Film-makers dig into Dorothy Clive Garden's past
A couple who had their first date at the Dorothy Clive Garden returned 50 years later to tell their story.
Their story was just one of the many tale's told at an event at the garden in Willoughbridge, Market Drayton, as part of a major heritage project.
Last year the garden was awarded lottery funding to celebrate its 60th anniversary and the the Dorothy Clive team decided to use the money to dig into the garden's past and create something for the future.
Staff invited the public along on Sunday afternoon to share their own personal memories.
These will be incorporated into a heritage trail around the grounds and will inspire a film being made by New Vic Youth Theatre.
Curator Kathryn Robey said: "It was a wonderful day and there was such a good turnout of people coming in with different stories we had never heard before.
"We had one couple who came here on their first date and had come back 50 years later to tell our film-makers about it. There was another lady whose father used to be a curator here. She had lots of good stories to tell.
"And the young people from New Vic were just delightful. They have lots to go away and work with - as do we."
The idea for the garden began in 1940 by Colonel Harry Clive who wanted to provide his ailing wife Dorothy with a ‘series of interesting walks’ as she battled with Parkinson’s disease.
Dorothy died in 1942 but Colonel Clive continued work throughout the 1940s and 1950s to bring the garden to fruition.
Anyone who could not attend can hand stories in at the Dorothy Clive tea room or email info@dorothyclivegarden.co.uk before March 4.
The garden hopes to show the film this summer as part of a launch event.
