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Gardener recognised by Queen for work he loves
Jimmy Mole at home with the letter he had to keep secret until the new years honours list was revealed.
VISITORS to Ford and Etal often comment on the chocolate box perfection of the area, which has been partly down to popular gardener Jimmy Mole.
A well-respected judge on the local show circuit, who also prepares the posy and headdress each year for the Ford May Queen, Jimmy was awarded the British Empire Medal at new year for service to the community.
A dedicated gardener, he has worked for Ford and Etal Estates for half a century, retiring as head gardener around five years ago.
“My son Neil is the head gardener now, he started work with me when he was 16,” Jimmy says. “I still work there part time, and I’ll carry on as long as I can. I like to be outside and I’d miss the men’s company if I finished altogether.”
North Northumberland born and bred, Jimmy attended Ford School before switching to Berwick Grammar School when he was 11. “I always wanted to be a gardener,” he says. “I started work on a farm and learned off the head gardener there, then when he retired I took over from him. The lads now do day release at college, but you just picked it up as you went along then.”
Jimmy began working for the Ford and Etal Estates in 1962, and was later head gardener there for three decades.
“It’s still a demanding job but a lot of the work has got easier since I started, because of all the machinery that’s come in,” he explains. “We have mini tractors now for example where we used to use wheel barrows before, it saves a lot of time!”
But one thing that has remained constant throughout Jimmy’s career is his love of the job. “I always wanted to work in a garden, and I still do,” he says.
His hard work over the years was recognised by his inclusion in the new year’s honours list, an accolade that Jimmy says is still sinking in. “The letter came at the end of November, but it said not to say anything so my wife Margaret and I put it in a drawer and tried to forget about it!” he said.
“I was definitely surprised, you don’t expect anything like that. It feels very strange - I’ve no idea who suggested me for it, and I’ll probably never know, but it’s nice that people think well of you.”
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Weather for Berwick-Upon-Tweed
Wednesday 22 May 2013
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 3 C to 15 C
Wind Speed: 23 mph
Wind direction: North west
Tomorrow
Light rain
Temperature: 5 C to 9 C
Wind Speed: 24 mph
Wind direction: North
