Stalking the Hardy Ash – National Tree Week

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Date/Time
Date(s) - 05/12/2015
12:00 am

Location
Kentish Town rail and tube

Categories


Saturday 5 December 2015 Start time: 10.30am from Kentish Town rail & tube station, London

Brought back by popular demand and this time to celebrate National Tree Week 2015

150 years ago, poet and novelist Thomas Hardy while working as an architect’s technician was in charge of the excavation of the graveyard in Old St Pancras churchyard, arranging for the removal of gravestones so that work could continue on the London & Midland railway. The gravestones were leant up against an ash tree.  Over time, the tree roots have enmeshed the gravestones, creating an extraordinary feature.

And here begins our journey with a photography walkshop to explore other unusual trees in the vicinity and seek out significant trees that Thomas Hardy himself would have seen. This walkshop will include some amazing discoveries and uncover some revealing facts surrounding our trees.

We are delighted to be working with Dr Peter Coles (Visiting Fellow and tutor at Goldsmiths and specialising in urban nature) in delivering this participatory walkshop.

This event coincides with National Tree Week 28th November – 6th December, organised by The Tree Council and marks the start of the tree planting season. It is estimated that about 20 per cent of London is covered in trees.  The Mayor has a target to increase tree cover by a further 5 per cent, to 25 percent, by 2025.

You will be able to see how participants’ interpret the walkshop as they Stalk the Hardy Ash

This event will start at Kentish Town rail & tube station and end at Old St Pancras Churchyard (approximately at 2 hours later).

Suitable for Adults / Families – accompanied children only (participants to bring their own camera)

 £8 in advance £10 on the day / £5 NUS concession  Bring a friend new to the Museum of Walking, then you and they receive a £1 cash discount.

We are also offering Stalking the Fulham Holm Oak with Peter Coles on Saturday 28 November 2015 – start time 10.30am from Putney Bridge tube station.  To find our more about National Tree Week. just click on The Tree Council logo: TreeCouncillogo

Stalking Trees? When we first met Peter Coles he told us that when he had been trying to photograph the magnolia tree in the gardens at Kenwood House, it had taken him several weeks to get the shot.  Now we thought that was pretty extraordinary as we didn’t imagine you had to creep up on it…so we asked why on earth it took him so long to ‘stalk a tree’ – and that’s where the idea came from for our  series of Stalking Tree walkshops, in which we walk, talk about trees and discuss how to photograph them…

This is what Peter recollects: “It did take several weeks to find the exact right time to photograph the tree when the flowers were just in bloom. And I got it when a thunderstorm was about to break, with my favourite lighting of a black sky and brilliant sunshine. But yes, creeping up on the trees is what landscape photography can be about.  But how often do we get the chance to keep coming back to a subject, or stay there for hours or days till the light’s right?

Walking in step with:

Peter Coles