Of course if you're going to do a tree "cutting" mission, then its suitably appropriate that it's in Poplar...(watch out for future similar missions in Gospel Oak, Burnt Oak and Nine Elms...).

We were asked to ring Dave from Poplar HARCA on Sunday morning just to confirm the mission would still go ahead as the forecast wasn't looking too tropical - a little rain wasn't going to deter us though, so Hilary and I appeared at Mr L's flat prepared for some "heavy physical labour" (as Dave forewarned us) involving trees...that definitely weren't Buddleias - something closer to Beech perhaps - but as none of us were horticulturalists it was just a guessing game. Either way, quite a few had decent sized trunks...

Fortunately Dave came with both a chainsaw and another colleague called Dave who'd clearly done this before, and also saws and heavy duty loppers, so the four of us divided up the labour and tools and got to work to clear the multitude of trunks from Mr L's small patio area - amazing how quickly trees can be felled and cut up with the right tools, and we benefited from his flat edging a communal grass area which became our chopping ground, and where we quartered(!) the trunks and branches so as to fit into heavy duty rubble bags.

Before long, and once we'd done a bit of tidying of the now treeless patio we had the task completed and the two Daves were really happy with our collective Sunday afternoon's work in the rain. Mr L and his neighbours should hopefully appreciate not having their light blocked from their windows with the mini urban forest now successfully removed.