One of Shandon's best known landmarks has been removed from the back gardens at Shandon's famous Shandon Crescent. The tree, planted by the late Ms Reid, post-mistress of the parish for many years until her death in 1988, will be sorely missed. It cast a lovely cool shadow over neighbouring gardens on hot summers days, sprinkled the ground with a delightful carpet of fresh pine needles all year round, and provided much needed nesting for a beautiful pair of magpies who made the area echo with their sonorous calling as soon as the sun rose above the rooftops from March until October.

It is understood that it was removed as it was in imminent danger of being inserted up someone's posterior.