The girl in the tree

I had been for the paper, through the opening at the end of Hopwood street. On the way back I was going through the opening again to get back home. There is this big tree there; which is in this woman’s garden (at the side of the garden). And I just looked at the tree as if to say what a lovely tree; a big fat old tree, you know, a nice thick trunk. And I saw a little girl, about 9, skipping around the tree. And she had a Victorian pinnie and cap on. And she was really happy and skipping and she just disappeared into the tree. I just carried on home in amazement thinking “where she had gone?”. Every time I walk down the road and pass the tree I think of her, and I look back to see if she appears. And it must be real to me if I actually look back to see if she’s there

Thank you to Marion rose for this story and for the photo of the tree where she saw the girl playing.  Or at least what is left of the tree now, for the last time Marion visited it, she found, to her surprise, that it had been cut down.