Forget pomp and pageantry: mundane anxiety rules in my back garden

As unforeseen challenges arise, Will Gore fears for a long-delayed building project

Stump and machine fought a mighty battle for what seemed like hours, and the stump had the best of it (Getty/iStock)

In this extraordinary week, the nation has understandably been focused on the upcoming funeral and interment of our dear beloved Queen Elizabeth. Meanwhile, I’ve spent a good amount of time trying to get something out of the ground that just won’t die.

For years, we’ve had designs on creating a car-parking space at the end of our garden, where it backs onto a quiet road. After a lengthy planning process, much delayed by Covid, we finally got work under way this week, as builders trundled in with digger in tow.

Ahead of their arrival, I had arranged the removal of a fairly hefty ash tree, which regrettably had to go because it was directly on the line of some foundations required for a retaining wall. A tree surgeon had completed the job a couple of months before. Except that it turns out he hadn’t.