I think you need to get rid of the tree. Sorry but this tree is going to grow far too big to be 10ft away from you house.

Thanks Urbanite,
Since my response you are now aware that the tree is the cause of both my posted problems. In answer to your earler question, the tree is full-grown, and I've always assumed predated the house (1872) as otherwise the foundations would have been compromised, and by now there would have been subsidence. A further complication is that we are bang in the middle of a conservation area! Moreover it is a beautiful tree, and would be enormously expensive to remove.
I'm certainly going to give the Astro Turf some consideration, meanwhile I await some suggestions for my second question to deal with my pine needles problem.
Thank you for your helpful responses.
Nakinaki

Not sure what you mean by it pre-dating an 1872 house. No one would deliberately build a house that close to a tree with a canopy that can spread twice the gap and roots that can spread even farther - the Victorians certainly weren't that stupid.
It is far more likely that someone planted a sapling/seed in the garden after the house was built.

Conservation area or not this tree is just storing up problems for the future - you need to speak to your planning department.

I have never seen one without a shredder. You might find that after some practice with the blower you find a technique for getting the debris where you want it, though it certainly isn't easy.

You may be right Urbanite, but I suspect it makes more sense to build near an established fully-grown tree which has no more large roots to sprout than to plant such a tree that will cause problems as it grows. Ours is a large semi-detatched stone villa, and the other side had a smaller version of the same tree in their front garden which they had felled because of disease, so they were evidently part of a a planned planting. I will certainly take advice on it from a tree surgeon, however.
Thank you Steragram. I was afraid that would be the answer - the machine I want doesn't exist! I'll just have to find a blower with a 'slow' control I guess, then shovel up the piles. Happy days!
Thank you both

It doesn't make sense to build next to an established tree and the Victorians just wouldn't do that. What is far more likely is that someone planted the tree as a very small sapling without knowing/thinking/caring how big it would get. Your neighbour's tree is probably a seed from yours carried by the wind or a bird (supported by the fact that it was smaller than yours)
The problem is that far too many people see pretty little trees in nurseries when they're only a year or two old and plant them in domestic gardens completely ignoring the fact that trees will, for the most part outgrow the garden.

I have found a blower and vacuum without a shredder, supplied by Coopers of Stortford.

Thank you Steragram: I've been looking at the Coopers' paper catalogue which Ireceived this morning but the blower vac ( £39.99) does also shred. Their online catalogue also has a 3-in-1 Garden Vac (£69.99) but this shreds too. So I'm not sure which one you refer to, maybe an older discontinued model ? But thank you for taking the trouble to respond.
If anybody has used the Coopers blower vac and could tell me how easy it is to use and empty, I'd be very grateful, as it's a reasonable price and it soesn't seem likely that I'll find one without a shredder.
Thank you everybody who has responded to both my queries.
Nakinaki

Nakinaki

Edit comment (what is this?)

Thank you Steragram: I've been looking at the Coopers' paper catalogue which Ireceived this morning but the blower vac ( £39.99) does also shred. Their online catalogue also has a 3-in-1 Garden Vac (£69.99) but this shreds too. So I'm not sure which one you refer to, maybe an older discontinued model ? But thank you for taking the trouble to respond.
If anybody has used the Coopers blower vac and could tell me how easy it is to use and empty, I'd be very grateful, as it's a reasonable price and it soesn't seem likely that I'll find one without a shredder.
Thank you everybody who has responded to both my queries.
Nakinaki

P.S. I've re-submitted this as I wasn't sure I'd sent it.

Sorry to raise your hopes then. I must have read the catalogue too quickly (And I got all excited for you too...)

Thanks anyway Steragram - it was good of you to have responded at all.
Nakinaki