From Alan Holmes.

ONCE again we are in the season of the so called branchage, this ancient custom is no longer the realm of the ‘gentle hand held cutting tools’ – no we are now in the age of the ‘rip and shred’ era. Let’s be honest about this – the so called branchage is nothing more than the systematic destruction of our hedges, walls, banks and mature trees.

This yearly wanton destruction goes on without the slightest hint of any

official objection or prosecution.

Let me put this matter into a clear and simple context, and I will use the parish of St Martin because this is where this letter is leading too. I phone the Constable and ask him if he would kindly meet me at the lower end of La Mont de la Mare Ste Catherine, which he does. I then proceed to smash the dressed granite boundary stone and for good measure take an axe to the nearest mature tree.

He, by all accounts, would arrest me for wanton destruction, yes? No, in fact he does nothing of the kind because this act is ‘invisible’ (i.e. it did not happen when plainly it did). The picture of the above-mentioned stone (in today’s JEP) shows very clearly just why this is so. I was so very angry when I saw this and it is so avoidable.

All the operator has to do is walk the area before he/she starts to cut. You will no doubt see that whoever did this was minded, having smashed the stone from one side, to reverse back and smash it from the other side for good measure.

I am a proud Jerseyman who is passionate about my Island heritage but this vandalism (for that is what it is) must be acknowledged and the person responsible brought to book. Over to you Mr Constable.

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