Today, we were provided with some photos of the local landscape back some decades ago. Having been taken rather soon after (perhaps a decade) many trees had been planted and houses constructed, I thought I’d compare the photos of them to today. Below are comparisons of photos taken in 1970 and 2016, and they really are quite interesting. I have kept the new ones in black and white, so bias isn’t drawn based on colour.
Location 1
In this image, we can see how the flat block is surrounded by some birch, acacia, pine, and service.In 2016, the image is much the same – the trees are just bigger. A few have gone, though the pine is looking really sturdy.
Location 2
Looking out over to the flats, with a Norway maple in the foreground.The Norway maple is still there! The hedges in the background have hardly changed, either. Plenty of pyracantha.
Location 3
Some silver maples can be seen within the car park, and the shopping centre is quite busy.Today, the maples have gone – they have been replaced with silver birch. The benches have also been upgraded, and many of the shops have changed and / or been vacated.
Location 4
The same location, but set further back. Note the maples in the background.The same pillar exists! The cafe is now a chip shop, and it’s a lot less busy. Perhaps the ones from 1970 were taken at the weekend. The lack of tree presence in the foreground really changes the scene.
Arboriculture 