I have little doubt you've read 'Meetings with Remarkable Trees' by Thomas Pakenham, Will - a really interesting book. There is also a nice little website
The-Tree.org.UK you might like too of you don't know it already. I don't know of any older trees than the ones you've mentioned, but thats an astonishing longevity for one life form isn't it?
I love trees and always feel my natural environment is the the darker depths of our Ancient Broadleaf Woodland.
There is certainly something powerful about the Yew. I aways feel drawn to go sit under them when I come across them - a real energy there. But I know their reputation for dropping limbs on folk. very poisenous but I'm not about to nibble one myself
The Oak is awesome and the Beech is a real lady. The Copper Beech is an amazing tree and the Cedar of Lebanon too. Gosh I could go on and on, really.
Trees like any other wild thing are a joy to observe through the seasons. If you visit them regularly they always repay you with something new and often quite surprising.
The term Tree Hugger is a bit hippyfied for me (these days). I'm a Tree-Friend I guess
lol, that probably sounds even worse
