This morning’s trees.

Auto-generated description: A leafless tree's branches extend against a clear blue sky. Auto-generated description: A large tree with bare branches stands in front of a row of houses and a fence, under a clear blue sky. Auto-generated description: Tall, leafless trees stand in a sunlit park, casting long shadows on the grassy field. Auto-generated description: A leafless, weathered tree trunk with protruding branches stands in a grassy field under a clear blue sky.

A tree would have been nice, and I still think it was more effective how it was.

A parking sign is attached to a pole that's been newly installed on a sidewalk next to a purple barricade and a residential building.

Exciting first day back at school as the skies suddenly opened up and dropped huge, fat flakes of snow on the kids as they waited to go into their classrooms.

A snowy canal lock is flanked by buildings and trees on a wintry day.A narrow canal is flanked by trees and a path, with snow falling gently over the scene.

This parking advice signpost is much more effective now.

A fallen street sign lies uprooted on the sidewalk, exposing the base and surrounding pavement.

Half-time oranges at the cricket. 🏏

A group of people are playing cricket in a grassy park surrounded by leafless trees.

This tree, as big kid says, is sus.

A tree with markings (including "69") on its trunk stands in a grassy area.

Today’s trees.

Auto-generated description: A path lined with large, leafless trees runs alongside a grassy field and a fence. Auto-generated description: A large, textured tree trunk with multiple thick branches extends upward, surrounded by leafless twigs against a cloudy sky backdrop. Auto-generated description: Bare tree branches stretch across a cloudy sky at dusk over a distant row of trees and buildings. Auto-generated description: A close-up view of a tree trunk showcases its rough, textured bark.

Developers: if you really want to help the community

This was survey feedback given to developers proposing to build a massive data centre on the site of the industrial estate down the road from me, but it applies more broadly to all big developers, especially those with annual profits of half a billion pounds.

I’m concerned about noise from the site causing a nuisance and health problems in an area that is already susceptible to multiple environmental health stressors, and exacerbated by deep-rooted poverty, deprivation, low pay and systemic racism and power imbalances embedded in the local authority planning system.

I’m also concerned about the local power grid. Only a couple of years ago it was reported that Ealing doesn’t have enough capacity to power more new homes that are so badly needed, particularly in Southall which suffers from chronic overcrowding. A data centre requires a lot of power. How will this work?

If you really want to do something for the local community how about you plant thousands of trees to compensate for the fact that Southall has the lowest tree canopy cover in the whole of Ealing?

How about building homes for the street homeless and providing ongoing support they will need to live in them sustainably?

How about building a drug and alcohol rehab unit to treat the ever growing numbers of addicts roaming our streets and parks?

How about using all that information processing power to work out how to provide more frequent, more reliable, free public transport in Southall and to reduce the congestion caused by all the traffic?

How about building a secular community centre, a library, a youth club, a health centre, a school? Southall is so overdeveloped now, and Ealing Labour Council sold off all our community assets to developers.

Nice tree, but it makes walking on the pavement almost impossible if you’re over five feet tall.

A tall, lush evergreen tree stands beside a street, surrounded by a wooden fence and urban environment.

This morning’s trees.

Auto-generated description: A park scene with leafless trees and a large fallen branch on the ground. Auto-generated description: A weathered, leafless tree stands prominently in a grassy field, with one of its large branches detached on the ground. Auto-generated description: A barren tree stump stands in an open field with a pathway, surrounded by leafless trees under a cloudy sky. Auto-generated description: A pathway lined with large, leafless trees runs through a grassy park with a bench alongside it. Auto-generated description: A large, leafless tree stands by a pathway with houses and a fence nearby under a cloudy sky.