Fen Ben garden at Sandringham 2008.

This little article was triggered for the Inspire Networking Group Cambridge last week.

If the lady below was Julia Roberts, who I had light hearted banter with for 10 to 15 minutes, the only fib I told her was the woad plant in the Fen Alchemist garden was from the very spot that Queen BODICA harvested to dye her warriors with.

At the time I didn’t know who they were and they wouldn’t tell me, perhaps I should have gone to spec savers!

In 2009, we, as a company, had designed and built a Fenland Garden at RSH Chelsea Flower Show.

On the last day of the show, the Saturday afternoon, The Peoples Award was due to be announced. Everyone left the gardens and flocked to the centre building.

As I was walking away from our Fenland Garden, out of the corner of my eye, 2 figures appeared as if from nowhere! As I walked back, they were engrossed discussing the garden and did not notice me.

When I asked if I could help, they looked startled, but, started asking me many questions about the garden, after they had assured me that they were not media people. But, I suppose I was intrigued by these not unattractive, interesting ladies.

To cut a long story short, they got more out of me, about how the garden had evolved, than I had told anyone else, plus I had told them that Fen Ben’s mother was a country and western singer.

They were not very forthcoming when I tried to get more info on who they were and they became very evasive. I volunteered ‘Are you sisters’, this struck them as very amusing. Everyone else had gone, so there was no one to ask.

Then I said, to the dark haired one, ‘Come on, what do you do?’, but no answer. I looked back at the other one who blurted out that she was with The Telegraph.

It became clear they had told me a fib at the beginning, they were media people. In the end I got the other to admit she was in some way with the media, as she said I could compare her to Fen Ben’s mother.

I asked, ‘what sort of singer are you?’ She said, ‘well I was originally a jazz singer’, then they walked off.

They walked off smiling, I bet they were saying ‘what a right old fen boy, I wonder if he has got webbed feet. Did you believe half the stuff he told us?’.

When I got home, on the Sunday, the Kiwi staying in my house said ‘I was watching the show on the telly and you did not get The BBC’s Peoples Award’, to which I replied ‘No, James May got it for his plasticine garden!’. The Kiwi also said ‘Did you see Julia Roberts? She was heading your way’, I said ‘No’ and thought no more about it.

A few days later I checked out Julia Roberts website and low and behold she used to be a jazz singer!

Now let’s face it, the Kiwi who was a top World gun sheep shearer when I worked with him in the gang was always very prone to a few beers on a Saturday, he could well have mistaken somebody like Rachel de Thame approaching our garden, who has a similar, very attractive, bright smile to Julia Roberts.

Superstars of Julia Roberts status usually only attend RSH Chelsea Flower Show on members day Monday.

Thursday 9^th May, Bottisham.

Social media, shall we say soft sell.

Anne’s perception was that you have to be a leader to build a tribe.

The full on sales approach, i.e. I am. I have achieved this, this and this. My company is great. We are the best. These are all a Total No No.

The people, who will buy and sell for you, have to like and trust you, and, believe in you as a tribe. You have to fit the genuine ideology of the group tribe you put together, once the correct criteria is set, people who are less than genuine and only out for themselves will not fit easily.

Anne gave us a Test as follows.

List five attributes each of us could bring to a group.

Mine are below:

 I. My procedures are …………. until someone shows a better, more workable or simplified modern approach.

2. I put great faith in the fact that I feel people, of all classes and creeds, have a right to their own views and culture, often giving great strength to a group by a diversity of ways to problem solve.

3/4. A people person, with an environmental slant.

 I generally get on with most people at many levels, because my father was a butler for the rich and famous. As an estate kid, I rubbed shoulders with the ordinary rank and file, but often, hiding in the bushes observing World rulers, at times having interaction with them, clearly I was developing my environmentally friendly style too. (My father nearly got the sack, I was caught, scooping gold fish out of the pond, at Gatcome Park Estate, with my butterfly net and transferring them to the stream).

5.

 I have an imagination that can, sometimes, turn negatives into positives, see ahead.

Now the second part of our training did involve some fun.

Anne made it quite clear that we were a sad old bunch if all we had in life was our businesses, or we were selling ourselves as ‘me, me, me’, only hearing our own voices.

Our tribal leader told us, hear who has to be obeyed / hear who we are happy to obey.

Please form 2 circles, an inner and an outer.

Then, identify yourself to your partner on the inner circle. (I thought this was great, we are going to have a bit of a barn dance, I waited for the music, but, it did not happen!).

Now, the inner circle was instructed to confide their most memorable / amazing experience to their partner on the outer circle.

I heard some amazing stuff from the young lady who was my partner; she had met a Prince, who was ruler of a Middle East State. This handsome Prince became besotted with her, danced with her all evening in a romantic Middle East setting; finally, she had to turn down his proposal, as her heart belonged to another.

Now, that is the story as I heard it, but, there was more by the time we had all changed partners, repeating the various stories we had been told to 10 or so different partners, until it went full circle. In the end everyone was laughing, not sure of who had done what or what they intended to do.

 Anne had clearly achieved her goal by breaking down the barriers, even the archetypal middle class Brit, who had the uniform of Brit’s on the Costa del Sol, who started off slightly full on, is now eating out of Anne’s hand. Clearly, a decent bloke, listening and willing to change course if needed.

Also, we were getting to know each other’s personalities, for instance, the young lady who met the Prince, had a great personality, but she could push the boundaries a bit, when needed, without totally breaking the rules. She did manage to get me to tell one of my experiences, which, I believe was not in the rules of the game.

I had been introduced to a similar levelling technique before, by my Russian daughter in-law Ekaterina.

My son had ‘hopped’ it for three months, to film an overland trip from London to Beijing.

Just prior to his return, Ekaterina had conscripted me to arrange a secret home coming / 40^th birthday party.

We had about 70 people from all stages of his life, so many different factions and levels.

Perhaps a third of them were very reserved speed skaters and cyclists, who, just sipped their orange juice, keeping in their own little bunches.

Ekaterina had arranged big trestle tables in an U shape, in the garden, where she fed everyone. This feeding was swift and well organised, but, the stiff upper lip stuff was still apparent.

Now, Ekaterina clapped her hands to get attention, she made some speeches about her husband’s safe home coming etc.

Then, she made a little remark to me,’ we need to get this party going’, Ekaterina said, ‘Will you all listen to me carefully’, I had experienced Russian culture, where everyone is called on to make a speech, and this did happen but later on.

Ekaterina said, those with partners stay with them, the ones without partners turn to the person on your left, they’re your partner. When I point to you, both stand up and look at each other, first you will tell your partner what you do not like about them, then, what you like about them.

The horror on some of their faces was plain to see, but, they all, in turn had a go. It went down a bomb, in the end some people were falling off their seats laughing, what a party.

This slip of a Russian girl, not much out of her teens, had them eating out of the palm of her hand.

 I can totally recommend the Anne Hawkins, Inspire Group techniques training.

Haslam

Giles Landscapes gold medals originally frightened us off.

We purchased our bungalow because we fell in love with the building, but we almost did not buy because the garden was a complete disaster.

So overgrown we could not see out of the windows. We further became despondent when we hired various landscapers out of local papers who agreed terms, did some works, and then tried to move the goal posts when they were on site.

In the end we bit the bullet and went to Giles Landscapes. We always knew of Giles Landscapes, but the media coverage of high profile projects, gold medals at Chelsea etc put us off, we expected they would not be interested in smaller to medium projects such as ours, also costs would be prohibitive.

But from the original representative who called, it was simple, seamless and cost effective, plus a pleasure to have a great bunch of hardworking lads on site, from then onwards my only chore was to brew tea.

 Firstly, I got advice from them on the most cost effective way to go forward, which was complete clearance first, then look at what could be done.

They came in with a mini digger and stump grinders and, by mutual agreement, built a root atrium in an unusable corner by way of recycling waste for the wild life habitat.

On the second phase I had discussions on materials, at this meeting a scaled sketch up was done, which included raised beds and slab paths all the way round, building walls and quarry tiles in front porch and shed bases, plus turfed areas, this meant there was no big design fee.

Raised bed under construction

 The garden is the envy of our neighbours, giving us a comfortable feeling in the fact we now have what we wanted.

We ticked every box as excellent in the satisfaction questionnaire. Well done to the lads, they worked their hearts out, I can thoroughly recommend them.

To give us more comfort, Giles Landscapes are looking after the garden for a further season.

Frank Haslam

Just a few experiences we had in the past, 2009.

Fen magic, team work, blood sweat and tears turn to Gold Medal and Best in Show at RSH Chelsea.

Our first experience, at RHS Chelsea Flower Show, was way back in 2004 with our Gateway Garden, then in 2005 the Wild Life Trust Lush Garden, plus our designer Fen Jane, designed a show stand which we built in 2006. We are, probably, not the norm; we are a Landscaping Company with our own Design Department.

But, the travels of an old fen shed started for us early in 2008, at Welney Wild Life Trust, on their Fen Tigers Tale open day.

 Shall we say, the last original fen tiger was Ernie James, who earned his living Plover catching, Eel catching, Punt Gunning etc on the Ouse Washes.

Ernie James in 1975 at the Lamb & Flag, with the then Landlord Roy Stubbs.

This picture shows the local paper man and mole catcher, but also shows a Punt Gun on the wall at the back.

Prior to Sir Peter Scott starting the WWT at Welney.

 Picture of a Teal, drawn by Sir Peter Scott, in 1947, for my autograph book.

My path was to cross with Sir Peter again in the 60’s, when he opened the Welney Wild Life Trust. The locals had no option but to abandon their wildfowling guns for binoculars, then again when we were landscaping Oundle puplick and had to move the controversial, naked statue, reputedly of Sir Peter, a story went out in the paper that we had moved it. I got castigated by an archivist, who said it was an Italian Count.

 Journey of Fen Tigers shed in early 2008.

Ernie James Original shed

I am not saying my designers copied Ernie James’ garden or shed at Plover Cottage on the banks of the Old Bedford, but subconsciously there may have been a connection. My brief to them was, I wanted three designs to choose from. One was contemporary, one was a wild life garden, and the other was an old fashion fen garden.

I suppose I knew which garden I wanted to go for, even before the designs came back to me, perhaps I was biased, as the Fens have held a magic for me from the day I arrived in 1959. I think we tapped in to that Fen magic and captured a moment that time had forgotten with the Fen Alchemist garden.

We ran a prototype of the Fen Alchemist garden at the Sandringham Flower show in 2008, as the Fen Ben Garden, I popped up the night before the judging with Ekaterena, my Russian daughter in law, as we walked up to the garden I was about to tell the bloke holding things up in the garden to hop it, but what he said slowed me up a bit, his words were, ‘I say this is wonderful, complete chaos, just like my garden at Highgrove’, Ooops!

My daughter in law’s comments was it was typical of and reminded her of Belarusian datchery. 

I suppose the garden was designed by us, funded by us and built buy us, with no outside help, this, in conjunction with great team work and no single person could take the whole credit, plus life time relationships played a part.

I will just list a few of the people that were prominent, but you could say every one of our staff played their part.

 Most credit must go to my late wife, Sue, who worked tirelessly from the recession in the late 80’s to the late 90’s, holding the business together, setting the scene to move into a substantial company capable of achieving results.

Even after Sue was no longer with us, the fact we raised money for the Macmillan trust by building a section of the garden at WWT Fen Tigers Day, Sue was looking over my shoulder, it gave us great confidence in the potential of the garden on that little outing.

Raising money for The Macmillan Trust at WWT Fen Tigers day.

Our Principal in house Designer, Steve, who originally got us on the Chelsea ladder, plus his excellent concept design, especially the angle of the fence.

Plus, our designer Fen Jane, who’s brain wave to develop the Fen Ben to the Fenland Alchemist, adding the forge and the mystery and alchemy of plants, plus Janes tenacity, taking full charge of the last three days of build in conjunction with our principal landscaper, Sean Taylor, as it was sods law that Steve Hall, who had been studying at Writtle day release for the last 5 years was having his finals the Chelsea week.

 My old boss, Bill Gragg, farmer, ex Fenman, known as Old Craggy, I thought at first he had sent me to Siberia when I worked for him in the 50s and he banished me to the Fens, but his love of the Fens has made him drive up to stay the odd night every 2 or 3 months, which he still does in his nineties.

In fact, he and I spent a whole week, when he was in his mid 80s, searching every old farm yard on Romney Marsh to source the Fen Alchemist fencing.

On the very last day we hit gold, bingo we found it at Ivychurch.

 In fact, Mr Conway, ex RSH Chelsea gold medallist, said to me ‘as soon as the fence went up this garden is gold’.

Pictured on the right, my old boss, a few months ago on his last trip to the Fens.

My financial controller, Paula Heany, donated the bike from her own fen garden shed. Paula’s old fen tiger gardener had just died, leaving his tools and bike, plus the old mac and bits and bobs for the shed. She also gave us woad seeds harvested from hear own fenland garden.

Just look at the trip of an old fen shed on its journey from start to finish.

Fen Tiger shed first outing at WWT Fen Tigers Day

Sandringham 2008, Best in Show Gold Medal and Peoples Award.

The first garden to win all 3 awards in the history of the show.

Chris Beardshaw judging Sandringham 2008.

Alan Titchmarsh, RHS Chelsea 2009.

Helena Bonham-Carter and her Mum, RHS Chelsea 2009. Gold Medal and Best in Show.

Nigel Havers

 Below are some images of whats left of the Fen Tiger shed, just a heap of panels and broken posts.

The A1101 has been flooded for most of the time ever since.

Just a flash back to last summer, this girl, Gaby spent 2 days per week at Cambridge Regional College, plus 3 days cycling half way across Cambridgeshire from Burwell to Welney to work in Giles Landscapes accounts, often needing a change of clothes when she struggled through the floods daily. I did not blame Gaby for changing her job to Cambridge University accounts office.