Pollard oak gets a trim

There is a large pollarded oak tree between the tennis courts and the bowls green.
On Tuesday 10th January it had some special visitors. A Glendale arboricultural team from Waltham Forest came to tend to some of its dead and damaged limbs high up in places where normally birds and squirrels go. They were also reducing the height of the crown
Suitably harnessed, two of the guys climbed right up to the top.
For anyone who likes tree climbing, what a great activity. Watching them was exciting.
First they surveyed the tree:

surveying the situation

Then two of them climbed up. They looked like giant wood peckers silhouetted against the sky.

Climbing high

Meanwhile the guys on the ground were watchful to see that members of the public kept their distance and to ensure their colleagues high above were safe. Most of the pruned timber was shredded.

Shredding the prunings

Such skilled work by the arboricultural team.
Hopefully this ancient oak will thrive for a good few more years.