For a second I was surprised by how recent that year of the oldest public park was and then I remembered that most parks in Britain weren't public to begin with!
I think commons have often become parks, like Clapham Common for instance, and they are usually very old indeed. But Victorian public parks were established very much with human pleasure and recreation in mind, and often as a way to mitigate the worst effects of the Industrial Revolution.
As I read about this peaceful serene tree, my imagination summoned up a tune, Hearts of Oak and also the Birkenhead drill, Strange to think of war and the sea in a city park. Some things are not forgotten,though the serene trees ignore human tumults. Perhaps that's why we love them so. I wonder if trees themselves have memories? I certainly wouldn't put it past them.
I think trees act as memory reservoirs for humans. Because they are so long lived, we can use them as a way to speculate about past events, and because they are alive they have greater resonance than, say, an historic building. So, I think we can say trees DO have memories.
For a second I was surprised by how recent that year of the oldest public park was and then I remembered that most parks in Britain weren't public to begin with!
And I guess grazing commons don't count?
I think commons have often become parks, like Clapham Common for instance, and they are usually very old indeed. But Victorian public parks were established very much with human pleasure and recreation in mind, and often as a way to mitigate the worst effects of the Industrial Revolution.
yes, that makes sense
As I read about this peaceful serene tree, my imagination summoned up a tune, Hearts of Oak and also the Birkenhead drill, Strange to think of war and the sea in a city park. Some things are not forgotten,though the serene trees ignore human tumults. Perhaps that's why we love them so. I wonder if trees themselves have memories? I certainly wouldn't put it past them.
I think trees act as memory reservoirs for humans. Because they are so long lived, we can use them as a way to speculate about past events, and because they are alive they have greater resonance than, say, an historic building. So, I think we can say trees DO have memories.