我心永恆:70歲老人種“愛心”樹林懷念亡妻

A devoted husband spent years creating this touching heart-shaped meadow as a tribute to his late wife. Farmer Winston Howes planted the oak saplings after his wife Janet died suddenly 17 years ago.

一位忠貞的丈夫花費數年，拼成了這個巨大的指向他已故愛妻故鄉的愛心。農場主溫斯頓-霍維斯在妻子珍妮特17年前突然離世後，他就開始種植橡樹。

The 70-year-old laid out the fledgling trees in a six-acre field but left a perfect heart shape in the middle - with the point facing in the direction of her childhood home.

這位七十歲的老人在6英畝的農場中種滿橡樹，中間留下了一個巨大的愛心形狀，心尖直指向了妻子的故鄉。

The labour of love has now blossomed into a mature meadow - a peaceful oasis where Winston can sit and remember his wife of 33 years.

這份愛的付出已經變成了叢林，老人現在可以在這裏坐着安靜地追思陪伴了自己33年的妻子。

His meadow cannot be seen from the road and has remained a family secret until a hot air balloonist took this photograph from the air.

他的叢林在路邊並不能被發現，直到有人在熱氣球上拍照，這個祕密才公佈於衆。

He said: "I came up with the idea of creating a heart in the clearing of the field after Janet died. I thought it was a great idea - it was a flash on inspiration - and I planted several thousand oak trees.”

他說：“我是在我的妻子死後纔想出來要在這篇空地上種出一個愛心的。我認爲這個主意很不錯，雖然僅僅是靈光一閃，但是我真的種了幾千顆橡樹。”

"Once it was completed we put seat in the field, overlooking the hill near where she used to live. I sometimes go down there, just to sit and think about things. It is a lovely and lasting tribute to her which will be here for years."

“完成之後，我和孩子都在空地上席地而坐，眺望着她曾經生活過的地方附近的山。我有時候會去那邊，坐一坐想想事情，這對她來說是很好的紀念。”

Winston, who owns an 112-acre farm near Wickwar, South Gloucestershire, decided to seed housewife Janet's legacy after she died from heart failure in 1995, aged 50. The pair got married in nearby Stroud in 1962.

霍維斯先生在南格洛斯特郡附近擁有112英畝的農場，於是老人決定在這片土地上種下橡樹懷念妻子。珍妮特因爲心力衰竭死於1995年，去世的時候50歲。這對夫妻於1962年在附近的斯特勞德結婚。

He created with the wood using small oak trees next to his farmhouse in the months after her death - marking out an acre-long heart with a large bushy hedge.

妻子死後，他在農屋附近開始種植橡樹——形成了一個灌木圍成一英畝大的愛心。

The entrance to the secret heart is only accessible from a track leading up to its tip.

通往這顆心的唯一小路就是從山頂下去的一條道路。

Winston said: "We got people in especially to do it - there are several thousand trees. We planted large oak trees around the edge of the heart then decided to put a hedge around it heart points towards Wotton Hill, where Janet is from.”

霍維斯先生說：“我特別找了人做這些事情——有幾千顆樹。我們在心的邊緣種上了大橡樹，然後打算在周圍弄圈籬笆。心尖指向沃頓山，那裏是珍妮特的故鄉。”

"We plant daffodils in the middle that come up in the spring - it looks great. I go out there from time to time and sit in the seat I created. I also flew over it myself about five years ago.”

“我們在中間種下了春天開花的水仙，看起來很美。我經常時不時的去那邊散步，坐在我種成的地方。我也在五年前坐飛機從空中看過一次。”

Winston's memorial was shown in all its glory after keen hot air balloonist Andy Collett, 42, from Wotton-Under-Edge, Gloucestershire, soared over the wood last week.

霍維斯先生紀念亡妻的方式，是有一名42歲的熱氣球乘客Andy Collett 上週從格洛斯特郡飛越叢林時發現。

The transport businessman could not believe his eyes when he discovered the symbol of love hidden among the trees.

當看到隱藏在樹林中象徵着愛的心形標誌時，這個商人不敢相信自己的眼睛。

He said: "I have my own balloon and am quite a regular flyer - but this was the most amazing sight I have ever seen from the sky.”

他說：“我有自己的熱氣球，也經常飛行——但這是我在天上看到過最壯觀的景象。”

"It was a perfect heart hidden away from view - you would not know it was can just imagine the love story."

“這是個隱藏的極好的愛心，你也許永遠都不知道它的存在。你可以想象這個愛情故事有多美了。”