Introducing Phil and Angela Dunnett

Hello, I'm Angela and was born in Manchester and brought up in Middlesbrough. I belonged to my local Methodist church, starting in the crèche department, working up through the Sunday school becoming a member on Easter Sunday 1985. In my 30+ years in Middlesbrough I've been a Sunday school teacher (3-7 year olds), Assistant Youth Club Leader (11-16 year olds), Church Treasurer, Circuit Youth Treasurer, District Members Council Chairman, Member of committees organising 'Look North 90' and 'Northern Lights - 2003' MAYC provincial weekends and local NCH Treasurer.

Phil was born in Colchester but lived in different locations within Suffolk, as his father was a bank manager and with each new position there was a new house. Phil's father was a local preacher and therefore he was part of the church from a very early age. In his 12 years in Middlesbrough he has been a Sunday School Teacher (11-16 year olds), Youth Club leader (11-18 year olds), Church Steward, Secretary of the Maintenance/Budget Meeting and member of committee organising 'Northern Lights - 2003'

We met at my 21^st party through a mutual friend, who had met Phil at Swanage, one of the Methodist Guild Holiday Homes. We lost touch and met again through another mutual friend the following year. Three months after we met we were engaged and three months after that Phil came to live in Middlesbrough. We were married in May 1992.

I started my working career for HSBC Bank Plc (Midland as it was then) and after 10 years took voluntary redundancy and started a nursery-nursing course. Due to a back problem through a car accident, I had to give the course up and then began my induction into the garden centre business, albeit through the accounts department.

Phil has worked in garden centres or nurseries all his adult life but it was during a four week holiday in Austria in 2000 that he told me his dream was to own his own garden centre. 3 years later, here we are at Ribblesdale Nurseries, Woodplumpton.

It has been an enjoyable 15 months, with long hours, no days off, excessive watering and not much sleep, but we think we're getting there.

Ribblesdale Nurseries, Newsham Hall Lane, Woodplumpton, Preston. PR4 OAS
Tel: 01772 863081
Fax: 01772 861884