Geoff’s interest in gardening started at an early age (he wanted to be a farmer) It really took off when his mother took him to their local horticultural show.
As a young man his main interest was motorcycling, this revealed a talent for mechanical things resulting in a career in agricultural engineering. However when he retired from racing he did not lose the competitive spirit and started growing things like sweet peas and long parsnips in barrels specifically for showing.
A few weeks before a show he fell victim to a careless driver. The medics saved his life but they could not save his leg. This resulted in an above knee amputation. While he was in hospital his son and daughter prepared and entered his exhibits winning several prizes. This was a huge boost to his morale making him determined to get back to his garden.
Friends and family looked after things and harvested the produce until he was able to return home. Then friends he didn’t even know he had harvested the potato crop and did all the winter digging.
Within a year with the new leg he was able to do his own digging but still needed help while he regained his strength, he actually found digging to be the best exercise to achieve this.
Geoff is a widower who lives alone he has a cleaner to help with the housework but he does his own cooking, the menu is dictated by what is in season in the garden. As well as all the usual fruit and vegetables he grows peppers, courgettes, aubergines and a fig tree this is to satisfy a penchant for Mediterranean dishes acquired while working in Greece.
To Geoff gardening is a way of life not only is it productive and rewarding, he says it's like having a family, you sow the seed and want to see them do well.
In some respects he has achieved that childhood desire to become a farmer.