179. Happy Man Tree
An emotive blast from the past with a curious name.
The Happy Man Tree was a London plane that was felled in January 2021. It was named after a flat-roofed pub – a peculiar post-war staple of British social housing estates – The Happy Man, next to which it grew on the huge Woodberry Down Estate in Hackney. The pub was built in the 1950s or 60s, but the tree was much older, getting on for 150 years old. By the end of the twentieth century, much of the estate was in poor condition and redevelopment was mooted. Plans were agreed and phased demolition and rebuilding started in 2004. Fourteen years later, the developers reached Woodberry Grove and it became clear the pub and the tree were to make way for new apartments. Many locals loved the old tree and pleaded with the developers and Hackney Council to retain it; all that was required was to reduce the size of the proposed new building, the tree could be saved and a landmark secured for another century and a half.
The campaigner’s representations fell on deaf ears, but not before a vigorous protest was mounted lasting for many months. The tree became a cause célèbre, its fame travelled far and wide, and it was voted 2020’s Tree of the Year by thousands of people across the UK.
A film documenting the campaign to save the tree and the draconian tactics used by the developers to ensure they got their way was made by Director Katy McGahan. It is a harrowing and instructive film, well worth watching if you get a chance.
And as fate would have it, there is a screening of the film this Friday evening in Stoke Newington. There will be a panel too, to which I have been invited, so if you’re in London, why not come along, watch the film and say hi.
Species details
London plane
Platanus × hispanica
Where it grew
Woodberry Grove, London N4 2UQ
///policy.spaces.stale | 51.572027, -0.090119
Streetview: 2025 | 2020 | 2008
A couple of other lost or threatened trees
Tickets for the Happy Man Tree film screening on 6th February are avalible from Sustainable Hackney
Oh no!
Not the happy ending I was hoping for.
How sad. Poor tree, & all who miss it. X
Very interesting and similar to the Hadrian’s Wall tree felling that enraged the nation - also made into a tv programme. Someone should do a study on our strong emotional attachment to certain trees and their significance in our lives (maybe they already have)? Is it a British thing, like our love of animals, or does everyone do it?