Barton Grange Preston picked up another award on the final evening at the GCA Conference in Blackpool when they won the prestigious Destination Garden Centre of the Year.
The team from Barton Grange were presented with the award at the black-tie dinner in the Hilton Hotel where the conference had been staged.
An overjoyed Guy Topping name checked every all of his team as they left the stage, and revealed what roles each one has at Barton Grange.
Guy's father Eddie said: "I've been attending the GCA Conference since 1967, missing only three of them, and I have to apologise for inflicting Guy on them."
Following laughter and applause he went on to say: "I am very proud of Guy and I want to thank the whole team for the job they've done."
It was the icing on the cake for the multi-award winning garden centre, which also picked up the Customer Service Award, the GIMA Award for Excellence in Garden Product Retailing, and the Environment and Community Award earlier in the conference.
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Cowell's Garden Centre at Woolsington, Newcastle upon Tyne, capped a fine GCA Conference in Blackpool by picking up the coveted Garden Centre of the Year Award...
Martin Cowell, who was almost in tears after winning the award, thanked his mother and father, and said he'd wished they'd been there to take the prize.
Later he told GTN Xtra: "I would like you to mention the strong foundation built by my parents Alan and Mavis since 1978 – without that our success wouldn't be achievable – and also my sister Jane who is often overlooked.
"It is a truly family business as the third generation of Cowell's will undoubtedly take over the business. There are nine grandchildren...and counting."
"Our platinum team is also deserving of mention, who again we can't do without."
"I want to thank the GCA, who we regard as being part of our family."
Earlier in the conference Cowell's had won the Ruxley Rose for the best planteria in the country.
Pictured: Martin Cowell (centre) with comedian Ian Moore and Will Armitage.
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Millbrook Garden Centre in Kent have won the Worral Cup for the Best Marketing Campaign or Initiative for their Millbrook Family scheme...
The Millbrook Family is: "all about us spoiling our valued customers with a whole host of personal benefits, rewards and suprises. We invite you to become part of our extended family!"
Posting on twitter today Millbrook Garden Centre said: "Celebrating today as we won the Worrall Cup for having the most inspiring marketing campaign."
Pictured: Comedian Ian Moore, Tammy Woodhouse, Sue Allen, and Will Armitage.
Taylors Bulbs were presented with the Haskins Stewart Cup (Associate of the Year Award) at the GCA conference.
Poplars pick up another award – Garden Centre of Excellence – at GCA conference
Poplars were among eight garden centres to pick up a Garden Centre of Excellence Awards. The others were Barton Grange, Bents Garden & Home, Burston Garden Centre, Fairways Garden Centre, Ashbourne, Garsons Esher Garden Centre, Planters Garden Centre, Tamworth, Squires Garden Centre, Twickenham, Van Hage Great Amwell.
Poplars were among eight garden centres to pick up a Garden Centre of Excellence Awards.
The full list is: · Barton Grange Garden Centre, Preston · Bents Garden & Home · Burston Garden Centre · Fairways Garden Centre, Ashbourne · Garsons Esher Garden Centre · Planters Garden Centre, Tamworth · Poplars Garden Centre · Squires Garden Centre, Twickenham · Van Hage Great Amwell.
The Bank of Dave is a highlight of the GCA Conference
Dave Fishwick, best known from Channel 4's 'Bank of Dave', was the final speaker of the GCA conference in Blackpool but was well worth waiting for, as he told delegates how he took on the "bullies" of the banking system by launching a bank for his home town of Burnley...
Dave Fishwick, best known from Channel 4's 'Bank of Dave', was the final speaker of the GCA conference in Blackpool but was well worth waiting for, as he told delegates how he took on the "bullies" of the banking system by launching a bank for his home town of Burnley.
Dave came from humble beginnings, starting work on a building site, but his passion lay with cars and he persuaded a dealer to let him clean up and sell an old banger. He made a £27 profit, which was enough to start trading in his own right. Since then he's become the UK's largest independent supplier and fitter of minibuses.
He spoke passionately about entrepreneurial spirit and what made him take on a seemingly insurmountable challenge.
With lessons for businesses big and small, he shared his four rules of business, and why you should "never take no for an answer."
 Other inspirational speakers during the second day of conference were brand consultant Alex Hunter (pictured left) and multi-channel expert David Oliver.
David Denny, Market Information Manager at the HTA, shared his knoweldge of UK demographics and trend online, while Mark Berrisford-Smith, Head of Economics at HSBC, spoke about Britain's economic challenge of sustaining the recovery.
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Millbrook's Sue Allen, who has been a member of the GCA committee on and off for 20 years, has stepped down from the GCA committee and said the time is right for younger members like her daughter Tammy Woodhouse to steer the association in future.
"Joining the GCA was the best thing we ever did," said Sue. "I've made so many friends and learned so much over the years.
"The GCA were amazing when I lost my husband Dick 16 years ago. People were really kind and supportive, and they helped me to face the world again.
"Tammy has taken over the business at Millbrook and she's as enthusiastic as I am about the GCA. I believe the more you put into the industry the more you get out of it, and being a member of the GCA is so important."
Sue addressed conference on Monday, speaking about the GCA Trust and its aims: to help students complete their studies in retail or horticulture. She introduced Lionel Smith, who was granted funding by the Trust to help him take a PhD at the University of Reading.
Lionel outlined how his studies had helped him to create grass free lawns made up of plants, which can be mown and walked on, and were great for wildlife and during drought-like conditions. He argued it was taking horticulture in a different direction, and thanked the Trust for allowing him to complete his studies.
Pictured: Sue Allen leaving presentation. Guy Topping, Sue and Will Armitage.
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See all the results and pictures
Barton Grange, Preston, were multiple winners when the Annual Inspection Awards were presented at the GCA winter conference at Blackpool on Monday. Poplars Garden Centre also picked up two awards.
The award ceremonies took place at the conference at the Hilton Blackpool Hotel where Will Armitage, Chairman of the GCA, said: “I would like to congratulate all of the winners of the awards.
"It is great to see so many people who are passionate about what they do and where they work and it is down to them that their garden centres have come out on top.” Iain Wylie, Chief Executive of the GCA, added: “Congratulations to everyone who picked up a prize during the conference, you are all very worthy winners and have worked extremely hard during the past year.” The full list of winners to be announced were: - Ruxley Rose (Garden Centre category) – Cowell’s Garden Centre
- Ruxley Rose (Destination Garden Centre category) – Van Hage Great Amwell
- Barton Grange Trophy for creativity and innovation – Bents Garden & Home
- Customer Service Award – Barton Grange, Preston
- Indoor Lifestyle Award (Garden Centre category) – Fairways Garden Centre, Ashbourne
- Indoor Lifestyle Award (Destination Garden Centre category) – Poplars Garden Centre
- GIMA Award for Excellence in Garden Product Retailing (Garden Centre category) – Planters Garden Centre, Tamworth
- GIMA Award for Excellence in Garden Product Retailing (Destination Garden Centre category and overall winner) – Barton Grange, Preston
- Dick Allen Award (Most Improved Centre) – Newbridge Garden Centre
- IFSE Award for Catering Excellence – Best Restaurant (Garden Centre Category) Poundbury Gardens
- IFSE Award for Catering Excellence – Best Restaurant (Destination Garden Centre Category) Chessington Garden Centre
- IFSE Award for Catering Excellence – Best Restaurant (Destination Garden Centre Category) Ruxley Manor Garden Centre
- Weber Outdoor Living – Best Outdoor Living Retailer (Garden Centre Category) Squires Garden Centre, Hersham
- Weber Outdoor Living – Best Outdoor Living Retailer (Destination Garden Centre Category) Poplars Garden Centre
- Environment and Community Award: Barton Grange, Preston
Earlier in the day the four GCA judges (pictured above) – Ian Boardman, Andy Campbell, Roger Crookes and Liz Hutson – showed examples of the best ideas they saw during their trips to garden centres.
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Work is set to start on the first phase of a destination garden centre, restaurant and display gardens at Probus near Truro in Cornwall this spring.
Trelawney Garden Leisure owners, Danning & Symons Ltd., which already runs the award-winning Trelawney@Wadebridge in Cornwall and Trelawney@Ashford in North Devon, will start work on the 11-acre site in March. Director, David Danning explained: “We’re delighted to be getting the project finally underway and aim to have it open in the autumn. The garden centre at Probus is an amazing project and we’re very excited about it.” The site is anticipated to create 80 full and part-time jobs and will have a major impact on the area’s economy. David continued: “Trelawney@Probus will be a gardening-related leisure destination and a centre of excellence for Cornwall. With the development of demonstration gardens it will offer the visitor so much more to see and do than a traditional garden centre might. It will attract people from all over the UK.” The environment has been given a great deal of thought and the site will use the latest technology to manage internal conditions in the buildings. The impact of the buildings has been reduced by nestling the site into the hillside working with the gradient. For more information, please call Trelawney@Wadebridge on 01208 893030 or visit www.trelawney.co.uk.
David Symons (left) and David Danning.
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See all the pictures
Fancy dress returned to the GCA conference in a big way for the Industry Networks Beach Party on Monday evening in the Hilton Hotel, Blackpool.
Ignoring the wind and rain outside, delegates got into the swing of things with a beach theme evening.
Here's a wide selection from the evening's entertainment....
£9,600 raised as Pansies beat Cabbages in 4th Annual Greenfingers Challenge Cup
A staggering £9,600 was raised on the eve of the Garden Centre Association Winter Conference at Blackpool when a team of garden centres (Pansies) beat a side made up of suppliers (Cabbages) in the 4th Annual Greenfingers Challenge Cup.
The event, made up of a series of fun events followed by fish-and-chips and bingo, was the curtain-raiser for the two-day conference, with all the proceeds going the industry's charity, Greenfingers...
See all the pictures
A staggering £9,600 was raised on the eve of the Garden Centre Association Winter Conference at Blackpool when a team of garden centres (Pansies) beat a side made up of suppliers (Cabbages) in the 4th Annual Greenfingers Challenge Cup.
The event, made up of a series of fun events followed by fish-and-chips and bingo, was the curtain-raiser for the two-day conference, with all the proceeds going the industry's charity, Greenfingers.
And it was the Pansies team captained by Guy Topping, from Barton Grange Garden Centre, which snatched victory from the jaws of defeat, winning by 20 points to 15, after being 15-5 behind at one stage and needing to win all of the final three games (5 points was awarded for each event victory).
"We were staring defeat in the face but my team reacted in the best possible way by refusing to give up," said Guy, whose team retained the trophy after last year's win. "I'm very proud of the team because everyone contributed to this victory."
Defeated Cabbages captain Danny Adamson, from Sinclairs, who helped to organise the events with Guy, said: "I'm disappointed with result, particularly as we were so far in front but we've had a great day.
"We've received the best support ever from sponsorship and also people turning up to take part. It has been brilliant."
It had been hoped to hold the Annual Greenfingers Challenge Cup on Blackpool beach opposite the Hilton Hotel, where the GCA conference is taking place but a combination of high tides and bad weather forced the activities in doors.
The first event - a relay race - did take place outside as competitors braced the biting wind to run up and down the promenade.
The proceeds from the day were handed over by Danny and Guy to Deborah Skillicorn, charity director of Greenfingers, who said: "It has been a fantastic day. The amount of money from this one event is outstanding, simply incredible.
"The money will be used to help build two gardens in 2014 at children's hospices in Essex and Yorkshire. I would like to personally thank the organisers, the sponsors and everyone for taking part."
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 HTA chief executive Carol Paris told GCA delegates about the Garden Industry Marketing Board, a cross industry initiative to promote gardening and encourage visits to garden centres.
Carol outlined the promotional calendar for 2014, containing events aimed at boosting public interest in gardening.
These included:
- The Real Poppy Campaign
- Cultivation Street
- Home Ground – a proposed lifestyle magazines to be sold in garden centres
- It Starts With a Pot campaign
Carol urged delegates to get involved in any one or all of the initiatives as the more successful the campaign become, the more people would visit garden centres.
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Millbrook's Sue Allen, who is stepping down from the board of the International Garden Centre Association, has urged members of the GCA to attend the IGCA Congress in Ireland in August.
Sue told delegates at the GCA conference in Blackpool that the IGCA Congress is a great opportunity to network with delegates from other countries and a chance to see garden centres in other countries. She showed illustrations from last year's conference in Melbourne, Australia.
President of the ICGA, Rachel Doyle, said the IGCA Congress is taking place at the prestigious Carton House in Co Kildare in August (10th-15th), and will attract 250 delegates from 20 countries.
Sue is handing her role on the international board to Paul Cooling.
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Jude Law, David Tennant and other stars present the Garden Re-Leaf Day quiz for 2014
Hollywood star Jude Law and Dr Who actor David Tennant (pictured) have joined the growing list of household-name celebrities to support Garden Re-Leaf Day’s popular Gardening Quiz, by recording a round of questions. The brain-teasing audio quiz is available as a customer event opportunity to any garden centre taking part in the annual fund-raising day in March...
Hollywood star Jude Law and Dr Who actor David Tennant have joined the growing list of household-name celebrities to support Garden Re-Leaf Day’s popular Gardening Quiz, by recording a round of questions. The brain-teasing audio quiz is available as a customer event opportunity to any garden centre taking part in the annual fund-raising day in March. The two stars join Skyfall’s ‘Miss Moneypenny’, actress Naomie Harris – currently on cinema screens as Winnie Mandela in Long Walk to Freedom – in presenting a section of the questions. EastEnders cast members Danny Dyer (new Queen Vic landlord Mick Carter) and Patsy Palmer (fiery market trader Bianca Butcher) have also lent their familiar voices to the quiz, in addition to a round recorded by impressionist Alistair McGowan – in the vocal style of celebrities John Humphrys, David Mitchell, Matt Baker, Dara Ó Briain and Stephen Fry.   
David Tennant, Naomie Harris and Alistair McGowan have agreed to support Garden Re-Leaf Day’s popular Gardening Quiz.
The quiz – which includes both general knowledge and gardening rounds – can be ordered by all retailers, suppliers and other organisations participating in Garden Re-Leaf Day; with funds raised going towards its chosen charity, Greenfingers. The production of the quiz and accompanying CDs are being provided by Garden Radio, as part of its support for Garden Re-Leaf Day.
The quiz is also a ready-made opportunity to boost customer footfall, as Garden Re-Leaf Day’s founder and Hillview Garden Centre CEO Boyd Douglas-Davies explains: “We’re enormously grateful that so many mainstream stars have supported this year’s Garden Re-Leaf Day quiz – it will be more popular than ever! It’s a simple way for retailers both to take part in Garden Re-Leaf, and attract scores of customers in-store at the start of the spring gardening season. You can make the event even more effective by running other sales promotions, refreshments and fund-raisers alongside. The organiser’s pack costs just £100 and is available by calling 01993 871456 or emailing pat@gca.org.uk” Garden centres and suppliers across the UK are expected to take part in the third annual Garden Re-Leaf Day, held on Friday 14 March 2014 and across the weekend. Participants – who can run any number of nationally-coordinated or local fund-raising initiatives – are being urged to register their involvement as soon as possible by emailing the organising team at info@gardenreleaf.co.uk with an overview of your planned activities. Your location and events will then be added to the Garden Re-Leaf Day website: www.gardenreleaf.co.uk. As in its first two years, Garden Re-Leaf Day’s nominated charity in 2014 is Greenfingers; the nationwide charity dedicated to building gardens in children’s hospices around the UK. Since 2012 Garden Re-Leaf Day participants have raised more than £116,000 for the cause; enabling several life-enhancing hospice gardens to be created. In December it was announced that garden centres taking part in Garden Re-Leaf Day can also win a ‘money-can’t buy’, footfall-boosting visit to their garden centre by popular ITV gardener David Domoney on Sunday 16 March 2014 (the Sunday immediately after Garden Re-Leaf Day). David is offering a series of 30-minute expert talks on that date to the garden centre that wins Garden Re-Leaf Day’s new, free to enter ‘Gardening Date with David’ competition – which has a closing date of Friday 7 February 2014. Any garden retailer registering their participation in Garden Re-Leaf Day by 7 February is eligible to enter. To register for Garden Re-Leaf Day and enter the ‘Gardening Date with David’ competition, email info@gardenreleaf.co.uk by 7 February with your garden centre details, also stating in 200 words or less, how you would make the most of David’s visit on 16 March as part of Garden Re-Leaf Day. The best idea wins him. TV presenter and gardening journalist Richard Jackson, an active supporter of both Greenfingers and Garden Re-Leaf Day, confirmed: “The quiz and David Domoney competition are both fantastic, easy ways of taking part in Garden Re-Leaf Day this year; benefiting both your business and the Greenfingers charity. Everyone wins, so let’s make this a record-breaking year!”
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