RUSHED BACK TO LISTEN LIVE TO BBC 4'S 'GARDENERS QUESTION-TIME'

Good programme today and even better when Warley Place was visited by one of the BBC 4's Gardeners' Question-time team. Obviously, the one-time owner of the mansion was discussed - Miss Ellen Willmott of Warley. He was joined by the author of the new book about this famous lady. It was interesting to meet Sandra Lawrence last month when she was guest author at our Essex Book Festival event held at the fabulous Hylands House, Chelmsford.  

As an author ( keen on gardening), I, too, have studied the life of this great horticulturist  Ellen Willmott, having lived fairly close to Warley Place. As a member of the Brentwood Guild of Gardeners, I enjoyed having contact with the original author of Ellen's life (Audrey le Lievre) published in 1980. 

This was before the gardens came under the control of the Essex Wildlife Trust. In those days, we and our small children would make our way up to Warley Place and the kids were instructed to pick out all the encroaching sycamore plant-lets at ten pence for ten weeds (monies were then donated to the local Samaritans).

The voluntary team members looking after Warley Place have always been so interesting and welcoming when I've paid my odd little visits from time to time. I enjoyed watching Len and friends building a very neat wall at one time - very expertly! 

They were all included in my history column for the Brentwood Weekly News following my visit.  Think I'll take a trip up there again soon to see how some of my favourite trees and shrubs are getting on.