A RENOWNED poet has give his backing, and one of his poems, to the campaign for the tree on Colchester Castle to be named Britain’s best.
Wivenhoe’s Martin Newell, who is also a singer-songwriter and author, has agreed to allow a poem he wrote about the famous Sycamore to be quoted in a campaign headed by Colchester High Steward Sir Bob Russell to get people to vote for the shrub in Woodland Trust’s Tree of the Year competition.
The poem, titled The Castle Sycamore, was published last year in a book chronicling the poetic history of Colchester titled Without Walls, by historian Alice Goss.
It is a tribute to the gaoler’s daughter Mary Ann Smith who was born in the castle in 1777 and lived there until she died aged 75.
To vote for the Castle Sycamore, go to woodlandtrust.org.uk/treeoftheyear.
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