The Trades Unions Tree

A plaque beneath this tree in Cheltenham's Montpellier Gardens, one of its most prominent and well-used green spaces, reads:

Planted to commemorate the sacking of 14 Trade Unionists at GCHQ 1988-89

The story can be read here:


I was in Cheltenham to teach aromatherapy to Japanese adults on an English-language course. All went exceedingly well, apart from my arriving an hour early and wondering where the group was! Could have been the other way round, though...

Afterwards I had some time to spare, so I wandered among the park's many commemorative trees, and one enormous copper beech which is so fungus ridden that it is going to be taken down in 2016. It was this simple plaque, however, that touched me most, and for that reason it must be my blip.

I took the picture after 5, so the light was not that strong, though plenty of revellers and skateboarders were still enjoying themselves in the sunshine. So I have used the Lomo setting in Photogene to heighten the colour, and then the Tungsten filter in the Blipfoto app for the iPad, to add contrast, and just because I can!

Not a great picture, but I believe it commemorates a slice of Cheltenham's inglorious history which must not be forgotten. And now I am going to climb off my soapbox and into the bath. Happy blipping weekend, fellow photographers!