Frank Taylor

The organisors of the first ever Gardening World Cup have been overwhelmed by the response of the Japanese public. There were more than 100,000 visitors in the first few days, which so exceeded expectations that the event has been extended for a further 20 days and by all accounts the crowds are still pouring in.

It would have been bliss to stay there for the full month, but unfortunately my life isn’t that Slow. On my return to an exceptionally cold and wet England I have been delighted to have been contacted by Angela Colley, a relative of Frank Taylor, after whom my garden was named. ​

I was pleased to have been able to tell her that Frank Taylor’s story was printed extensively in the Japanese newspapers and on TV, so much so that I was regularly stopped in the street by people wanting to talk about my garden and the story surrounding it. One of these was an elderly gentleman who told me in halting English about how moved he had been by Frank Taylor’s story.
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Angela sent me this photo of Frank Taylor, which accompanied the notice of his death in 1916, as unfortunately her local newspaper when telling the story of my garden had printed a photo of another soldier in error .