Ryton: The early years
Until 2003, Jackie Gear MBE and Alan Gear MBE, as Executive Director and Chief Executive, led the Henry Doubleday Research Association (HDRA), now Garden Organic. We asked Jackie Gear to condense HDRA's first 10 years at Garden Organic Ryton into 1,000 words. What follows is Jackie's potted history of the early years at Ryton.
Garden Organic Ryton in 1984
In the spring of 1984 we took over our new site in Warwickshire. It had a farmhouse, which we could turn into offices, a stable block, a barn, and 20 acres of grassland to convert into demonstration gardens.
Hills, Gears, and Pears
A bungalow was built for Lawrence and Cherry, and he immediately got down to writing his autobiography, but they also enjoyed walking around the grounds talking to the new head gardener, Sue Stickland. We were lucky to have persuaded this dedicated professional to join us, and with a Manpower Services team of youngsters to help, she and her new deputy, Bob Sherman, really got things going.
Division of labour
Although Lawrence was the director, in reality it fell to Alan and to me to run the organization and to oversee the development of the new site. Alan concentrated on the administration, and supporting Sue and her gardeners, and we recruited staff locally. I set up the office in the original farmhouse, established the shop and café, and got on with marketing and fundraising – making sure that everything was as "green" as possible.
We took over the reins officially in 1986 when Lawrence retired, knowing that in creating demonstration gardens we were one step further forward in fulfilling Lawrence's dream of turning the whole world organic – a vision also shared by Alan, Pauline, Sue, and myself.
Opening the doors – and gardens
In the summer of 1986, just as I had hoped, Ryton Gardens opened officially with lots of publicity, thanks in no small way to the presence of actress Thelma Barlow, the ever-popular "Mavis" in Coronation Street. From that point on, anyone who wanted to learn about organic gardening could visit us to gain that knowledge, through the interesting and attractive horticultural displays, down-to-earth information boards, and our volunteers' enjoyable guided tours. Beautifully cooked organic food in the café, which was listed in the Good Food Guide, and a shop in which to buy seeds and other organic gardening products made the visit complete. Visitors came in droves.
TV presenters Pauline, Alan, Jackie, Sue, and Bob:
the All Muck and Magic TV team
© HTV West
Television fame
That same year we were asked to take part in a new organic gardening TV series All Muck and Magic. Alan, Pauline, Sue, Bob, and I were the presenters and, much to our amazement, it became so popular that it was one of Channel 4's top five programmes, attracting 3.5 million viewers a week. We went on to make two more series, including visiting the gardens of HDRA members throughout the UK, among them a young, and then unknown, Bob Flowerdew. We were spreading the organic gardening message to a mass audience at last.
New research
In 1987, Dr Margi Lennartsson joined us and set up the research department to find ways of improving commercial organic horticulture. Thanks to her, this work gained enormous respect from both the scientific establishment and the growers.
Organic food and wine
As time went on, I also wanted to promote organic food and wine more widely, and so we organized our National Organic Food and Wine Fairs, which were enjoyed by thousands of visitors over many joyful summers, bringing organic produce to the attention of the public at large for the first time. Happy days!
Garden Organic's patron
Meanwhile, we were very pleased when The Prince of Wales agreed to become HDRA's patron. His Royal Highness has been a truly amazing supporter, helping us time after time, introducing us to potential funders, and putting us in touch with other people who could help our cause. Lawrence was thrilled at this Royal endorsement of the organization that he had founded, and he was introduced to The Prince during his first visit to Ryton in 1989.
Cherry Hills
Sad times
Unfortunately, by this time Cherry was seriously ill, and when she died a few months later, Lawrence was heartbroken. He was never able to come to terms with her loss and passed away the following year – a truly sad occasion.
Going international
Lawrence had always been keen on helping people in the developing world, believing that, though short-term food aid was essential, only a long-term solution would enable them to become self-sufficient. With help from Phil Harris, a talented academic from Coventry University, we set up a new overseas department, concentrating initially on reforestation of arid lands. This work was funded for decades by Leslie Marr, a benefactor to whom we are indebted. Lawrence would have been pleased that countless millions of trees have been planted in Africa, and across the world, as a result.
Great team and great successes
Over the years a fantastic esprit-de-corps developed at Ryton. The staff turnover was low and their dedication was second to none, enabling the organization to lay down a firm organic foundation in Britain. Indeed, this underpinning of hard, practical information on environmentally friendly growing is still standing the country in good stead.
Unfortunately, I have only had space to mention briefly some of the projects HDRA undertook during this busy period. Suffice to say that, by the mid 1990s, HDRA was thriving. It had more than 90 affiliated local groups, a much larger restaurant and shop, and a new conference centre – the venue for a string of prestigious national events. All this despite having to weather two severe national recessions.
HDRA was now the largest organization by far in the organic movement, with over 20,000 enthusiastic members, thanks to whose support we could take the much-needed organic philosophy to the next generation of gardeners.
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