Memories of two survivors of Japanese PoW boat
More than 200 people died in captivity in Japanese camps.Mr Jones, who lives in Solihull, said his grandfather was tortured in Osaka before his eventual release at the end of the war.He said: "I remember my nan saying that VE day was a celebration for the country. "She was in London, working as a children's nurse at the time and everyone was celebrating in the streets. But for her there was no celebration because the love of her life was still a prisoner of war."
Of the 1,800 British servicemen aboard Lisbon Maru, 828 died.But Barbara Harris, the daughter of Sgt Mace, said: "Somehow dad got into a current and drifted out and he was in the water then for about two days."She said he was then "picked up by a Chinese fisherman on a different island and he was there for three months because they kept him hidden".He was eventually recaptured after the Japanese threatened the Chinese with execution for sheltering him and he was sent to a camp in Kobe.After the war be became a village postman in Warwickshire and passed on to his family one of his most prized possessions - his belt.He had used it to strap himself to the debris of the Lisbon Maru and Ms Harris said it almost certainly saved his life.He was said to have had a "very laidback" personality and she said: "Dad always said you have to have faith, you have to have faith in life."
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The Sun
14 hours ago
- The Sun
We're being forced to chop down 250-year-old tree or pay £70,000 after ‘roots damaged neighbouring vicarage'
THE neighbours of a Cotswolds village church face being slapped with a £70,000 bill in a dispute over a 250-year old tree. Richard and Melanie Gray are embroiled in an unholy row after being told their Sycamore tree caused damage to the neighbouring vicarage. 5 5 5 Named after the Four Shire Stone in the Cotswolds, The Four Shire Tree can be found in the leafy village of Lower Brailes, Warwickshire. The Grays are now locked into a heated dispute over plans to chop it down after receiving a "threatening" letter claiming it had damaged the vicarage next door. The pair's land borders the Grade I-listed St George's Church and the tree is 15 metres from both their property and the vicarage. Dating back to the 1700s, they're home had served as the original vicarage before the church divided up the land to construct a new one, selling the old building. When the couple bought The Old Parsonage in 1982, the grand tree was even billed as a selling point to potential buyers, according to Mr. Gray. But now the Diocese of Coventry is demanding the tree is chopped down or a root barrier costing an eye-watering £70,000 will be installed. And lawyers for the church's insurers say it will seek to reclaim the sum from Richard and Melanie, leaving them disgusted. Grandfather-of-six Mr Gray, 76, a retired inventor, said: "The irony is unbelievable. "Here's an organistation which is supposed to have pastoral care and love thy neighbour, and then they say take this tree down or we'll charge you £70,000. "To have a threatening letter sent out of the blue by the church doesn't seem to fit into their Christian ethos for me when they are a spiritual organisation supposedly looking out for the local community. Devoted mum killed by falling tree branch after 'pushing daughter, 5, out of way' on walk "And then there's the environmental impact too, the tree is 250-years-old and a citadel of invertebrates, insects and animals. "It doesn't seem to fit with the church philosophy of 'All things bright and beautiful, all creatures great and small' if they are going to destroy a historic tree. "There's been no knock at the door or anyone coming around to talk about this. "I think they've arranged one of the biggest solicitors in the country to act on their behalf, too. The vicar hasn't shown his face and is yet to say anything. "I think they should adopt a positive attitude towards trees and their benefit to parishioners and do their utmost to save trees, not kill them. "So here we are locking horns with an organisation that's supposed to have the pastoral care of the community in their hands and its doing exactly the opposite. "We're not going to pay and we're not going to take it down and the church are still threatening to send us this rather large bill." The Diocese of Coventry divided the plot to create space for the new-build vicarage back in the early 1980s. It sold the original home and its remaining garden into private ownership and the pair, who separated but remain close friends, were the second people to privately own it. But now the diocese claims the tree's roots have caused subsidence - when the ground begins to sink - and are demanding it is chopped down. Otherwise it will install a root barrier costing £69,768 plus VAT. But in a separate report from January 2023, Mr Gray says engineers working for the diocese deemed the tree to not be at fault - blaming hot weather for the subsidence. Mr Gray added: "Their own engineers initial report said this large tree was not the cause, and that it was likely the hot weather. "I said the report said it wasn't the tree, but they haven't acknowledged this fact. "I've done a bit of research and it's a moderate risk tree, so it's not a high risk tree. "Sycamores reach their maximum mass after 100 years. "So when they built the parsonage in their own garden it was already 100 years into its maturity and getting slightly smaller." The affected new vicarage also suffered a burst mains pipe which flooded the property with 13,000 gallons of water daily for three days. Mr Gray says the damage maps are all centred around the water tank - and that it's the likely culprit instead of the tree. 5 He added: "The damage was right underneath the water tank and my friends in the church have pointed out that most of the damage is inside the new vicarage. "And if you look at their engineers drawings it shows nothing on the outside which could have possibly been caused by this tree. "The old Reverend, Rev Morgan, noted that there were no cracks or major damage. The only place in the house that has cracks was on a wall the furthest away from the tree. "They owned the tree when they built the new vicarage there. They sold it as part of the property, and even featured it as a benefit. "Our house has been there for 200-odd years and it has no damage at all. It's a stable part of a stable environment. "All the walls cracked are the ones right underneath where the water tank had burst - 13,000 gallons a day for three days is significant. "They want us to pay the cost of the repairs essentially. There's nobody living in it. It's been relatively unoccupied since 2016. "The garden is like a jungle, doors have gone rotten. It's neglected, a bit like they are now neglecting the community. "There's talk of them selling it, so if they are also putting profit first that isn't very Christian-like either." The tree is named after the nearby Four Shire stone signifying the borders of the four Cotswolds counties: Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire. The church itself is known locally as the "Cathedral of the Feldon" as one of the biggest and "most beautiful" in the county of Warwickshire. Mr Gray added: "The tree is unusual in that it has four trunks. It was in the centre of the vicarage garden. "The tree was central to the fate celebrations, just up the road is the Four Shire stone. It has a bit of an identity and it's a magnificent tree. "I'll probably be dead before anything is enforced in law, I'm 76. But I care about the tree. Its absolutely splendid. "They'll need a court order, they can't just enforce this." A spokesperson for Clyde & Co. who represent the diocese's insurers said: "We are confident that our work has been carried out professionally and fairly at all times." 5
Telegraph
19 hours ago
- Telegraph
Cotswold village church tells neighbours to ‘chop down tree or pay £70k'
Neighbours of a Cotswold village church have been told to chop down a sycamore tree or pay a £70,000 bill. Richard and Melanie Gray said they had received a 'threatening' letter from the Diocese of Coventry claiming their 250-year-old tree had caused damage to the nearby vicarage. The pair are now embroiled in an ongoing dispute over plans to fell the landmark, known as the The Four Shire Tree, in Lower Brailes, Warks. The Gray's land borders the Grade I-listed St George's Church in the leafy village and the tree is 15 metres (49ft) from both their property and the vicarage. Mr Gray said the grand tree had even been billed as a selling point for potential buyers when the couple bought The Old Parsonage in 1982. But now the diocese is demanding the tree be chopped down or a root barrier costing £70k be installed. Legal agents working for the 12th-century church's insurers say it will seek to reclaim the amount from the pair. Mr Gray, 76, a retired inventor, said: 'The irony is unbelievable. 'Here's an organisation which is supposed to have pastoral care and love thy neighbour, and then they say take this tree down or we'll charge you £70,000. 'To have a threatening letter sent out of the blue by the church doesn't seem to fit into their Christian ethos for me when they are a spiritual organisation supposedly looking out for the local community. 'And then there's the environmental impact too, the tree is 250-years-old and a citadel of invertebrates, insects and animals. 'It doesn't seem to fit with the church philosophy of 'All things bright and beautiful, all creatures great and small' if they are going to destroy a historic tree.' The 76-year-old added: 'We're not going to pay and we're not going to take it down and the church is still threatening to send us this rather large bill.' The Diocese of Coventry decided to divide the plot to create space for the vicarage to be built in the early 1980s. It sold the Old Parsonage and its remaining garden into private ownership and the pair, who separated but remain close friends, were the second people to privately own it. But now the diocese claims the tree's roots have caused subsidence and are demanding it is chopped down or it will install a root barrier costing £69,768.88, plus VAT. Mr Gray said engineers working for the diocese deemed the tree not to be at fault in a report from January 2023 – instead blaming hot weather for the subsidence. He added: 'Their own engineer's initial report said this large tree was not the cause, and that it was likely the hot weather.' He said: 'They owned the tree when they built the new vicarage there. They sold it as part of the property, and even featured it as a benefit. 'Our house has been there for 200-odd years and it has no damage at all. It's a stable part of a stable environment.' The tree is named after the nearby Four Shire stone signifying the borders of the four Cotswolds counties: Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire. Mr Gray added: 'The tree was central to the fate celebrations, just up the road is the Four Shire stone. It has a bit of an identity and it's a magnificent tree. 'I'll probably be dead before anything is enforced in law, I'm 76. But I care about the tree. It's absolutely splendid.' A Clyde & Co spokesperson said: 'We are confident that our work has been carried out professionally and fairly at all times.'
Daily Mail
20 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Fury as elderly couple told to cut down 250-year-old tree or cough up £70k after 'its roots damaged CofE vicarage next door'
An elderly couple have been ordered to chop down a 250-year-old tree or face a £70,000 bill after its roots 'damaged a vicarage' in an unholy row in a historic Cotswolds village. Richard and Melanie Gray, from Lower Brailes, Warwickshire, were shocked to receive a 'threatening' letter claiming their Sycamore tree had caused damage to the nearby vicarage. The tree, nicknamed the The Four Shire Tree after the four counties that make up the Cotswolds, is said to be behind subsidence around the property, which can cause the ground and building foundations to sink. The Grays' land borders the Grade I-listed St George's Church in the leafy village and the tree is 15 metres (49ft) from both their property and the vicarage. Their home, which dates back to the 1700s, had been the original vicarage before the church divided up the land to build a new one and sold the old building, along with the historic tree. Mr Gray said the tree had even been billed as a selling point for potential buyers when the couple bought The Old Parsonage in 1982. But now insurers for the Diocese of Coventry is demanding the tree is chopped down or a root barrier costing £70,000 be installed. Legal agents working for the 12th century church's insurers say it will seek to reclaim the eye-watering amount from the pair, leaving them disgusted. Grandfather-of-six Mr Gray, 76, a retired inventor, said: 'The irony is unbelievable. 'Here's an organisation [the church] which is supposed to have pastoral care and love thy neighbour. 'To have a threatening letter sent out of the blue by their insurers doesn't seem to fit into their Christian ethos for me when they are a spiritual organisation supposedly looking out for the local community. 'And then there's the environmental impact too, the tree is 250 years old and a citadel of invertebrates, insects and animals. 'It doesn't seem to fit with the church philosophy of 'All things bright and beautiful, all creatures great and small' if they are going to destroy a historic tree. 'There's been no knock at the door or anyone coming around to talk about this. 'The vicar hasn't shown his face and is yet to say anything. 'I think they should adopt a positive attitude towards trees and their benefit to parishioners and do their utmost to save trees, not kill them. 'So here we are locking horns with an organisation that's supposed to have the pastoral care of the community in their hands and its doing exactly the opposite. 'We're not going to pay and we're not going to take it down.' The Diocese of Coventry decided to divide the plot, to create space for the new-build vicarage back in the early 1980s. It sold the original home and its remaining garden into private ownership and the pair, who separated but remain close friends, were the second people to privately own it. But now the insurer for the diocese claims the tree's roots have caused subsidence and are demanding it is chopped down - or it will install a root barrier costing £69,768.88, plus VAT. But in a separate report from January 2023, Mr Gray says engineers working for the diocese deemed the tree to not be at fault - blaming hot weather for the subsidence. Mr Gray added: 'Their own engineers initial report said this large tree was not the cause, and that it was likely the hot weather. 'I said the report said it wasn't the tree, but they haven't acknowledged this fact. 'I've done a bit of research and it's a moderate risk tree, so it's not a high risk tree. 'Sycamores reach their maximum mass after 100 years. So when they built the parsonage in their own garden it was already 100 years into its maturity and getting slightly smaller.' The affected new vicarage also suffered a burst mains pipe which flooded the property with 13,000 gallons of water daily for three days. Mr Gray says the damage maps are all centred around the water tank - and that it's the likely culprit instead of the tree. He added: 'The damage was right underneath the water tank and my friends in the church have pointed out that most of the damage is inside the new vicarage. 'And if you look at their engineers drawings it shows nothing on the outside which could have possibly been caused by this tree. 'The only place in the house that has cracks was on a wall the furthest away from the tree. 'They owned the tree when they built the new vicarage there. They sold it as part of the property, and even featured it as a benefit. 'Our house has been there for 200-odd years and it has no damage at all. It's a stable part of a stable environment. 'All the walls cracked are the ones right underneath where the water tank had burst - 13,000 gallons a day for three days is significant. 'They want us to pay the cost of the repairs essentially. There's nobody living in it. It's been relatively unoccupied since 2016. 'The garden is like a jungle, doors have gone rotten. It's neglected, a bit like they are now neglecting the community.' The tree is named after the nearby Four Shire stone signifying the borders of the four Cotswolds counties: Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire. The church itself is known locally as the 'Cathedral of the Feldon' as one of the biggest and 'most beautiful' in the county of Warwickshire. Mr Gray added: 'The tree is unusual in that it has four trunks. It was in the centre of the vicarage garden. 'The tree was central to the fate celebrations, just up the road is the Four Shire stone. It has a bit of an identity and it's a magnificent tree. 'I'll probably be dead before anything is enforced in law, I'm 76. But I care about the tree. Its absolutely splendid. 'They'll need a court order, they can't just enforce this.' A spokesperson for law firm Clyde & Co, representing the insurers for the Diocese, said: 'We are confident that our work has been carried out professionally and fairly at all times.'
