Beloved Banbury beech tree to be recycled for whittling workshops

The historic beech tree that stood in the grounds of the Quaker Meeting House garden had to be cut down because a fungus infection had caused it to become unsafe.

The tree had been described as ‘an old friend’ by members of the Quaker community, who had previously celebrated the life of the tree with a special May Day celebration.

Judith Mason of the Banbury Quakers said: "Its magnificent branches spread out across People’s Park for many years, bringing enjoyment to many and life and security to a myriad of other creatures."

Now, the tree will be celebrated once more with two whittling workshops held at the Quaker Meeting House. The workshops will be led by experienced "greenwood" worker and teacher David Knight.

David has collected wood from the felled beech tree recently and will demonstrate how to create useful objects like spoons or spatulas using the ancient art of whittling wood.

Bookings for the two workshops are essential, and there is a maximum of eight participants per session. Attendees must be 14 years of age or older, and the workshops will run between 10am – 1pm and 1:30 – 4:30 pm.

The two sessions will be run on a pay what you want basis, with all donations received going to the Banbury Quakers and Earthwatch groups.

For more information or to book a place in one of the workshops, email [email protected]