ROOKS evicted: The large sycamore at the bottom of the rectory's front garden was cut down last Wednesday and Thursday.

It is understood that this tree, certainly one of the best known in the village, had been there for around 150 years, thus being in its "mid-maturity".

How long there had been a rookery in the tree is unknown and it will be interesting to see if the evicted occupants will renest on the other side of the road, within the grounds of St Martin's Church.

Despite the tree being in a conservation area, and thus automatically protected, the parish council was not given the usual statutory warning period during which a second opinion could have been obtained.

However, the scheduled work, which involved closing Church Lane without any advance notice, was apparently allowed to proceed by the borough council because the contractor, on the Wednesday morning, declared the tree dangerously unsafe.

MOWING: Ellisfield's volunteer group recently distributed a copy of the 2005 mowing schedule to every house, asking residents to book-up one or two fortnightly slots between April and October.

Do please support the committee and its new chairman, Ted Dowson, by telephoning Peter Hopwood on 381321 and giving him your preferred area (the common, burial ground and/or gravel pits) and dates.

MEETING: The parish council will be meeting next Monday at the Memorial Hall, from 7.30pm.