A new forest or money for the NHS?

Let’s not get into the chip on shoulder stuff of North/South divides, and I say that as a Northener.
Yes Greyduster you are right ( about those areas you spoke of) they could certainly use more trees.Farmers want sheep there, but there is still a case to be made for wooded areas.

Most of the ostensibly 'eco' furniture makers are using timber from managed woodlands where replanting and harvesting is part of the industry. The 'plant a tree' gimmick is just a gloss on a process that is renewable anyway.

Practically all our furniture is second hand to antique; donated, rescued, inherited or bought at junk shops or at auction. In most cases we are probably at least the second if not the fifth, sixth, or seventh owner. That way our share of the wood used in the furniture is very small indeed and was harvested a hundred years ago or more.

For a wood to be enjoyable it has to be well managed, otherwise it can become an impenetrable mix of brambles, nettles and dead wood.

I haven’t got a chip on my shoulder lemon promise. just saying what a lot of Northerners think.

After my husband died, we bought a half acre in his name.
No plaque or seat or anything, but there is a beautiful sculpture trail in the wood and the wildflower meadow. His part of it has masses of bluebells every year. It's in Gateshead postcode, but is part of Hedley Hall, just North of Beamish.
We've seen deer track down to Ridley Gill there, but haven't seen deer yet.

gilly fair enough, but some have not only a chip, but the fish and mushy peas as well!

I haven’t got a chip on my shoulder lemon promise
I was thinking of wood chips and thinking it was punny.

punny wassat *Jalima^? A pun or funny?

Or a cross breed word?

dj that is the way to do it. When several of my relatives died we asked for donations to the Woodland Trust, rather than flowers.

It must be just us then, we say 'Oh, that was very punny' meaning a funny pun.
I blame DH.

It’s meant to be a chip ‘out of’ the shoulder really I think, but fish ‘n’ chips sprang to mind.?
Or it could be a really heavy chip of wood.....who knows? Although somebody on GN may bother to google it.

How lovely Durhamjen. I didn’t realise you could do this.

I much prefer to think of it as a big fat slightly browned home cooked chip with lashings of vinegar served with bread and butter. OMG I’m making myself hungry.

punny is a word well used in our family.

You can buy individual trees, too, through the Woodland Trust, perhaps when a DGC is born or to mark some other occasion.

Oh good, I was beginning to think that it was just us who used the word 'punny'.

The problem with even small tracts of woodland, as Monica says, is that they have to be managed to some extent. The wooded areas in our country park were getting a going over on Wednesday when we were walking round. It’s surprising that since it was established in 1983, although the trees that were planted are now quite large, they are still not what you would call mature specimens. Thirty five years is not a long time in the life of a tree.

You can choose the wood and the area amount, but not the particular place, gillybob.
They send you a certificate with OS grid references.
That's how I know about the Great North Forest, because it was part of it.

Most of the people I have heard about who have bought woods, bought them for the therapy and peace managing them gave them.

We planted a tree when we moved into this house. We sought specialist advise regarding size, shape and suitability (we live close to the sea). Six years in it’s beautiful and just looking at it makes me feel so peaceful. It’s a pity most of my neighbours have paved every square inch of garden they have.

I am definitely going to look into it Durhamjen. Thank you. Are you allowed to freely visit “your” plot?

My tree has various small pets buried underneath it. Fish, a mouse, hamster, rat and a hedgehog . Some even have gravestones.

Yes, gillybob. It's Woodland Trust so anyone can go there.
Be warned, there is quite a large area of reclaimed bog on the site, so best not to go when it's rained if you don't know it.
Although it's possible to go to our trees without going through the bog, fortunately.

Can you specify the approximate area DJ? It sounds a lovely idea but if my bit were in the Great North Wood it’d be a bit far to visit on an afternoon!

www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/support-us/dedicate-a-tree/

Yes, you can dedicate a single tree, a quarter or half or full acre or up to a whole wood.

www.woodlandtrustshop.com/products/963-a-half-acre-of-woodland.aspx#

Old Costessy?