In This Issue
Much loved industry figure passes away after cancer battle
OBE's for Colin Squire and John Athwal
Rachel Doyle of Arboretum scoops Retail Excellence Lifetime Achievement Award
Bunnings UK boss to take a three month break
New Year Greetings to all our readers
When will the For Sale sign go up at Wyevale GCs?
So what went on behind closed doors at the Wyevale suppliers meeting.?
Rising Stars 2017 - The final 12
Owners of garden centre face £21,000 bill after selling 'dangerous' items
Wyevale Garden Centres announces shift away from acquisitions
Wyevale Garden Centres named on 'worst to work for' list
Sad news - Alistair Lorimer dies
Durston Garden Products HOLD prices for 2018
New display ideas, new products, new suppliers at Bunnings first UK garden centre - GTN Xtra picture exclusive
Retail ops restructured as going gets tough for Wyevale GCs
All eyes will be on how Wyevale GCs plans to replace 'unsustainable' growth strategy with core business focus
Sir Terry and Mr M...unfinished business at Dobbies?
Mothers Day bonanza as garden centre records are broken across the country
We cleared out Homebase management too quickly, confesses parent company's new CEO
Carol Paris is leaving the HTA
Dobbies "gets together with Ocado to be the best on-line"
Nicholas Marshall is back in the gardening industry as CEO of Dobbies
Newshound finds Mr M has been busy recruiting 'experience'...
Terra Firma props up Wyevale Garden Centres
So this is what a Bunnings Warehouse looks like...
A bittersweet moment says Scott CEO as he announces UK, Europe and Aussie sell-off
Gardman reports £1.5m loss - but earnings soar by 50%
Blue Diamond buys Bridgford Garden Centre
Exponent Private Equity to buy Scotts business in UK, Europe and Australia
Brothers sell £15m Yarnton Nurseries business
Area Representative/Product Merchandiser
Get your own copy of GTN Xtra
Westland win Sword of Excellence with SafeLawn
Is this the smallest garden centre in the UK?
Glee to hold two shows per year from 2018 onwards
Garden retailers sign up to industry Xylella statement
Marshall's strategy for Dobbies to put focus back on plants
Woodlodge win GCA Associate of the year Award
"The Best Glee for Years" - Retailers verdict on this years show
"Xylella is the most serious situation I have come across in 32 years in the industry"
MEP's vote to ban glyphosate completely by 2022
Blisters, tomatoes, over 100 walkers and runners raise over £22k on Garden Re-Leaf Day
Coolings buys Potted Garden Nursery at Maidstone
Exclusive pictures from Bunnings' biggest store yet
New men at the top at Hillier
Xylella fastidiosa: how Italy has tackled the problem
Town & Country is sold to EP Barrus
Supplier rebates to exceed £1.5m for Choice members
"Garden Centre of the Future" planned for new outlet retail centre at Downtown Grantham
Bunnings UK No. 3 - Hemel Hempstead in pictures
Shoplifting costs retailers £800m a year says research
Scotts: We want out of Europe...but we won't give the business away
New trade show will demonstrate how to cater for vegans
Historic exhibition and new branding for Dobbies
Exciting new-build garden centre underway
Bunnings - Homebase - sales drop by £44m
Glyphosate licence approved for 5 years
2017: A year of transition for the garden centre trade
Top 50 most-read stories in GTN Xtra 2017
Situations Vacant
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Blisters, tomatoes, over 100 walkers and runners raise over £22k on Garden Re-Leaf Day
No 35 Most Read Story 2017. First published: Monday 20 March, 2017

A fantastic day of fundraising and walking across the fens and through the iconic city of Cambridge saw 105 walkers and runners, some in fancy dress, raise a record breaking £22.5k on Garden Re-Leaf Day 2017.

Sponsored by Scotsdales, staff at their Horningsea garden centre worked hard to ensure the event started with a hoot and a cheer creating specially designed banners and balloon displays all  of which added to a great atmosphere.  Cutting the ribbon to start the walk, Garden Re-Leaf Day founder and Greenfingers Trustee Boyd Douglas Davies, along with Glee's Matthew Mein who masterminded the first Garden Re-Leaf Day Walk in 2015, then headed off to complete the 20 mile route.

With support along the route from vehicles sponsored by Cadix Ltd, Quinton Edwards and Town & Country's Mark Butler and welcome refreshment points sponsored by SBM Life Science, the walkers were kept motivated as they faced bracing wind and chilly conditions. 

 

Cherry tomato runner Heidi Towse was the first 10 mile runner to complete the route in under 1 hour 45mins before going on to row 13 miles to make up an impressive duathlon.  Alongside Heidi, the Scotsdales team at Great Shelford clocked up the miles on a static bike as they collected money for Greenfingers Charity.



Despite taking a wrong turning, Team Elho was the first 20 mile runners in, closely followed by Matthew Mein and Briers Matt Jackson.  Lead 20 mile walkers, Simon Quinton Smith and Great British Cards Chris Houfe set a blistering pace, collecting their medals looking fresh and confident, closely followed by Gardenstores Paul Williams. 



Completing the walk, Boyd Douglas Davies  said: "What a great day, and what an Incredible turnout - the industry, Scotsdales and the Greenfingers team did us proud! Matt Mein, I take my hat off to, brilliant idea and incredible that he ran it!  Chris Houfe and Simon Quinton Smith -  who'd have thought it! Little did I know when I set off with them that they were both speed walkers. What an incredible Pace, blistering is the only word!  I'm chuffed to bits with the event, the spirit, the amount raised and my own result...8th, just 5 minutes behind the lead walkers...and I ache like mad" 

Goody bags sponsored by Hozelock and Briers and SBM Life Science, who also sponsored the medals along with a welcome barbecue sponsored by LOFA and Outback.greeted the walkers at the finish point. Other event sponsors included GIMA and Kelkay.

See the gallery of photos frome the event below and watch out for a special Garden Re-Leaf Day issue later this week - please send us pictures from you own events.

Eds footnote:  Sorry the pictures are not in order and that this report is late being published.  The walk was a truly blistering experience for me and I've discovered they don't make blister plasters big enough if you carry on walking for 12 miles after the blisters start.  That and our systems being down yesterday are my hopeless excuses, but what a privilege to be a part of a really great event and to do my part to raise funds for Greenfingers.  Bring on Garden Re-Leaf Day 2018!!  By the way our Labradoodles were only just getting started by the time we'd done 20 miles, they just got quite bored as I was walking sooo slow for the last 3 miles...  











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GRLD Walk 170317_GFC274.jpg
GRLD Walk 170317_GFC274.jpg
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