The founder of Newbank garden centre marked his 90th birthday with family and friends at a surprise party at the company's Radcliffe branch.

John Hartle was welcomed to the centre where offices had been decked out with with pictures showing how he had built up the Newbank business over 60 years. He was presented with a cake depicting his life at the garden centre.

The Radcliffe Newbank centre, which opened in Bury 30 years ago and now ranks in the UK’s top 30 independents, is one of four owned by the family run chain.

John Hartle starting life as a farmer, raising animals and selling eggs and dairy products, but quickly developed a talent for buying and selling land at a profit. “Keep buying land as they don’t make it anymore,” was his favourite motto.

Early and success brought Mr Hartle to Turf Lane, Royton, where he sold farm produce with his cousin.

On a family trip to Wales, Mr Hartle challenged a group of youngsters who were trebling their money by selling roses at a farm gate to deliver a truck load to his farm shop. When the roses sold out in two hours, he decided to start selling plants alongside his farm produce, and Newbank, one of the country’s first garden centres, was born.

A second Newbank site was built on a disused and derelict farm site at Radcliffe in 1986. A fire in 2003 destroyed the farm's character-rich buildings but led to an ambitious rebuild. Newbank  expanded into Dobcross and Halifax 10 years later.

Jon Bottomley, John Hartle's grandson and Newbank garden centre commercial director, told the Bury Times: “Grandad has always loved plants, not just because he's been able to sell them and make money, but he has always been fascinated by them and loved learning all the names.

“My grandad has always been an extremely popular figure with the people who have worked for him, his friends and the local community, he loves a joke, a good story and having a laugh with people.

“No matter how well he has done in life, he has always been happiest at work, talking to customers and selling plants, and he has provided an amazing life for all his family.

“I know he has been dreading this milestone birthday, but he has no need to, it is a celebration of the amazing things he has achieved and the fantastic man he is.”