How are the mighty fallen!

I wrote on Sunday of the tramuntana, the north wind that drives men mad and visits us at this time of year. Last night it returned with a vengeance, howling round the house, hurling garden furniture into the shrubbery, and claiming one of the mighty oaks that grow on my neighbours land.

This tree which is probably 200 years old and 20 metres tall crashed down in the night, luckily the land is to the south so it fell away from our wall but what did surprise me is how shallow rooted it was.

Since I have seven 25 metre examples not more than eight metres from my north facing bedroom wall, I fear that sleep will be interrupted every time there is a puff of wind. Since they are all protected I can't cut them down, nor would I want to, but I need to find out if pollarding is an option to reduce their vulnerability.