The night of the storm Sunday 22nd – Monday 23rd December 2013 brought some of the worst weather encountered in London for decades with howling 70 mph winds and lashing rain which even flooded Euston Road.
Early the following morning, Christmas Eve, returning from collecting a newspaper from Woburn Walk, I stepped into the north entrance of Tavistock Square to see the damage. The ancient London plane trees had not suffered; just one younger tree on the far side seemed bent, however, there was havoc! Broken branches and twigs, great piles of windswept leaves everywhere, also the remains of revelry, plastic bottles, cartons and mangled umbrellas.
As I stood surveying the damage one of the many squirrels was perched at the foot of a nearby tree nibbling something for breakfast, a feast it seemed! Looking right across the grass I thought I saw a fox but I couldn’t believe it. A lone visitor was approaching so I looked to see if she had a lead for a dog. Then she came and spoke and we both said “It’s a fox”!
It was a strange fleeting encounter that silent, desolate morning. It is a well known fact that our cities have urban foxes but I had not expected to see one so close.
Margaret Brett
Founder of the Friends of Tavistock Square
