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A wych elm bent sideways by Irish Sea winds, the last of its row, is UK tree of the year.

The Bendy Tree, a wych elm in Newcastle, County Down, Northern Ireland, has been crowned the Woodland Trust's tree of the year. Its trunk grew nearly horizontal because of strong seaside winds coming off the Irish Sea. The article describes the tree as 150 years old, and says it has resisted Dutch elm disease, a fungus that has destroyed most of the UK's 30m elms.

It was planted in the mid-19th century as part of a row of wych elms along the town's promenade, to shelter the main street from sea winds. Many of those trees were felled during redevelopments of the town, and the bendy tree is now the last one standing. The competition's “against the odds” theme was the basis for the win.

Other shortlisted trees included the Crowhurst Yew in Surrey, whose trunk was hollowed out in 1820 to make a parish meeting room, and the Culmstock Yew in Devon, perched on a 20-metre church tower. May Chemais of the Woodland Trust said: “When you look at this astonishing and bizarre tree, there’s no doubt about what it has endured,” John Martin, director of Woodland Trust NI, said: “You expect nature to behave in a certain way and we would expect a tree, most of the time, to grow upwards, whereas this one has grown sideways,”

Seedha khada rehta toh shayad kat jata. Tedha ho gaya, toh tree of the year ban gaya. Prachand Chutiya log seedhe khade rehkar bhi nahi jeet paate.

Arey bhaiya, Newcastle, County Down ke is 150 saal puraane wych elm ko Woodland Trust ne UK ka tree of the year chuna hai. Isne Irish Sea ki hawa ke saamne jhukh ke tana lagbhag zameen ke samantar kar liya. Dutch elm disease, jisne UK ke 30 million elms mein se zyadatar ko khatam kiya, uske saamne bhi yeh tika raha.

Aur sabse mazedaar baat suniye: isi promenade par kai elm ek line mein lagaye gaye the, hawa se main street ko bachane ke liye, magar redevelopment mein zyadatar kate gaye. Yeh akela bacha. John Martin ne kaha ki ped aam taur par upar ugta hai, yeh toh sideways ugaa. Hum kehte hain, yahi toh zindagi hai: seedhe khade rehne wale pehle gir jaate hain, tedhe wale trophy le jaate hain. Prachand Chutiya Management Committee ko koi yeh ped dikhao, shayad mudna seekh jaye.

FINAL VERDICTAaj ka 'Jhuko Par Tiko' Samman ped ko, aur Prachand Chutiya ko ek gamle mein lagake rakhne ki salah. Pranam.