able to look at the issue of the Monterey Pine before the chainsaws actually arrive next week.

I have also approached Plymouth Herald in the hope that they might run a story to raise awareness of what this council is doing, and how they are seemingly cutting down trees with little to no concern as to their actual viability, or indeed their health, given that the Monterey itself is certainly viable despite its minimal decay, and in no danger of falling any time soon without the actual involvement of a chainsaw.

As I have said before though, it's still not looking too great for the tree, given that the owner of the cafe itself is already measuring up the decking in order to guage how the soon to be relinquished space can be utilised for more tables, and thus increase his profit margins. It is a sad state of affairs to be sure, but one that is of no real surprise given our councils apparent eagerness to take a tree down for any reason whatsoever these days.

So, we have just One Week now to save this magnificent Pine tree. How can we do that?

Well, apart from chaining ourselves to the tree itself and obstructing the workers tasked with its planned destruction Swampy-style, we can perhaps share the petition further afield in the hope that more numbers might make a greater impact upon both the Woodland Trust who are investigating, and the deleterious council that ordered this act of arboreal destruction in the first place.

Once again, my heartfelt thanks go out to all who have signed and shared thus far....