BBC North East Investigation
When the world-famous sycamore gap tree fell illegally in September 2023, TV chefs and hairs biker C King were among those who were destroyed by Vanya destruction. He was so angry that he could not bring himself to the site again – till now.
He takes many deep breaths, steel himself, then moves slowly to the stump.
Inside the fence around the survivors of the sycamore, many green shoots are increasing.
“Dear,” calls me, just before going away, overwhelmed by “Big Yaving Gap” in the scenario.
“I stopped coming to see it, because I didn’t want,” they say.
C Chensaw inspects the mark released by the blade.
“Absolutely mindless,” he says.
On the morning of 28 September 2023, when it is reported that the landmark was very liked globally, SI was among those who expressed their anger.
“You have just murdered a guards of north north and fundamental spirit,” that Created a ruckus on social media“It is shocking for whatever reason you have done.”
The TV chef, known as one of the hairy bikers, had to postpone the filming that day because he had a “intestinal response” to the news.
In his direct message for responsible people – a 44 -second clip with about two million times on X – he said he hoped he hoped he had a conscience.
SI came to know its importance from the northeast of England, where the tree had grown over 100 years.
“There was a magic and glory,” he says, call it an absolute exclamation mark of “who we are in this part of the world”.
SI was sent to SI in a text message by a close friend, which came to cherish the tree after an individual tragedy.
He hoped that he was wrong, but the link of news articles sent in follow -up messages confirmed the dreaded.
This was his anger, he had to record his condemnation video several times due to the swearing in in the original versions.
After a third explain-free effort, he asked fellow hairs biker and best friend Dave Myers if it was acceptable to share with one of his million followers on X.
“I was absolutely fierce,” C says.
“That level of barbarity and cruel bitterness was beyond my comprehension.
“I can’t understand the mindset that will only do. I do not understand that character and personality. It was just a plain bad.
“It felt very personal.”
That feeling was shared by millions of people around Britain and world.
Sycamore was a scene of GAP wedding proposals, wedding photos and families who spread unhappy families somewhere.
For SI, it was a “special place” that offered moments of “peace”, “solas” and “consultation”.
It was also somewhere when he visited “in crisis”.
Five months after cutting the tree, his on-screen partner and “Best Met” Dave died at the age of 66, after two years he was revealed to have cancer.
If the tree was still there, C says that he would have gone there to reflect its loss, “Looking at the year when everyone is connected to the hairy bikers”.
However, with the remaining stumps, it was “too much” to travel immediately after Dave’s death.
On one occasion he went on the road adjacent to the Cyamore Gap, but his feelings stopped his return and saw “far”, unable to bring himself to stop his car.
It was only in June, after Daniel Graham and Adam Karutors, both from Kumbriya, were found guilty of cutting the tree, that he says he felt ready to return, as well as a BBC film crew for the documentary the Cyamor Gap: ranging from the roots.
“It is quite difficult to keep in words,” he says, as he surveys the scene.
“I am an emotional person and remember it very much – sadly.”
Due to another individual tragedy, the cumore gap had additional poignancy for SI.
The close friend who had recited him on that day, to say that the tree was cut, he lost his son when he was just 18 years old.
After the teenager’s death, the sycamore gap became a natural place for him to gather and mourn.
“The effect of that, because we were all very close, was very big,” C says.
The peace of sycamore gap was “consolation” for all of them, so the tree was painted on the young man’s gravity.
“Cyamore gap is important,” C says.
“This is not just a tree.”