Each Boxing Day, during the 2am walk home from our family gathering, we Turners cut through our local park to give the trees a festive hug. We refuse to believe that the resultant warm feeling is solely founded on the consumption of a crate of Spitfire and two bottles of Captain Morgan, and have longed for an explanation that will ensure our tales of yuletide tree-hugging are met with understanding, rather than a frown which threatens a tip-off to Channel 4 and the Turner clan starring in a documentary about strange nighttime proclivities.

So, we are most grateful for German forester Peter Wohlleben’s book about the ‘daily dramas and moving love stories’ that take place in the tree world, as it proves that the wonder and spiritual connection many of us feel towards trees is based on science rather than one too many rum ‘n’ cokes at Christmas.

Yes…