Trail of Tears

Winston Howes and his wife Janet lived happily together for thirty-five years on a 112-acre farm near Wickwar, South Gloucestershire. Then in 1995 Janet sadly passed away – a victim of heart failure. After the funeral, Winston had an idea for a way to honor and remember her. Together he and his son planted several thousand oak trees. “It was a flash of inspiration,” he says. “Once it was completed we put a seat in the field overlooking the hill near where she used to live.” The field was a family secret until a balloonist discovered it and snapped some pictures. You see, Winston and his son didn’t fill the entire meadow with trees. In the center they left a perfect heart-shaped hole, hidden from the road by the trees. “Sometimes I go there just to sit and think about things,” says Winston. “It’s a lovely and lasting tribute to her which will be here for years.”