WEEPING WILLOW

Those of you who had noticed that the tree with descending branches near the office, was a weeping willow (Fr. saule pleureur), must have also noticed that it received its annual pruning the other day. Here is a photo with Fred's head in the middle of it. All the branches have since been removed for burning: a pity, some will say. Ardent basket-makers may still have time to find a pile of these thin, flexible branches down by the swimming pool, to practice this ancient craft. A neighbouring farmer was an adept many years ago.

An interesting tree, the wood being used to make cricket bats, the bark having yielded salicylic acid used in the preparation of aspirin. A literary history also - a symbol of unrequited love: remember the song in Shakespeare's 'Othello'. Here's the last lines:

Sing willow, willow, willow:

Sing all a green willow must be my garland.

Act 4 Scene 3

And for our German friends, a reference to the same tree (die Weide) from a Schubert song in the cycle 'Die schöne Müllerin':

In Grün will ich mich kleiden,

In grüne Tränenweiden:

Mein Schatz hat grün so gern.