It's grim up north

They say nature abhors a vacuum, and in this case what is not there is why I took the picture of this bleak suburban scene - actually the view from the backroom study at the top of our house in Burnage, Manchester.
Just before Xmas we were woken by a horrible grinding gnawing sound of machinery, and to our horror and distress in just a few hours a rather stately and imposing sycamore tree was no more. Must have taken some years to grow its 50 feet. It was gone in an instant. Located on the lower left of the photo disguising those shabby garages it provided an effective shield against the urban vista, was a home to wildlife and gave us the slightly spurious feel of 'rus in urbe'. Now there is a yawning absence both physically and mentally when we gaze on such a dispiriting scene. So we notice all too well what is there no longer. Hopefully when summer comes the greenery of my fruit trees just out of shot will be some compensation for our loss.