One hundred years of one house in Chorlton ....... part 138 ….. a cherry tree .... assorted buried pets ..... and a few design mistakes

The continuing story of the house Joe and Mary Ann Scott lived in for over 50 years and the families that have lived here since.*

The tree, 2022

Now soon after the Scott's moved into Beech Road, they planted a cherry tree.

The tree, 2022

And not any old cherry tree, but a Morello cherry tree, and a full 70 years later it was still giving bumper crops, which we found difficult to distribute to friends, family and the freezer.

But then just a decade later the yield had fallen away and one of the main branches threatened to tumble into the road, and with a great degree of regret the tree had to go.

The plan was always to replace it and despite our Josh’s persistent reminders it took a while before we got round to doing it.

That was perhaps fifteen years ago, and the tree is now doing what it’s predecessor did, offering amazing blossom in the spring and a growing abundance of fruit each summer.

Although last year we lost the crop in just a matter of days to some passing pigeons, which is a lesson to get out there and harvest the fruit first.

And to remember why we planted the tree which was less about the cherries and more about replacing a bit of the old house, and in in so doing adding to the continuity of Joe and Mary Ann’s home.

The tree, 1974

After all, if the owners of those grand mansions dating back centuries can make the claim “to be only custodians” even those of us living in more humble piles should be able to do the same.

All the more so as our house has been much knocked about over the last half century, with badly executed modernization projects and equally cack-handed attempts at restoration, some of which I have to hold my hand up and admit to being guilty.

But we never tampered with the actual structure of the building, no rooms were knocked through and no gigantic panoramic windows introduced.

Partly because of resources but also by a lucky belief that the actual original plan worked then and still works 107 years later.

And that decision has been vindicated as each of the kids has come back to  live for a short while before heading off again.

So,  by not  knocking through from front to back, and kitchen into the dining room has meant we can be a family but have the room to let them as adults go off and occupy their own space. 

That said you can over do continuity, so along with the cherry tree, we planted four fruit trees in the back which on reflection was less continuity and more a recipe for an over grown and dark back garden.

The tree,1974

Still, we haven’t followed the Scott’s in burying all of the family pets in the garden.  I have it on good authority that in their time the back garden was really just a pet’s cemetery.  We buried just two the cats, and our Saul’s superman who lost his head.

The remaining cats, and Bagel the Labrador, were taken away by the Vet while  the assorted rabbits, and guinea pigs escaped to better homes.

All of which will be familiar to any one who has lived in the same place for decades.

Location; Chorlton

Pictures; that cheery tree, 2022 from the collection of Andrew Simpson, and its older predecessor, 1973 courtesy of Lois Eslden

*The Story of a House, https://chorltonhistory.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20story%20of%20a%20house