THE MAGNOLIA TREE
“I
t all happened quite by chance when Roger Newnham generously included a few of us at a delightful lunch party he gave at The Charterhouse in the autumn of 2018,” explains John Sichel. Such a catch-up wasn’t uncommon for this particular group of old school friends (early 60s Hodgsonites) as they try to meet up periodically, despite now being scattered across the country. Following the lunch they were fortunate enough to enjoy a tour around The Charterhouse, led by Stephen McGee, one of the Brothers. As the group passed through Washhouse Court, they noticed the rather sad appearance of a cherry tree that looked as if it had been dead for some time. “I enquired about it,” confirms John, “perhaps a little publicly, and there was a definite feeling that such an appearance of decay was not appropriate to such a plucky and venerable institution.” Upon hearing that there was no plan to remove the tree and replace it with something else, the group of Old Hodgsonites began to forge a plan. Stephen put them in touch with Dominic Tickell, Development Director,
12 E The Greyhound
A tree for our Old Carthusians On 2 May 2019, a new addition arrived at The Charterhouse – a Magnolia sieboldii. Roger Newnham (H65) and John Sichel (H65) explain why a group of Old Hodgsonites decided to get involved who immediately grasped the possibilities, and having obtained consent from the little group of contemporaries, John embarked on the project with Dominic. Firstly, the dead tree was cut down. All the soil was removed from the area where the old diseased tree was, to make sure that the new tree would not get the same disease. Secondly, a conversation took place between Dominic, the Old Hodgsonites and The Charterhouse’s
gardener as to the best sort of tree. The gardener was keen on Magnolia loebneri, a white flowered magnolia which flowers just briefly in May. The OHs were concerned that a magnolia might be too tender and not last long, and stated a preference for a traditional fruit tree that the Carthusian monks would have been familiar with, and which might survive in the Courtyard for many generations, such as fig, quince or medlar. As a compromise, keen gardener
