Friday November 28
A GROUP of Bolton teenagers had a lucky escape when a 60-foot poplar tree fell on the bench where they were sitting moments before. The tree split in half with a loud crack at Tonge Park in August 1982, and the youngsters dived for cover after a large part of the tree came crashing down. The park bench almost disappeared under a huge pile of leaves and branches but luckily no one was hurt.
Michael Raw, aged 14, of Abingdon Road, said: “We heard the crack and looked up to see the tree falling so everyone dived out of the way. If we had not moved it would have hit us.”
A spokesman for the council Parks Department said: “The tree had shown no signs of trouble before this and high winds at the time may have had something to do with it.”
Within an hour of the incident council workmen were on the scene and quickly felled the rest of the huge tree. It was then cut up and removed.
Our picture shows local youngsters from left: Adam Gregory, Jon Birtwistle, Michael Raw, Philip Parker, Julie Cummings and Darren Rogerson, who escaped the falling tree.
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