Page 40 - ALG Issue 3 2020

Yorkshire
Yorkshire and parts of Humberside
REPRESENTATIVE
Mike Farrell
Based in Rotherham 07802 196 688 mfarrell.nas@gmail.com
MENTOR
Tony Urwin
Yorkshire & Humberside 0845 250 1292 turwin.nas@gmail.com
A tribute to John Henry Marshall (1919-2017)
John always had a passion for horticulture; after leaving school he joined his stepfather in his market garden and landscape gardening business. During that time, he also studied part-time for a Certificate in Horticulture, awarded by the University of Leeds. After his army service in the war, he returned to his stepfather’s business. Around the early 1950s John gained employment at Hull City Council Leisure Services department. His duties included supervising allotment sites in the city, and smallholdings outside the city boundary. He initiated in assisting the tenants of the smallholdings
in applying and obtaining grants to improve their properties, in which he succeeded. During that period, he
also undertook part-time study, and achieved a number of City and Guilds certificates in Horticulture. Later he became the Allotments Officer for
the Council, including designing and supervising the layout of several new allotment sites in the city. He continued in this post until his retirement in 1982.
John was a champion of the allotment movement and was elected honorary vice-president of the Yorkshire
Allotments and Gardens Federation in recognition of his practical contribution to allotments. In retirement, the respect the local community had for him was shown by him being elected the first chairman of his local neighbourhood watch.
Family life was very important to
John. He was devoted to his wife Vera and family, always interested in their activities, and ready to help out with a variety of jobs. In his spare time, John enjoyed gardening, taking pride in having an allotment and the garden at his home, growing vegetables, fruit and flowers for family and friends. He also helped family, friends and neighbours with their gardens, giving help and advice on starting out with gardening, and those new to allotments.
Music and railways were other interests for John, having a 2-manual electronic organ at home, often taking it out to entertain at barn dances and parties. He was an organist at his local church and at funerals across Hull for many years, as well as being a member of his local church choir. John also enjoyed railways of all kinds, but whenever
possible he liked travelling on a number of preserved railways throughout the country, and he built and ran a large model railway layout at his home.
He leaves a daughter Ronni and grandson Tom.
Calls to 0845 numbers cost 3p (ex VAT) per minute plus your telephone company’s access charge.
Welcome to our new members...
Birchcliffe Allotment Society Byram Park Allotment Society Sitlington Allotments Association
North Duffield Parish Council 10 Individual Memberships
Socially distanced VE Day celebration at Victory Allotments
40 Allotment and Leisure Gardener