PHILIP TIVEY REMEMBERED

Philip Tivey was born in Leicester 1925 to parents who owned and ran a greengrocers shop in Melborne Road. His determination and competitive streak came from his father’s influence who had in his time many champion Dutch rabbits, including a European champion, then champion mice! And even a champion dog, he also won trophies for angling.
He played rugby at school and had a brief spell as a percussionist with a band in his late teens.
On leaving school and being very practical he started work at Wadkins in Leicester where he became a qualified skilled pattern maker. This was a reserved occupation during the Second World War as they were making parts for aircraft etc. so he could not join the forces but instead spent time down the mines in Coalville, returning to pattern making after the war had ended. He started to dislike being in a factory environment and craved for an outdoor life wanting to start up a smallholding.
He married Jacky in 1946 and they lived first in Thurmaston.
He had the chance to purchase the land in Wanlip Road in 1956 and went for it. To make ends meet he had to carry on working at Wadkins while he got the business up and running. He would start working when it got light, then travel by train into town, leaving Jacky to look after the chickens etc, do his time at Wadkins before returning to carry on at Wanlip Road until it became dark.
Eventually the business started to pay and he could commit to it full time. He started to grow many things, salad crops and pot plants, anything that could earn money. Quickly realising that flowers were always in demand, quite valuable and he could grow them very well. Dahlias and Chrysanthemums were his favourites. He would supply the wholesale market and also various shops, he saw that florists increased the value of flowers by making floral tributes, so he learned how to do this by helping out at one of the shops he supplied. He then began to do floral tributes from the nursery and he also got the contract to provide the flowers for E A Gambles undertakers in Syston, this he continued to do for 40 years.
When son Chris joined the business in 1967 they started to exhibit at flower shows, first Abbey Park flower show in Leicester, then other city and agricultural shows throughout the country. In this way they started to send many thousands of dahlia and chrysanthemum plants via mail order nationally.
Eventually in 1983 the company exhibited at the Chelsea Flower Show and then did so for the next 20 consecutive years. They have also exhibited at all the other Royal Horticultural Society Shows over that period winning many gold and silver gilt medals together with many best in show awards.
His life had some sadness as their third child Timothy was born with autism but they were determined to care for him at home for as long as they were able. Also his daughter Marie sadly passed away suffering with cancer in 2001 and his wife Jacky died in 2004.
Apart from the business which kept Philip occupied he also had time for his other great passion, which was breeding old English game bantams and he was a member of Syston Fanciers Society for many years, during which time he also did a lot of judging of the breed. He has leaves children Christopher, Timothy and Mark, four grandchildren and three great grandchildren. I am sure that he will be well remembered by a lot of Syston residents and ex-customers as well.

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