THE tranquillity of village life was split by a thunderous noise last Thursday afternoon. A terrific flash of light lit up the home of Peter and Dorothy Stainforth in Gipsy Lane, Knebworth. It was accompanied by a terrific bang and they thought their hous

THE tranquillity of village life was split by a thunderous noise last Thursday afternoon.

A terrific flash of light lit up the home of Peter and Dorothy Stainforth in Gipsy Lane, Knebworth.

It was accompanied by a terrific bang and they thought their house had been hit by lightning.

Startled neighbours believed disaster had struck and called the police.

But in fact a lightning bolt had targeted a large blue cedar (left) which the Stainforths had planted 30 yards from their home shortly after their marriage 33 years ago. The force of it bent the tree in two, shearing off a branch which crushed a rhododendron bush on its way down. It was a death blow for the cedar which had to be felled on Saturday.