IT was certainty the “good life” for two trees named Tom and Barbara at a recent dedication event in Halesworth.

As one of the rarest tree in the UK, the black poplar trees were presented and dedicated at Halesworth Lakes, off Wissett Road, marking 12 years of work.

One tree was grown by volunteer Tony Eden, of the Suffolk Tree Warden Group, and the event saw the landowner Peter Norman presented with the trees.

Mr Norman said: “As a farmer I’ve pulled up no end of trees and now my generation and younger ones are trying to put them back.

“I’m very happy to have the black poplars planted here,” he added.

Mr Eden also owns the mother of Barbara and said: “We have achieved what we wanted. We hope this tree will eventually start up and its seeds will go down the river and re-populate the Blyth river.

“We are not chucking them everywhere though, we will also try to preserve its rarity.”

Work began in 1999 by The Tree Council to source out how many black poplars were left in the country. In the year 2000 there were 2000 recorded, now there are 10,000 Black Poplar trees.

Sue Hooton is chairman of the Suffolk Black Poplar Group and has been dubbed “Mrs Black Poplar”. She said: “I think it’s important that people can value their local towns.

“There are now 380 black poplars in the county, 20 of which are female.”