The 'Tree of the Year' finalists are all better looking than you

I don’t know about you, but I like a good gander at a majestic tree now and again. Nothing like a big, gnarled tree towering over me, being all old and noble and magnificent. But I always wondered: why isn’t there a competition to find the best tree? I can’t decide for myself which is my favourite one, but an officially-judged awards ceremony would do that for me quite nicely.

Lucky then, that there actually is a competition to discover Europe’s most fancy tree. And it’s called European Tree Of The Year 2017.

Woodland Trust chief executive Beccy Speight said:

“Once again the public has nominated many fantastic trees with truly inspirational stories, which highlight how intrinsic they can become in peoples’ lives. It’s a reminder of why we need to care for individual trees and that they still need true protection in law from development or mismanagement.”

Winners (as in the trees) will get £1,000 to spend on helping maintain themselves, and I guess for other tree things like hair wax to keep their leaves on fleek.

But before the European Championships, we gotta crown the UK’s best tree, and it’s a crowded field (pun so intended it hurts). Just check out some of these glorious green giants:

The Weeping Tree, in Paupers’ Graveyard, Newry, County Down 

The Giant Redwood, in Llangattock Llangattock, Powys 

The Fairy House Tree in the grounds of Treffos Independent School, Llansadwrn, Anglesey

The Pulpit Yew, in Nantglyn Nantglyn, Denbighshire

Stratton Strawless Cedar, in East Anglia

Crowhurst Yew, nr. Hastings, East Sussex

Derriford’s Plymouth Pear, in Devon

The College Tree, in Foyle College/Londonderry High School, Derry-Londonderry

The Big Tree, in Kirkwall, Orkney

Meavy Royal Oak, nr. Yelverton, Dartmoor

The Courageous Tree, in Coniston, Cumbria

The Hollow Tree, in Gnoll Country Park, Neath Port Talbot 

If you fancy voting yourself, you tree-hugger, you, then head on over here and get clicking…

Right, I’m off home now, which coincidentally is actually also in a tree, after I accidentally broke my flatmate’s PS4. Need things to simmer down before going back there.

(Images: WTML)