The tree on the left is suffering from drought despite the wettest August for years. Heritage Lottery contractors in Clissold Park cut back the tree's roots to stop it drinking from the pond in the north west of the park. Many trees have roots in the pond and why it was felt necessary to exclude this tree is entirely unclear to me. What is clear is that having deprived the tree of it main water supply (Dawn Redwoods are a water loving species) it is struggling. Whether it and its neighbour will die remains to be seen. What this picture dramatically shows is how the Clissold HLF project has nothing to do with improving trees in the park, indeed the very opposite.