No Time to Die

Seven years ago I wrote this post: Wind in the Willows. It may be best to read it so you are up to date on the background.

While you are doing your revision I will tell you about an oak tree in north London about half a century old. A specialist tree surgeon opined it was dead and dangerous – falling branches and so on. The leasee of the site, the oak was adjacent to a car park, agreed to pay for it to be cut down to the dismay of local residents initially and then the whole country because of the publicity it attracted. But the deed was done.

There is some similarity here with the proposed Assisted Dying Bill. There are times when I could cheerfully die but most of the time I’d like to stay alive. Of course we know not the day or the hour but death is inevitable. To save my executors trouble and make my intentions clear I’d like to buy a plot in Margravine Cemetery, as I have already lived more than half my life here. Most annoyingly they only sell burial plots “at need” and do not take bookings. “At need” is a new to me but I think I know what it means. But I digress.

Doctors,by and large, try to keep their patients alive. Tree surgeons do not. They derive their income from cutting down trees, not planting them. Now that you have read about the disease-ridden crack willow on the Thames seven years ago you will want to know the outcome. Winds roar up the Thames and we have had many gales. The willow is as imperturbable as Jeeves. The gales often strip it of leaves but it is prospering.

St George, the developer of Fulham Reach, which incidentally is in the final stage of building, maintains the landscaping and has made a good job of protecting the willow’s roots as you can just about see. No doubt they hope their application to have it chopped down is forgotten; it isn’t.

My main reason for opposing assisted dying is the same as my objection to the death penalty. Mistakes are made and they are irreversible.