2021 News

Phil Dunnington - RIP

Phil has brought great delight to many balloon pilots over the years and created some great spectacles for many people at the Bristol Balloon Fiesta and during his flights.  He will be sadly missed from the ballooning world, his knowledge and skills were amazing.

I am so pleased I was able to share some brief time with him during a very memorable flight.  A great day out. 

Thank you Phil.

Parsons’ Pumpkin Patch - 07.10.21

Parsons’ Pumpkin Patch is opening their pick-your-own Pumpkin Patch on seleted weekends in October.

The small, family run farm in Milston, near Bulford and Durrington, is inviting visitors to come and pick their pumpkins for taking home to carve or cook.

It is opening this weekend, October 9 to 10, and will also be open on the weekend between October 16 and 17, and October 23 and 24. 

The pumpkins come in all different shapes and sizes and you can purchase as many as you like. 

Bill Bailey - RIP

Bill Bailey, 81, died on 19th July after years of service to the City of Bath's Parks and Green spaces.

I was extremely privileged to have spent over 20 years in Bath and spent many hours with Bill, working on some of what I considered very high profile events.

The annual flower show, the balloon fiesta, Bath in Bloom and the Southwest and National in Bloom competitions were always Bill’s favourite events.

Bill knew everyone in the city involved with these events and even made it part of his tasks to drive myself around the routes on the judging days to be able to obtain the press photographs etc.

He was also very heavily involved with all the ceremonial events, for the memorial days, services and parades.  These were a new venture to me but Bill was always very reassuring and introduced me to many of the VIPs etc present.

One thing I never cured Bill of was that he always introduced me as Mr Hargrave, despite many times telling him to drop the title, after all he was king of the knowledge state in Bath etc, I was just a junior.

When I started out in the horticultural world, Bath Parks was just something to always head for and look up to, as it was renown as one of the capital places in the Country.  I never dreamt that I would ever be working there, but I have to admit, it was all I had heard about it and more.

Bill seamed to be my shadow the moment I arrived there and to spend all those years there with him and his team was a real eye opener, he was so calm and helped me so very much.  As we were on our travels, he showed me so many places of heritage interest etc, , this made everything so interesting and could have easily been missed without his input.

Like others have said, he was always there helping, organising things and then he had this knack of taking a back stage approach and watching from the side lines, when he really was the one making things work.

A sad loss, but he will never be forgotten, as everything I have done in Bath he was usually there near my side.

These photographs were taken at the BBC live morning breakfast programme to commemorate the 50 years of Bath in Bloom and Bill’s achievements.  

Those in the photographs were Jekka McVicar Author, Broadcaster and award-winning organic gardening expert renowned for her knowledge of herbs.   

The TV interviewer was  BBC TV news outside breakfast reporter John McQuire.