Thanks Rj, Donna and Valerie. Well, it did start as a dwarf! Here it is in January 2008, not too long after it was planted, maybe in its second year. In need of a bit of work!
But we gardeners don't need to be optimists. We just know that, with time, our trees and shrubs will fulfill their promise. 17 years later and it's towering over my head and still in its childhood. Here's the photo the banner came from - mid October this year.