CORONATION TREES

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 149, 21 December 1936, Page 9

CORONATION TREES

PERMANENT MEMORIALS

BIG ENGLISH ENDEAVOUR

(From "The Post's" Representative.) LONDON, November 28.

The beautification of the countryside and the encouragement of schemes for planting trees and shrubs throughout Great Britain are measures contemplated to provide permanent memorials dt the Coronation. The organisation of these is -being controlled by the Coronation Planting Committee. Lady Allen of Hurtwood, chairwoman of the executive committee, described the plans in detail. The committee, she said, would seek the active help of local authorities, committees, and individuals,' and would urge that wherever funds existed for the purpose of celebrating the Coronation some portion of them should be allocated to permanent schemes for increasing the beauty of towns, villages, and countryside. It recommended, among other things, the planting of trees in avenues and along highways, and near schools and public buildings, the provision of play parks for small children in'urban areas and of window-boxes for blocks of flats, the beautification of churchyards and cemeteries, the better planning of allotments, the substitution of trees and grass for ugly expanses of concrete in -slum-clearance schemes, and the encouragement of flower growing among individual citizens. The committee proposed also to put all inquirers in. touch with expert advice and to prepare an index of relevant books, photographs, and plans. It would prepare a complete record in book form of all planting and amenity schemes undertaken throughout the country to celebrate the Coronation.

It was hoped also to organise a competition between villages throughout the country. Coronation certificates would be given to the two best gardens in each village, an award would be given to the village in each county which had entered the largest proportion of gardens and had also made the greatest effort to beautify itsslf, and a National Coronation Cup would be awarded to the village, which achieved the greatest improvement.

The committee is appealing for a central administration funj3 of £10:000.