Brian Halliwell: – [Heath 1940–1945]
We were sorry to hear of the death this year of Brian Halliwell, who attended Heath in the 1940s.
Brian was a distinguished horticulturalist, who worked at Edinburgh Botanical Gardens and then spent twenty years at Kew Royal Botanical Gardens. Brian had books published on the subject and also taught Alan Titchmarsh at one point.
We extend our condolences to his family.
With the passing of Brian Halliwell the world of horticulture has lost a most dedicated and influential horticulturist and plantsman. The son of a master butcher, Brian’s childhood home was in Manor Drive, Halifax where he lived with his parents and sister. He attended the local Heath Grammar school.
After leaving school he trained at the then Halifax Parks Department and was, amongst other things, responsible for the annual display of crocuses at Savile Park and for massed tree planting in Shibden and People’s Parks.
After a long and illustrious career in horticulture, he returned to his hometown of Halifax where he joined the local Antiquarian Society and Historic Buildings Society. Each year, he took pleasure in attending Halifax Choral Society’s performance of Handel’s Messiah at Victoria Theatre.
Roger Crowther