A SLICE of the tree planted in Priory Park in 1936 by the playwright George Bernard Shaw has been presented to Malvern Museum.

Although the 66-year-old mulberry was blown over in a storm in November 2000, a section from its base was rescued, sanded and varnished as a memento.

The tree was originally planted to during the Malvern Drama Festival, which had been based around Shaw's work since its conception in 1929.

Seven year's later, Shaw and the cast of St Joan gathered in the park to plant the tree to commemorate his 80th birthday. In fact, the ceremony actually took place the day after the playwright's birthday, 66 years ago today (Friday).

Barry Jackson, founder of the Birmingham Repertory and the Malvern Drama Festival, said at the time: "Mr Shaw is going to plant a mulberry tree and I hope its fruit may be as refreshing to many, as the fruits of his works have been."

Shaw reportedly skirted around the fact that the two-year-old sapling had really already been planted. He shovelled five spadefuls of earth around it saying: "Shakespeare had a mulberry tree and I'm not going to be outdone by Shakespeare. The attraction of the tree is that it lasts so long. I cannot last for ever . . . we want something that lasts longer."

Shaw died in 1950, aged 96, half a century before the tree's life was cut short.

Museum curator Faith Renger said: "We're very pleased. It'll certainly be a very interesting addition to our local history exhibition and will feature with a display about Malvern Festival."