A Letter to the Editor

 Its still quite warm for the time of year, here at Betley Court Gardens. Our ancient oak trees haven’t quite turned yet, although the hue of the gardens is decidedly autumnal. Nigel and I, along with our son spent bonfire night at Betley Court, just to keep an eye on things. The festivities at Betley Court Farm made the most wonderful light display on the white scaffold wrap, and the illuminations from the fairground rides created unearthly lighting effects inside the shell of the building. It was like having our very own aurora borealis!

Our own private aurora borialis

Surreal lighting effects underneath the scaffold wrap. 

Phase 1B starts on the rebuild this week. Most of the brickies and masons have left us, as work starts on making the huge roofing trusses that will support Betley Court’s new roof. Massive rivet plates that will fasten the new ‘I’ beams together have been laid out around the first floor. It looks like giant Meccano, and I cannot wait to see it all put together.

If you’re curious enough to see the ongoing work, we’re holding another Restoration Tour weekend on the 11^th and 12^th December. Tickets are available to buy online from Eventbrite (search for Betley Court) or email us at betleycourtgardens.co.uk to reserve a ticket. We’ll be cracking out the mulled wine and mince pies too.

Autumn colours in the picnic area on the paddock

I’m often asked why I called this blog The Dead Gardeners Society. Its obviously an homage to the 1989 film Dead Poets Society, but it is also a nod to all the gardeners that have toiled in the gardens at Betley Court before me. One or two we have names for, like the notable landscapers William Emes, William Barron and Thomas Mawson. We know a couple of the Head Gardeners’ names; Mr Leath and Mr Mulliner, but the names of the others have been lost to time. Every now and again a new name comes to our attention. This week I discovered a letter to the Evening Sentinel* from Monday, February 10, 1986 marking the death of a former Betley Court gardener, Henry Brassington. Roy Turner, Honorary Treasurer of Whitmore Horticultural Society paid tribute to a man he described as, “a gentleman, a character who cannot be replaced”.

Henry was born in Ravenshall, near Wrinehall, c. 1911 and began his gardening career as a teenager. He was fortunate to gain a position “under a renowned gardener, Mr Leath” at Betley Court. He clearly took to gardening, and was soon winning prizes at horticultural shows, which over a lifetime’s work of over 50 years ran into the thousands. Henry became, “acknowledged as possibly the best producer of quality flowers and vegetables in the area.”

Henry shared his green-fingered genes with his brother Wesley, and together, they won the cup for the most points in Betley Show year after year. Mr Turner also acknowledged Henry’s contribution to the improvement in quality of vegetables in the area. Henry selectively bred vegetables from seed, saving and refining them. He developed his own variety of runner bean, and an onion variety (this I have also heard from a village elder – I wonder, does someone have seeds from the Betley onion?). A mark of his generosity was that he would give away seed to anyone that showed an interest.

Prize winning onions (not Henry's) at the Betley Show

Henry’s skill was such that he regularly produced beans with pods up to 24” (60cm), and whopping onions that tipped the scales at 5lbs (2.26k). In the hands of other gardeners, the veg grown from his seeds won prizes up and down the country.

As well as gardening, Henry was a sought-after speaker at horticultural societies, and was invited to judge at shows at Hanley, Newcastle, Newcastle, Dimsdale, Whitmore, Woore and Stoke-on-Trent.

In the loveliest part of the letter, Mr Turner describes Henry’s character,

“Henry Brassington will be mainly remembered for…his generosity...I don’t think anyone visited his garden without being given something. Apart from the runner bean and onion seed he gave away annually; he also rooted several thousand chrysanthemum plants which he would give away to people who couldn’t afford them.”

He comes across as not just a brilliant gardener, but a really lovely bloke, to boot. It makes me feel immensely proud that he started his gardening journey at Betley Court. And though a kind and thoughtful tribute in a local newspaper, we know a little more about our gardening history.

All best wishes

Ladybird Su

* Evening Sentinel, Monday 8 February 1986