Ralph was involved in gardening all his life
As we opened Ralph Howe’s Memorial Garden on February 26 we reflected on his life and times.
We also gave thanks to the KGH staff and contractors who helped turn the idea of a memorial garden into reality.
Ralph first started gardening with his father when he was about ten years old in his garden and allotment in Woodford.
While at Thrapston Secondary Modern School in 1955 he won the prize for the best allotment plot.
When he left school in 1956, aged 14, he worked on a farm briefly but the dust irritated his asthma and a relative suggested that there was job opening up at the hospital.
He was interviewed by KGH’s then head gardener, Percy Chester, and Group Secretary, Mr Dowgill, for the job and started work on May 25, 1959. This was only 10 years after the launch of the NHS in July 1948.
He was awarded an MBE in the 1997 New Year Honours List for his services to healthcare and received his award from the Queen.
In 2009 he received an Excellence Award from the hospital for his long-standing dedication to his job. He got a standing ovation when he came out to pick up his award.
Also in that year he was nominated by the local newspaper, at the time the Evening Telegraph, now known as the Northants Telegraph, for an ET Honour for his service to his local community.
On July 5, 2018 – on the NHS’s 70th birthday – Ralph was honoured by the hospital with a park bench and cherry tree in the hospital’s Pocket Park.
A year later he received his hospital long-service certificate for an amazing 60 years of service.
Ralph retired in 2006 but immediately returned to work doing the same job but on a part-time basis. He was at work the day before he had his stroke. He died later at Northampton General Hospital.
One small memorial of Ralph’s work is in the garden itself. He spent some of his spare time carving mushrooms from off-cuts in the hospital’s grounds and some of (many) of these he made have been placed within the garden by his colleagues.
Thank you to all those who helped make the memorial garden happen
A huge thank you to all our suppliers and supporters for the Ralph Howe Memorial Garden who include:
- B&K –supplied all materials at cost and brought some materials like the astro and drains for free and gave free labour
- Cruise & Holmes – Supplied all the labour for free to Install the new door and frame, all the fencing, handrails and window filming and all materials at cost.
- Prime Electrical – Supplied and installed the external lighting and tree lights for free.
- Smarter Security Systems - Supplied and installed the access control to the door to make it staff only.
- Brunel Signs – supplied the sign and plaque with engraving free of charge.
- BMSi – Purchased all the tables and benching free of charge.
- MIS – Purchased half the pots, plants, and labour free of charge.
- Acorn Analytical Services – Purchased half the pots, plants, and labour free of charge.
- SHJ – Purchased the shade sale and install free of charge.
Also to KGH Estates colleagues Eddie Goldsworthy, Sophie Cross and Alan Collick, along with the building and gardening team.