Secret Garden, The Elm Tree Transport

The show is at 8pm online on Fri 14th May and you can buy a ticket through Brown Paper Tickets at hullabaloo.bpt.me Secret Garden – One of the 400 years old Brighton ‘Preston Twins’, considered to be the largest and oldest Elms in the world unfortunately was cut down in 2019 due to the Elm Disease. But thanks to Alister Peters, a Consultant for Connick Tree Care, with agreement of the Council, the magnificent hollow was kept in Waterhall Sports Ground for temporary storage. Alister invited sculptor, Elpida Hadzi-Vasileva, to the site, and they agreed that she might be able to give the tree new ‘life’ But the tree was too large for most studio spaces. Gavin Henderson, Chair of the Secret Garden Kemp Town, a unique oasis of calm and perfect environment for wood sculptures, was delighted when was approached by Elpida to work on the elm in the enclosed and secure space where the sculpture will be completed in time for next year’s exhibition, and once this show has ended, the piece will go directly back to Preston Park to join its living twin. William Ranieri witness the monstrous manoeuvre of the colossal tree into the secret garden and spoke with some of the people involved in the project. William Ranieri reports