How did people cope? Some abandoned their cars and started a scavenger hunt for the nearest coffee shop. One entrepreneurial soul reportedly sold emergency flapjacks out of his boot for £10 a slice. Highway robbery? Yes. Highway breakfast? Also yes.
I’ve got to hand it to the National Highways team. They cleared that fallen giant in about three hours. Three hours to move 20 tons of wood and leaves. That’s faster than I can assemble an IKEA wardrobe, and with far less swearing.
Long delays on M20 near Snodland due to fallen tree
But here’s the kicker: when the road finally reopened, the first car through was a bright orange Fiat 500 driven by a woman who gave a victory honk that echoed across Kent. She later told reporters she’d been stuck so long she’d named the tree “Gerald” and was genuinely sad to see him go. Traffic does weird things to people.
Lessons from a Lumbering Legend
What did we learn from the Great Snodland Tree Incident? First: always keep a snack stash in your glovebox. Second: the M20 is a fickle beast, and Mother Nature has a dark sense of humour. And third: no matter how bad your day is, at least you’re not the person who had to chainsaw a 200-year-old tree while a thousand angry drivers watched.
Seriously, can you imagine being that chainsaw operator? “Sorry, sorry, I’m going as fast as I can! It’s just this tree is really committed to its position!” Talk about pressure. He probably went home and had three scotches.
So next time you’re driving down the M20 and you see a lone oak by the roadside, give it a respectful nod. It might be that tree’s cousin. And if it starts looking wobbly? Take a different route. Because you never know when a piece of nature decides it’s had enough of your commute and wants to become a headline.
Until then, keep your fuel tank full and your patience tank fuller. The M20 giveth, and the M20 taketh away. Mostly taketh, though. Especially near Snodland.
