Denis – Our Favourite Gardener
How veteran gardener, Denis Yeo, lost his job and swiftly got it back, with a little help from his many friends. NICK GLASS investigates.
A week is a long time in local garden politics. Just ask Denis Yeo. For the last eight years, he’s been the gardener at the Grade 2 listed St Leonards Gardens behind the Royal Victoria Hotel. But he has had a topsy-turvy time of it of late. On Tuesday 8th June, he was told that because of his age (73) he was “vulnerable” and was being “shipped off” to the so-called ‘shrub team’ in Alexandra Park. Denis was very upset. As he put it, he was “surprised and gutted”. He liked being his own boss and was very popular.
Denis
CREDIT: Nick Price
Faster than Alan Titchmarsh (aged 72) could name his favourite flower (the bee orchid), park regulars spontaneously vented their fury on Facebook. “How can this happen?” asked Angela Baker incredulously, “Denis is the park!”. And among comments, “Another older person let down badly by an employer. Ageism by the back door.” (Jackie Mulholland); “Shame on his employers if he wasn’t consulted or listened to.” (Glenis Malone).
LOCALS FIGHT BACK
Outraged emails were sent to Denis’s line manager, Paul Meek, at idverde, the international company contracted to look after our green spaces. Mr Meek replied: “This is not a decision that we made lightly, but it is the best decision for all parties and was made in coinsolitation (sic) with our HR Department.” Follow-up emails to Mr Meek met with no response.
But on Tuesday 15th June we heard on the grapevine that Denis was being temporarily re-instated to work alongside another gardener, his eventual replacement, John Draper, aged 47. Park regulars were thrilled and relieved, even if Denis would only be back for a few months.
But some of us remain puzzled. Was idverde trying to nudge Denis into retirement by moving him to Alexandra Park? By law, they aren’t able to sack him on age grounds. (Denis had neglected to tell them that he was thinking about retiring anyway; he was fed up with working in the winter.) But perhaps a more pertinent question is this: “Were idverde or Hastings Council aware of the fierce community spirit centred around Denis, the dog walkers and the Gardens?” It seems not. The Council’s Parks and Gardens contracts officer, Samantha Russell, wasn’t prepared to comment.
Talking to the community
CREDIT: Nick Price
A BIT OF BACKGROUND
Ever since Denis arrived eight years ago, it’s felt as if Santa Claus had taken up residence in the park. He always sported a hat, a fine droopy white moustache – as well as prickly white chin bristles that made you wonder whether a little bit of porcupine had somehow crept into his DNA. He was always smiling and laughing, ready to exchange a pleasantry. The Gardens Notice Board, faded with age, paid tribute: “Our excellent gardener, rain or shine – dividing and replanting herbaceous perennials.” (Though his name was spelt with an extra ‘n’ as ‘Dennis’.)
“As soon as I saw this park, it felt like a natural fit for me,” Denis explained during his week of limbo. “Such a nice village atmosphere, such a nice peaceful garden. I know everybody. We are all friendly. It’s a friendly park.” He took pride in his work. Under Denis’s stewardship, the Gardens regularly received the Green Flag award, the national benchmark for well-kept public gardens. But Denis was more than just a gardener. Christine Francis of Friends of St Leonards Gardens says that he was “simply brilliant, his presence made the Gardens one of the safest local places to walk a dog”.
Working on the seafront
CREDIT: Nick Price
Yeo is a West Country name, but Denis moved down to Hastings from Ealing, London – when he was in his 40s. He worked initially as a gravedigger at the cemetery on the Ridge for 20 years. He took up his job at St Leonards Gardens at an age when most people retire, in his mid-60s. (It was a condition of the £1 million lottery grant in 2006 that there was a designated gardener.) Denis kept the borders well weeded and pruned – others helped with the grass cutting and planting. He cleared up the litter and dog poo and rescued terrapins from the pond. Earlier this month, he retrieved the body of a drowned young fox from under the water lilies.
Denis also kept an eye on visiting birdlife and kept everyone informed: the solitary kingfisher always arriving in spring and staying for a couple of months; the cormorant which gorged itself on small fish in the pond. More recently, Denis helped out a woman who’d waded into the pond fully clothed to stop her dog from attacking the moorhens.
Striding through the gardens
CREDIT: Nick Price
THE REPRIEVE?
On what was supposed to be his last day (Friday 11th June), Denis was putting on a brave face and joshing with his friend, Carl Lloyd-Williams (75 and former groundsman at Lord’s). Denis and Carl make for an entertaining comedy double act. On request, they reeled off the names of visiting dogs (past and present) and their respective owners: Shadow (Martin), Storm (Claire), Hendrix (Caroline), Hugo (Fenella), Corky (Tom), Terry (Tim), Beano (Tessa) and Holly – RIP – ( Brenda). And, of course, not forgetting Harry (Michael). Poor old Harry, they lamented, he’d always had the shakes.
Denis and Carl also have private nicknames for some of the regulars, but Denis couldn’t find fault with anyone, even saying: “99 per cent of the dog owners picked up the poo.” He’d loved working in the park, saying wistfully, “I like it all.”
At the time of writing, Thursday 17th June, Denis still hadn’t returned to St Leonards Gardens. By chance, we spotted him working on the flowerbeds along the seafront by the pier. He didn’t seem to be very happy. A stand-off appears to have developed between gardener and employer. Denis has been told that he can return to the Gardens once he’s given them a leaving date. “Held to ransom,” was the muttered comment of one of his fellow gardeners.
Denis is still mulling things over, evidently a bit wounded by the way he’s been treated. But he also wanted to say that he and his family had been hugely touched by the kindness and support of St Leonards Gardens regulars. Privately, he’s thinking of calling it a day at the end of September – but don’t tell Mr Meek at idverde.
idverde’s ten-year contract with the Council is due to end next year. The Council won’t divulge what the contract is worth. Might we offer a word of advice for Mr Meek? If you are thinking about a retirement present for Denis later this year – and you should be – his favourite tipple is Famous Grouse whisky. If you are feeling generous, they are available in 4.5 litre bottles (£100+). It’s the least he deserves.
POSTSCRIPT
We have since learnt that Denis – in his own words – “has jacked it in”. He was just fed up “with the aggro”. A doctor has given him one month’s sick notice; his left hip has recently begun playing up.
Denis’s last day will be Friday, July 16th when he is still on sick leave. So he won’t be returning to St Leonards Gardens even for a few months as we had all hoped. His wife, Marlene sent in his resignation to idverde by e-mail. She didn’t understand why things had turned “a little sour”.
There are already plans afoot for a party and a proper send-off for Denis. Any help or contributions welcome. Naturally, this will be a garden party. You can probably guess the venue.
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