On Monday 21^st September, Andy Burgess, a chainsaw wood sculptor, who was placed third in the European Chainsaw Championships in 2010, came to Withington to begin work on a very special ‘tree sculpture’.

Three Horse Chestnut trees were removed to make way for the new building and one of the trunks was kept to be transformed into something magical for the Junior girls. Last year, the pupils in the Junior School drew their own designs and ideas of what they felt should be carved into the tree; they included images of girls reading books, fairies, owls and ladybirds, all of which were sent to Mr Burgess to inspire his design.

Day One: The tree trunk begins its transformation …

Over the last few days the girls have had their faces pressed up against the glass in the Junior Hall, watching in awe as Mr Burgess used chainsaws and finer chisels to transform the wood into something amazing and quite beautiful.

Day Two: The tree begins to reveal its magical secrets …

Day Three: Everything is coming into focus!

The final sculpture displays a small fairy reading a book, accompanied by a squirrel and a toadstool on the top, with various woodland creatures making their way up the trunk and stairways ascending towards secret doors. Finally, hiding at the bottom of the trunk, was a book with a blank front cover that has subsequently been entitled Tales of the Juniors by the staff and girls, symbolising the imaginative adventures the pupils of Withington Girls’ Junior School will have with this ‘Faraway Tree’!

Mr Burgess with the finished article!

More pictures …