The death was announced this week of Brian Gates, 80, son of the founder of Gates Garden Centre at Cold Overton, Leicestershire, and father of the current managing director, Nigel Gates.

The funeral will be held at Cold Overton Parish Church on Thursday (4 August) at 11.00. The garden centre will be closed for the day as a mark of respect.

Brian Gates was a familiar figure around the centre as it grew from a modest family nursery to its current status, following years of expansion, as a destination garden centre with a 360-seater restaurant (pictured).

The original business was founded by Brian’s father, Fred Gates and his wife Ivy in 1948 within a 19^th century walled garden on the site of Cold Overton Hall.

The centre’s modern layout is one of the most unusual in the industry, designed to meet the challenges of a steeply sloping site.