Born 28 Mar 1938, Leyton, London, but able to develop an
interest in outdoor life. Married in 1960 to Dorothy, a qualified
horticulturist. Have 3 sons:.
1954 Apprenticed to the Birmingham Parks Department
becoming Foreman of Rookery Park, (while still an apprentice) with a staff of 20.
1960 Joined the staff of Liverpool University Botanic
Gardens, Ness, as Propagator and then appointed Botanical Foreman.
1964 Appointed Superintendent of Grounds & Gardens,
Dartington Hall Trust. A position held for 16 years.
1981 Contracted as a Freelance to research and present a
weekly half hour gardening programme for Television
South West. For a period of eleven years 553 separate programmes were
recorded, which were often transmitted twice in a week, These programmes
were also transmitted on Anglia TV. and some programmes, (pirated), have
also been shown in New Zealand, North America, Canada, Holland, Germany,
Scotland and Ulster. I was also responsible for the programme educational
fact sheet and replies to viewer's queries.
1993 Scripted and presented a 75 minute VHS video on
gardening for the Ideal Home magazine.
1993 Contracted as the 'residential' gardener, to appear
weekly for Wire TV (United Artists) the United Kingdom television cable
network contractor - a position ended May 1995 due to sale of franchise to
Live TV - Mirror Group..
1993 Contracted by the British Broadcasting Corporation
(South) to research, produce, present, record and edit a 10-15 minute weekly
gardening and wild life radio programme.
1993 Contracted to write weekly on gardening and related
subjects for major provincial, South West and Eastern Counties newspapers.
1993-2007 Adviser on gardening and 'Waterwise to South West
Water.
1995 Contracted as Fairlight Production to present and
produce two gardening programmes a week for Gemini Radio - Devon
1995 Work with 196 Productions Ltd.- Wildlife and
gardening Videos - "Wildlife in the Garden" released 1997, and TV
"World of Plants" and "English Gardens"
1995 Produced the publication 'Unicorn Island' written
by Mary Bartlett.
1996 Formed Fairlight Picture Slide
Library.
2001 Radio
programme - BBC - Devon
2001 Appointed Gardening
Editor - Devon Life
2002 Appointed Eco-Consultant -
Domaine Puberclaire, Provence, France (Hotel & Sports complex)
Developed many of the major features at Liverpool
University Botanical Gardens, Ness.
Planned and supervised the development and maintenance
of the 35 acre Dartington Hall Gardens and other parts of the estate -
(Housing estates, colleges, offices, commercial enterprises, playing fields
and amenity areas).
Garden Design, planting schemes, and plant purchasing
and supply.
Leader of Botanical and Ornithological trips to
Mountains of Europe and Gardens of Britain, and Botanical areas throughout
the U.K., Austria, Belgium, Crete, Croatia, Ethiopia, France, Greece, Holland,
Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Morocco, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, U.S.A., and the
Himalayas (India, Nepal and Sikkim). Visits to South Africa, N. and S. America,
Botswana and Namibia, Iran, Cyprus, Mexico, Sri Lanka and Yucatan.
Contracted to help correlate and lead Suttons Seeds 1996
Caribbean/Cunard Tour.
Morris and folk tours to
N.America, Canada, Europe and many parts of the
U.K.
Organise 'Gavin's Holidays' - annual wild life trips
abroad (7-14 day) for keen natural history friends in the South West.
Leading tours for
Greentours, Saga and Enterprise Holidays
