Artist's leaf ceramics help fund anti-road fight

Ruth Gibson started making the shapes using leaves from the so-called Darwin Oak

A Shropshire artist is selling leaf decorations inspired by a threatened oak tree to fund the fight against a new bypass.

Ruth Gibson originally started making the pieces from pressings of fallen leaves from the so-called Darwin Oak, which sits on the route of Shrewsbury's planned North West Relief Road (NWRR).

To meet demand, she and fellow campaigners are now using shape cutters to mass-produce leaves and raise money for Better Shrewsbury Transport's legal fight..

Shropshire Council wants to build the road in order to cut traffic in Shrewsbury and some nearby villages.

"I began by working on site in Shelton Rough, gathering the fallen oak leaves from the Darwin Oak and pressing them into thin sheets of clay, once fired, preserving their memory for years to come," Ms Gibson said.

The veteran oak has become an icon of the campaigners' fight against the planned relief road, along with eight other ancient trees set to be cut down for the project.

The tree got its name because of its proximity to the childhood home of naturalist Charles Darwin who grew up in Shrewsbury.

The decorations are cut from rolled porcelain

Ms Gibson said there was meaning behind the pieces: "When cared for, a porcelain leaf can outlive us for many years, but it can also be carelessly broken in a moment.

"It’s a great symbol of both strength and vulnerability, and reminds us that we are just a small part of the whole inter-connected realm of life on earth."

She is now planning to create other works based on the tree.

The decorations have so far raised more than £1,500 during two weeks of sale.

The money will be donated to a crowdfunding campaign for a judicial review into the NWRR, which organisers say has already raised more than half of its £20,000 target.

'A bit lame'

Shropshire Council has expressed regret for the loss of the veteran trees, but has said they will be replaced by many more young ones as part of a replanting programme.

The councillor in charge of the project last week told a Green Party opponent: "Frankly it's a bit lame to be going on about these nine trees."

The authority wants to get the road built after decades of debate.

It was given planning permission earlier this year, and the government has promised to fund it, using savings from the scrapped northern leg of the HS2 railway.