Joanna Lumley LONDON PLANE

Jasper Conran COPPER BEECH

WAS IT FROM SEEING THEM WHEN I FIRST CAME TO LONDON, AGED EIGHT, AND NOTICED THEIR DAPPLED BARK AND SWEEPING BRANCHES? WAS IT WHEN

I SAW HOW THEY SPREAD DOWN THEIR ARMS TO THE RIVER AND HOW THEIR LEAVES CRACKLE LIKE CORNFLAKES UNDERFOOT WHEN THEY FALL? I CANNOT REMEMBER A TIME WHEN I DIDN’T FEEL IN AWE OF THE MIGHTY LONDON PLANE TREE; IN PARKS AND ALONG THE STREETS, IN PALACE GARDENS AND ON RECREATION GROUNDS, THEY TOWER UP TO THE SKIES AND SUCK UP BAD FUMES AND TAKE CARE OF SQUIRRELS AND BIRDS. THEY ARE GIANTS PROTECTING US WHILE WE SLEEP AND SHADING US WHEN WE WAKE. JOANNA LUMLEY OBE ACTRESS, TV PRESENTER AND ACTIVIST

THIS TREE LIES CONVENIENTLY ABOUT 20 METRES OUTSIDE MY BEDROOM WINDOW IN WILTSHIRE, SO IT IS THE FIRST AND LAST THING I SEE DURING THE DAY. THROUGH THE DARK WINTER MONTHS, ITS BARE BRANCHES MAKE UP A RATHER SATISFYING SHAPE AGAINST COLD BLUE SKIES, THEN, WHEN SPRING COMES, THE LEAVES GO QUICKLY FROM GREEN TO A RICH DEEP RED – THIS IS THE PERIOD WHEN

I SIT UNDER IT AND CONTEMPLATE THE HORIZON. FINALLY, IN THE AUTUMN, IT PRODUCES A PROLONGED FIREWORK DISPLAY OF REDS, ORANGES, GOLDS AND BROWNS. THIS IS NATURE AT ITS BEST FOR ME.