Destruction of one of High Peak's most glorious forests is a sad reminder that sometimes life can mirror art.
'Flight from Fernilee' features a sinister plot to take over the earth by infecting all plant life not controlled by the evil Elymas and his Global Order Brotherhood. It's a matter of 'Rule or Ruin' - but pure fantasy, or so I thought. When drafting my story 20 years ago, never would I have guessed that the REAL Fernilee, which fringed our local reservoir so beautifully, would be struck by a devastating disease called Phytophthora Ramorum, resulting in most of its trees being chopped down.*
Visiting the area for the first time since Fernilee's footpaths were closed for the felling, my daughter and I were shocked and deeply upset to see our favourite woodland walk virtually desolate!
Here's hoping the rest of the forests on this planet avoid the same fate!
* https://www.peakdistrict.gov.uk/visiting/frequently-asked-questions/tree-felling-in-the-goyt-valleyphytophera
