Cheshire Independent Issue 202

JUNE 2025 8 Covering South Manchester & Cheshire A TREE planted in 1953 to mark the cor- onation of the late Queen Elizabeth II has been rededicated to her memory on the 72nd anniversary of her coronation. Knutsford Heath in the 1950s was differ- ent to how it is now. Throughout the early 1940s it was home to American troops and the site had few trees, mak- ing it a prominent sight. Over the years, the FREE street sport sessions for children aged eight to 14 aim to make it a sum- meroffunforyoungpeopleinWilmslow. The town council is funding the ini- tiative which will run until the end of the summer. Run by coaches from Macclesfield FC Community Trust, the sessions will offer a range of sports at Lacey Green Park and theGravel Lane Play Area. The Lacey Green Park sessions will take place on Mondays from 5.30pm until 7pm, while the Gravel Lane activ- ities will run from 5.30pm until 7pm onWednesdays. All Macclesfield FC Community Trust coaches are qualified, professional and will provide support and encourage- ment for children taking part. Sessions are free and pre-booking is not required; just bring your childwith a drink, wearing suitable clothing. Town mayor Sally Harrison said: “We are thrilled to fund these free street sports sessions for Wilmslow children during the summermonths. “The activities promise to be great fun whilst getting children moving, as well as giving them the opportunity to socialise and learn new skills.” It’s game on this summer! Royal oak is rediscovered Ceremony: The rededication of the Knutsford Heath oak tree Heritage Centre who found the 1953 corona- tion programme in the town council’s archive. The programme stated that an oak tree would be planted along with a line of ash trees in Ladies Mile. PamWalker, manager of Knutsford Heritage Centre, said: “We are delighted that, through research by two of the centre’s volunteers, another small part of the town’s history has been re-discovered and restored.” With the mystery solved, Friends of the Heath and Cheshire Wildlife Trust, who manage the woodland on behalf of Tatton Estate, began clearing the area around the oak tree to make it visible once more. Friends of the Heath installed new posts around the tree. At a small gather- ing, town mayor Bryan Hartley re-dedicated the tree to the late Queen. He said: “Today, as we unveil this new plaque, we rededicate the Queen’s Oak — in lasting memory of Her Majesty Queen Eliz- abeth II whose reign was defined by duty, dignity, and a deep con- nection with the people of this country. “We hope this tree continues to stand not only as a marker of that historic Coronation, but as a living symbol of con- tinuity, community, and the strength of nature and memory combined.” Planting an oak on the heath to commemorate the coronation of the new monarch was a tradition at least dating back to King Edward VII. woodland section of the Heath developed and more oak trees began to grow, possibly seeded from the Queen’s Oak itself. Holly also became widespread and eventually obscured the tree from view, and as a result it had been forgotten. The tree was rediscovered in October 2021 by Rob Eyre, who was surveying tree to catalogue the trees in public spaces for the town council. Rob found a tree surrounding by six-foot iron railings and surrounded by holly, but at the time no-one was sure what it was for other than that it appeared to be a memo- rial tree. The mystery was solved two years later by volunteer researchers Jenny Collis and Mary Gracie of the Knutsford