Memory from Lesley Thomas, Gosport
“The Yew tree, on the right overhanging these D Day trucks, became unstable around 1973.
My friend Neil Johnston, who I believe lived at 82 Priory Road, Hardway, lived next to Mr Hunt the music teacher. Neil’s dad asked if he and I would assist him in removing the stump after it was felled. The tree surgeons did their job and a stump of approximately 4 feet in diameter was left to be removed. We spent the best part of a day digging around the stump and severing the huge root system and once we had the stump rocking, a rope was tied between the stump and the back of Ian Johnston's Mazda RX3 and it was duly dragged out.
There in the soil among the roots was a 14th century Edward III groat; I don't know how old the Yew tree was but there was this 600 year old coin nestled in its roots.
The current tree which was replanted is around 45 years old.”
December 2019