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The weather in Newark in June 1992 was drier than it is at the moment. Today I therefore scanned a batch of colour negatives produced during that month.
The erection of a rather splendid tree house in a false acacia tree in the garden of Lindum House had begun before I began to record it. Sam and Louisa had enlisted the help of brothers Gavin and Ian to begin the project.
Louisa was a willing hod carrier, bearing planks for the flooring;
further invention was employed for hauling up greater quantities. You may be forgiven for imagining that William Heath Robinson exerted some influence on this ingenuity. One rope was extended from this tree to another on the other side of the lawn. Attached to this was another bearing a faggot of heavy planks hauled across by Sam, in the bottom left of the picture. Gavin, up aloft awaited its arrival. This took me back to Kennards department store in Wimbledon which had a similar system for conveying cash from counter to office. As will be seen from this photograph you cannot keep a lawn while children are young and you have to accommodate a swing and goalposts.
Gavin and Ian began the task of heaving the floorboards up to the required level.
Sam was soon up there to add his muscle;
eventually the materials reached the required level.
The next storey was soon in place.
The roof bore the combined weight of Sam and James Bird.
Louisa then joined in the test.
Up to seven or eight children would sleep overnight in this three storey house.
A sequel to the story of this adventure is told in ‘The Tree House’.
This evening we dined on minted lamb steaks; roasted sweet potato, peppers and mushrooms; new potatoes, carrots, broccoli and greens. Jackie drank Hoegaarden and I drank a 2015 Bordeaux.
Marvellous project, beautifully recorded – and not a Health & Safety operative in sight !!!
Thanks a lot, Roland. Weren’t we lucky
cute comment. You gave me my laugh for the morning! Thanks, Roland.
What a lovely tree house! Great project. I certainly would have spent hours there.
Many thanks, Bob
An exciting construction! A saga worthy of an Enid Blyton!
Very many thanks, Bruce.
That is so wonderful, Derrick. It reminds me of the crazy things I did as a kid with friends and brothers – not always the safest structures, but so much fun and creativity. The treehouse is a masterpiece of kid ingenuity!
Many thanks, Diane
What a splendiferous tree house. Memories of times past. Thank you ..
Very many thanks, Osyth
Spectacular! Wish I’d known them when I was building mine…
🙂 Many thanks, Donna
What a splendid tree and treehouse–and such ingenuity! (And how fortunate they were to have documentary cameraman there.) 🙂 It must have been quite sturdy to hold all those kids overnight. I imagine they must have happy memories of those times.
They certainly do, Merril. Thank you very much
Yes – so great that this was captured in photos. My cousins and I made many a treehouse, but we weren’t allowed to do it – so no one kept any records.
We’d probably have the H & S police around now.
Oh, what a shame!
My visiting grandkids are impressed!
That’s lovely, Leslie. Thank you all
If I have never said I want to be part of your tribe, then know this…. I do!
As a life-long inveterate fan of tree houses I approve of this wholeheartedly and am turning green with envy
You are a man who does all the things people dream of … ponies and tree houses, have I left anything out?
Thank you so much, Candice. I expect you may have 🙂
lol
I remember the tree-house my friends and I were building in my parent’s back yard, atop a gigantic burned stump. It was only one story and needed adult help to make sure the base was stable with the damage to the stump. We loved it just the same!
I have one question though, what is a false acacia tree? Is it like a flowering cherry where it looks the same but bears no fruit?
Thank a lot, Lydia. You prompted me to look it up, because I didn’t know myself 🙂 https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/42278/Robinia-pseudoacacia-Frisia/Details
Thanks! 🙂
The tree house…ahhh…childhood dream. Or is it ? I read recently that the most requested rental for Air BNB is the full size tree house. Some things never change. Great set of progress photos, Derrick.
The process is everything. Thanks a lot, Van
What a display of teamwork! I always wanted a tree house.
Very many thanks, Jill
Simply wonderful; idyllic! Lucky kids.
Many thanks, Mike
What a magical time! I like their cooperative pioneer spirit. I do love a treehouse.
Many thanks, Lisa. They thought it out and built it themselves. Sam was 12
I hope at least a few kids are doing creative projects like this wonderful tree house. A fantastic and fun learning experience. Oh the memories.
Many thanks, Peggy. At Lepe, featured a day or two ago, a new visitor centre is in progress. One area, called ‘Wild’ is where you can climb trees and build dens. I do hope H & S won’t ruin the fun
Wonderful, wonderful!! The building of forts and tree houses was such an important aspect of childhood days – I wonder if it is an art that is largely lost now due to helicopter parenting and H&S regulations……..
I think so, Pauline. I like ‘helicopter parenting’. Thanks a lot.
That is nearly a time-lapse sequence. It did transcended me to my childhood.
That’s great, Uma. Thanks a lot.
Wonderful tree house. The tree reminds me of an old tree near my childhood home. I used to climb on it. The tree attracted not only children but snakes and birds that build their nests in it.
Thanks, Byung. I am pleased to have stirred memories
Marvellous! Didn’t we have so much more fun as kids? I remember a tree house, rope swing and lots of nettles. Bottle of calamine on hand. Lovely memories Derrick, thanks 😉
Many thanks, Jenny. So pleased.
Treehouses are the most wondrous playgrounds for kids. You’ve brought back plenty of my own fond treehouse memories. Mine was built in the big old peppercorn tree down in back corner of our reasonably large backyard.
Thanks, Ivor. I hoped that one would bring back memories,
That was quite a feat! Great tree house Derrick!
Thanks a lot, Elisabet
Great pictorial account of a tree house, Derrick! Ah, for the wonderful days of childhood summers, eh? I got a kick out of Roland’s remark about OSHA!!
Many thanks, GP. Yes, that was a good one
Oh wow, that was a triumph of a treehouse. My mother would never have let me up that high!
Thanks a lot, Pleasant. The problem for me was that, if I was going to photograph the project, I was going to have to look. 🙂
Oh, nice! I bet it kept them busy, too.
Yep. Many thanks, Laurie
Not as fancy as the Tree House builders show but I am sure it made with love.
Thanks a lot, Sherry
This is the kind of childhood that some of us can only dream of. We had no trees so the only construction that went on was the making of kites which we flew from the roof of our apartment until that was banned due to landing planes at Kai Tak Airport.
We are so lucky. Thanks very much, Mary
A text book case of child endangerment – time to call in Social Services.
I always thought they were acacia trees, now I know this is false.
I never figured you for Elfin Safety Quercus. Thanks a lot.
Just thought it was ironic.
I’m firmly of the view that nothing teaches tree safety like a fall. 🙂
🙂 So was my response
I guessed that from the “elfin” , which id definitely not something I’ve been called before. 🙂
🙂
Wow! Seven to eight kids in that treehouse. Scary to think about from a parent’s point of view. Sam sure favors you, Derrick, and all that wonderful hair, as well! 😀
Thanks a lot, Rose. It was a bit scary, but you have to let them take risks, even if it keeps you awake. 🙂
Such a wise and cool Knight you are! I’ll keep that in mind. 😊
Great teamwork and fantastic project for them to learn to build. Wonderful photos!
Many thanks, Amy
Pity you didn’t have a video camera thingy then you could have posted a movie instead, which would have been good to watch
Thanks a lot, Brian. It would. I got the nearest alternative (without all-important sound) 🙂
Yes, the sound is what makes these kind of pictures, the laughter and merry making of children needs to be captured.
I love his series on the tree house! We built forts and such things as children here. And I have fallen out of trees, and learned much. 🙂
🙂 Thanks very much, Lavinia
A magnificent house in a magnificent tree!! As adults, Andy and I decided to build a tree hour in a large tree on our property. We never got beyond a platform, but we liked it up there.
🙂 Thanks very much, Dinata. And now you are having a real on built
That looks amazing, Derrick! I love the expression ‘very Heath Robinson’ – my parents use it a lot! What an incredible project and sense of achievement.
Thanks very much, Ali