ANCIENT trees in Blackburn's Cathedral Close will not be axed, we are told, so that people can get a better view of the giant and novel £100,000 'flying saucer' sculpture fixed to the Cathedral's wall last month.

Fine, but we do learn that three smaller trees in vicinity have been removed. But this, we are told, was only for the sake of 'good husbandry.' They were, it was said, 'limes or conifers, not mature or indigenous,' and 'not appropriate to the Close where there are too many trees in that area.'

Pray, then, why were they planted in the first place? For reasons of 'bad husbandry' perhaps -- with a view to their premature demise? Actually, I think that the new 'Healing of Nations' sculpture deserves the fullest exposure -- for whatever one thinks of it, it is certainly different and thought-provoking -- but it can do without the extra controversy of perfectly-good trees being axed for specious reasons.