I agree; I'd like to give it a chance. It's not on rootstock so should come good however far down I decide to cut it. the problem will be making it secure once it's back up. I can't stake it to the left of the picture because that's the track to the wood. The apples are nearly ready to come off anyway so I'll wait till we've cropped them and the leaves have fallen before I do anything.
I've felled quite large windblown larches; it's quite exhilarating when the root bowl bounces back up with you on it
Sorry Broch teaching you to suck eggs there.
Funny isn't it how dogs kind of forget to 'look' when they're busy sniffing, or on a familiar route, isn't it ?
p.s. I have no idea what that wee smilie thinks it is, I typed in the code for the old blush/shame one