Warner digs in to keep Allan growing
GARDENERS at Cricket St Thomas Hotel,Hotel Som-Som erset, have recently been on a mission to transform a local garden to give a very deserving person somewhere to recoup and enjoy ‘ me time’ over the summer months.
Warner Leisure Hotels searched high and low by asking people to nominate their local champion, which led them to Allan Clare, aged 73, from Chard, Somerset.
Allan was a keen gardener and vegetable grower until his severe arthritis stopped him being able to provide the fresh produce he prided himself on.
The pain he experiences in both knees also means that he can no longer take care of his garden, so it had become overgrown and the former thriving vegetable plot was no more.
As a surprise for her husband, wife Pauline sent the team at Warner Leisure Hotels a heartfelt message asking for a helping hand to give the derelict space a makeover.
Last week, Dawn Ashman, head gardener at Cricket St Thomas Hotel, along with a team of 11 from Warner Leisure, transformed the overgrown garden space into an easy-to-maintain and peaceful area for Allan to enjoy during the warmer months.
Talking about why she wanted to surprise her husband, Pauline says: ‘Allan never wanted to give up growing vegetables — he takes a lot of pride in providing me with fresh produce to cook with.
‘Eventually, though, the pain of his arthritis became unbearable and as a result, he could no longer manage the garden.’
Allan was whisked off to Cricket St Thomas and treated to afternoon tea while the makeover took place from 7.30am to 5pm on August 3.
Dawn says: ‘The plan for the garden was to bring the existing vegetable patch back to life, as this was such a significant part of Allan’s story and it’s very important to both of them.
‘We also replaced the broken archway with some new pergolas, and the broken raised borders using sleepers, reinstated pathways in between the raised beds, and did some general tidying and pruning.
‘There are a couple of places that we have turned into seating areas for them both to relax in and enjoy their new garden.
‘Seeing Allan’s reaction was overwhelming for the team and made all the hard work worth it.
‘We are so pleased that we have been able to make a difference by alleviating the pressure of keeping on top of the garden, and giving them both a space to recoup and enjoy some downtime.’
Julie Howe, head of culture and development at Warner Leisure Hotels, says: ‘We are always delighted to work with our local communities — it’s an important part of our company mission to be welcomed and valued by them.
‘Our gardeners are passionate about ensuring that our hotel grounds and gardens are truly gorgeous, relaxing places for our guests to enjoy.
‘The members of the Cricket St Thomas team are thrilled and proud that they could use their skills and passion to make a difference to someone in their town.
‘We wish Allan and Pauline many happy, tranquil hours to come in their new garden’.