PRESTON'S answer to Alan Titchmarsh is celebrating four decades of rustling up flowers for the city.
Green fingered Alan Rampling, 55, has worked at the council's parks department since leaving Fishwick County Secondary School, Downing Street -- now St Teresa's RC High -- in 1963.
He cultivates 120,000 plants every year in greenhouses in West Cliff, Avenham, for making the city bloomin' lovely especially during civic gatherings and royal visits.
Over the years he has planted baskets for 40 mayoral balls and organised floral displays at two Preston Guilds.
But one occasion Alan will always remember is the time he prepared a stage for the Queen's visit to Fulwood Barracks in 1970 and a sniffer dog tore it to pieces during a security check. "We had about half an hour to try and restore it," said Alan, who is married with two children.
He has scooped awards at Southport Flower Show and Tatton Park for his floral efforts and has even swapped gardening tips with the late horticultural expert Percy Thrower.
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