Winter 2020Men of Rochdale 2019: Paul Ellison & Ray Smith

Since it began in 1994, the annual Man of Rochdale accolade has been awarded to one winner who has made a major difference to Rochdale. However, in 2019, this changed – as for the first time in the event’s history, the title was awarded to not one, but two of the borough’s hardest working men: Paul Ellison and Ray Smith.

Despite a 40-year-age gap, both Paul and Ray are heavily involved in the ‘In Bloom’ initiatives throughout the borough, creating wonderful floral displays every year for the Royal Horticultural Society’s North West in Bloom contest.

Paul has been on the Rochdale In Bloom committee for five years, whilst Ray has been on the Pennines In Bloom committee for over seven.

Ray and Paul were interviewed by Michelle Kight at Rochdale Town Hall’s Clock Tower Dining Room before the national lockdown began in March 2020.

Born in Nelson, Ray moved to the Rochdale borough in his mid-20s. He held several landscaping positions at Lancashire County, Tameside and Salford councils, before eventually working for himself until suffering a stroke twenty years ago.

After “not doing much for a few years,” Ray hasn’t slowed down. He chaired the Friends of Hollingworth Lake, making a number of improvements to the area, before becoming involved with the Pennines in Bloom group, of which he is chairman. He stepped back from the Friends group after a mini-stroke, but returned as its chair in 2019.

Last year, Pennines in Bloom scooped their best ever results from the North West in Bloom contest. The regional competition consists of two judging days. The first is a guided tour taking in areas of interest in the area; the second allows for visits to community-based projects – entitled It’s Your Neighbourhood – that include local schools, allotments, health and well-being projects and conservation areas.

In the wider scheme of North West in Bloom, the main Pennines in Bloom entries were awarded an overall gold, following a host of accolades for displays at Hollingworth Lake (gold in the best large tourist destination category), Milnrow Memorial Park (silver gilt for small park category) and Hare Hill Park (gold for small park category). Wardle Village came away with a modest silver for best large village, and both Milnrow Memorial Park and Hare Hill Park also received a National Certificate of Distinction for Parks.

Ray beams over a coffee: “We entered 16 It’s Your Neighbourhood entries; two entries were new, so achieved levels two and three [there is a limit on the level awarded for new entries], three were awarded the highest level of five, and the rest were all fours.”

“I’ve been in horticulture all my life. I knew when I was eight this is what I wanted to do and was working on an allotment at 10. Everyone at school laughed.”

He quickly adds with a grin: “I knew I’d have the last laugh though.”

Leaving school with no qualifications, Ray went back into education, gaining his maths, English and science requirements before achieving his RHS City and Guilds, ensuring he has enjoyed many a year doing what he loves: “I still enjoy what I do now; you can’t beat it! I’m the first one there and the last away.”

Paul, of Norden, began volunteering just days after his eighth birthday – starting out with the now-disbanded Naden Valley Conservation Group – and he has never looked back.

When he was 12, Paul was presented with a Certificate of Commendation from the Rochdale and Oldham Groundwork Trust by Norden ward councillor James Gartside, honouring the four years of voluntary work he had then carried out.

A familiar face around the borough – especially in the village where he lives – father-of-one Paul can usually be found getting his hands dirty, whether it’s planting flowers and trees, to clearing fly-tipping and sprucing up unloved patches of land.

As well as running his own company, Evergreen Landscapes, in recent years, he has also become chairman of NEEVA (Norden Environment and Economic Village Association), the Friends of Norden Jubilee Park, set up the Friends of Ashworth Valley, and became vice-chairman of Rochdale in Bloom.

“We’d like to get back to the nationals again, definitely,” Paul nods, referring to the success Rochdale in Bloom enjoyed in 2018, chosen to go forward as the North West representative in the large town/small city category for the bigger Britain in Bloom awards.

Last year, Rochdale’s entry was named as the category winner after achieving a gold for the large town/small city category, the highest individual award available.

Paul tells us Rochdale has the most community entries in the North West, surely an achievement in itself before even considering the volume of level five and four scores awarded.

For 2019’s wider projects, Rochdale received four golds, a silver gilt, a silver, a bronze, an outstanding plus four awards for individuals.

He adds: “Rochdale in Bloom will become a lot more community led in the future, but corporate sponsorship means we have been able to do what we have.”

“We’ve been awarded the title for doing what we do, and we’re going to carry on. We’re still going to be active in our communities and will help out other community groups and offer our support in any way we can,” Paul says as Ray nods in agreement. “As Men of Rochdale, we’d like to get out and about, attend events and functions, and be seen together.”

Both Ray and Paul are keen to improve upon their annual displays, which bring so much colour to the towns in the summer, and recognise the value of their volunteers’ hard work.

“Work begins in the autumn for the following year, it’s not just for the summer. And we definitely couldn’t have such stunning displays without the dedication and commitment from our wonderful volunteers.”

“If it’s not broken, don’t fix it,” Ray chuckles. “We plan to keep doing what we do, and just polish up our designs so our areas look the best they can be.

“We want to improve our existing areas in such a way that people notice a difference.”