THE SHOCKING STATE OF THE BOLAN TREE
More Rotten than could ever have been imagined

FEBRUARY 2000 - TAG INSPECT THE BOLAN TREE

In February 2000 TAG made their second visit from 'TAG HQ' in the Midlands to Marc's Shrine to inspect "The Tree" to assess the best way to save it. Half the trunk, just a few feet above ground level was rotten. The full extend of the damage was obscured from the casual observer by a large, dead section of rotten trunk. What TAG would discover (or rather confirm) was that Immediate action needed to be taken to prevent The Bolan Tree from being felled.

Above: Photograph from 'The Sun' UK Newspaper showing the damage to the Tree from the accident. This image also shows the destroyed Concrete chain-link fence post which the car hit before coming to rest at the Tree.

Above Left: The area of bark missing from the road-facing side of the trunk had increased by Summer 1978. You can see in this photo and the one taken by The Sun on the 17th September, 1977 both photographs the knot, which is more prominant in the 1978 photograph. The section which was made barkless by the accident was increased, mostly towards the bottom by fans, including Fee taking pieces of bark home. The lack of bark left the inner wood open to attack from woodworm. Fee had known for some years that this part had woodworm and that the section was becoming loose.The tree as it was in February 2000. Above Right: The Bolan Tree in March 1999 when the Tree Cuttings were taken.

Below: To everyone's horror, the woodwormed, barkless section was completely seperate from the main tree. It was only the ribbons holding it in place!! Woodlice living inside the woodworm eaten loose section.

Below: Woodworm excrement under a laminated message which had been pinned to the Tree because as each message was unpinned a colony of woodlice was found underneath. The plastic coated messages providing the perfect, dark moist environment with food 'on-tap' for these wood devouring creatures. The lighter patches of bark are where the woodlice have eaten the top layers off the bark, opening it up to bacterial and fungal infections, as have the pins and nails themselves.

Below: When this section was lifted away, the trunk supporting the full weight of The Tree above was soft and crumbly to a depth of over 1 inch due to dry rot which had literally eaten the strength out of the wood. You can clearly see how much of the trunk is missing! Trees grow so that there is enough trunk to support the weight of the upper tree and leaves in a high wind. However, it was clear to everyone that a high wind was likely to bring The Tree down. It was essential to do something as soon as possible before the council found out the extent of the damage and demanded that The Tree be felled immediately.