Gap

In certain circles, it has become a social faux pas to say that you like the music of Mark Knopfler and his band Dire Straits - perhaps because the music has become commonplace and he has become very wealthy. Whatever its merit, the album Making Movies became the soundtrack of my 20s and now brings back a still-growing store of memories of special people, places and events

The first track, Tunnel of Love, includes an extended guitar solo of the kind that was considered obligatory in rock music of that era. I read years ago that it was performed on a Fender Stratocaster guitar. Today I disappeared down an Internet rabbit-hole trying to confirm that - there is a possibility he used an equally-prestigious Schecter guitar modelled on the Fender design, I eventually discovered

What started me on this spiral into the digital vortex was a simple search for information about (the tree/shrub) Alder - a pioneer species in the birch/hazel/hornbeam family - and noticing on a couple of sites I checked that Alder wood was/is used for the body of Fender guitars, including the Strat that MK undoubtedly played, even if not on that particular track. (I also learned Alder is used for the foundations of Venice, because it does not rot underwater, but that's another story)

I have a problem with Alder. Back in 2013, when some people still thought austerity was a good idea, Brexit was only a problem for Tory leaders, and everyone except students still agreed with Nick, we planted a hedge in the garden. It's a mix of native species and it gets trimmed every winter. It has done well - actually rather too well. The ground is much more fertile than we realised in those days. All the hedge plants have thrived and the regrowth each summer reaches heights of 4 or 5 metres. Alder, though has surpassed them all; its regrowth is highest, its trunks are now 10 or 15 cm in diameter, it dominates, shades and out-competes the rest of the hedge

Today was the day for decisive action. I have sawn off almost all the Alder to short stumps - they will either regrow from a much lower level, and face stiffer competition, or some of them may give up in disgust - if so, so be it, the hedge will fill the gaps, including this one, with more benign species. For the moment, at this moment of the day anyway, it will let the sunshine in (which was 5th Dimension, not Dire Straits)

Looking back on 2013, I would do things differently. As we have all learned, hindsight is a great source of wisdom

Edit: you heard it here first! :-D... https://www.theguardian.com/science/2023/jan/18/wetland-woodstock-alder-plantwatch-hendrix-flood-defence?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other