Newly sponsored trees

Sweet chestnut

We are a group of graduates from Bristol University, who studied medicine between 1976 and 1981.

We held our (Covid delayed) 40th Graduation Reunion in 2022.

One of the happiest aspects of our reunion was discovering how our friends and fellow students had evolved over forty years and meeting up was a truly joyful experience. This was tempered by sadness because several people from our year had died, including five during our undergraduate years.

The Reunion committee decided to remember all of our friends by planting a memorial tree. Redland Green seemed a natural choice, as it’s central and easily accessible to those of us who live in Bristol and for visitors. We wanted a long lasting tree and chose a Spanish chestnut.

The tree was planted on a chilly March day, as a joint dig, under the helpful eyes of Prof. John Tarlton and other experienced tree planters from the Redland Green Community Group, to whom we are indebted for their horticultural expertise!

A poem by Henry Vaughan was read - ‘They are all gone into the world of light’ - and the names of those who have died read out before a few moments of quiet reflection.

We hope that our memorial tree flourishes and plan to place a suitable plaque in due course.