C.H. Middleton
Encyclopedia
Cecil Henry Middleton widely known simply as "Mr. Middleton", was a gardener, writer and one of the earliest radio broadcasters on gardening for the BBC
.
Middleton broadcast in Britain during the 1930s and 40s, especially in relation to the "Dig for Victory" campaign during the Second World War. Many of his wartime talks appeared also in print.
, Northamptonshire
on 22 February 1886. Gardening was the family trade. Middleton was the son of a Northampton head gardener, John Robert Middleton, who was employed at Weston Hall
by Sir George Sitwell, father of the talented trio of Edith
, Osbert
and Sacheverll
, all of whom Cecil Middleton came to know well as a child. On his marriage certificate on August 10, 1912 in London to Rosa Annie Jenkins, Middleton was listed as a Horticultural Instructor. He left Northampton to work first in the seed trade, then spent time as a student at Kew Gardens.
, recommended him to the BBC for radio talks. His first programme was on 9 May 1931 and, from 1934 onwards, he broadcast regularly on Sunday afternoons at 2.15 p.m. a series of gardening talks entitled In Your Garden. These talks continued until 1939 when the BBC and Ministry of Agriculture extended the series to include topical advice about what became the "Dig For Victory" campaign and launched the complementary Kitchen Front programme.
By 1940, 3.5 million listeners were tuning in to hear Middleton's 15 minute talks from the BBC's studios at Evesham
(the corporation having dispersed or evacuated many of its departments in wartime). These broadcasts, which were extremely successful and listened to both by practical gardeners and those who "only dreamed of gardening", were published in book form during World War II
and have since been reprinted. In 1942 research into listening habits suggested that over 70% of people in Britain with wireless sets listened to advice about gardening; of these, almost 80% referred specifically to In Your Garden, which was far and away the best known programme dealing with the subject. When the Allotments Bill was debated in Parliament in 1950, the Minister of Agriculture Tom Williams
recalled that "until his death [in 1945], Mr. Middleton stimulated and encouraged us all by his avuncular advice every Sunday after lunch".
In addition to giving practical advice, Middleton was unafraid to confront issues of public policy: for example, as early as 1940, he was concerned that the Dig for Victory campaign was focused too much on urban areas, thus tending to overlook the contribution of rural gardeners who often had more space available, with the potential for greater yields. He was also comparatively adventurous for his time, for example, advising listeners in 1940 to sow a row of garlic
. However, although his influence on wartime food cultivation was considerable, Middleton's personal passion was for flowers, one colleague later remarking that "he could not love an onion
where a dahlia
might grow".
in the first month of the BBC's official television service. After the suspension of television on the outbreak of war in 1939, he never used that medium again.
on the basis that "he is an amateur expert".
and was also an advisor and writer for publications by Boots
stores, which promoted itself as 'The Gardener's Chemist'. He also appeared in British Pathe Newsreels. Other films included Ministry of Information film shorts such as Blitz on Bugs as a voice or in animated cartoon form.
Middleton was the first in a long line of British "celebrity" gardeners, from Percy Thrower
to Geoff Hamilton
and Alan Titchmarsh
, who became famous through radio or television. He received much fan mail and letters relating to gardening, and listeners and readers contributed by public subscription towards a set of memorial gates to his radio garden allotment in London near the Old Langham Hotel in London. These have since been moved to BBC Written Archives Centre at Caversham
, near Reading. Describing Middleton as "the Gert and Daisy
of the gardening world", historian Philip Ziegler
cited the immense popularity of his wartime broadcasts which "did as much as anything to convince doubters that running an allotment was a pleasant and profitable pursuit". Indeed, such was his contemporaneous fame that, in 2008, author Byron Rogers
observed that Middleton was "the first English national working class hero, apart from footballers and hangmen".
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
.
Middleton broadcast in Britain during the 1930s and 40s, especially in relation to the "Dig for Victory" campaign during the Second World War. Many of his wartime talks appeared also in print.
Background
Middleton was born in Weston by WeedonWeston, Northamptonshire
Weston is a village in the south west of the English county of Northamptonshire; it is part of South Northamptonshire district. It gives its name to Weston Hall, the home of Sir Sacheverell Sitwell from 1927 until his death in 1988....
, Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
on 22 February 1886. Gardening was the family trade. Middleton was the son of a Northampton head gardener, John Robert Middleton, who was employed at Weston Hall
Weston Hall
Weston Hall is the Sitwell family house in Northamptonshire.It is in the village of Weston in the south of the county. It was the home of Sir Sacheverell Sitwell and his wife, the Canadian beauty Georgia Doble, from 1927 until his death in 1988. It was there that he wrote many of his 130 books on...
by Sir George Sitwell, father of the talented trio of Edith
Edith Sitwell
Dame Edith Louisa Sitwell DBE was a British poet and critic.-Background:Edith Sitwell was born in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, the oldest child and only daughter of Sir George Sitwell, 4th Baronet, of Renishaw Hall; he was an expert on genealogy and landscaping...
, Osbert
Osbert Sitwell
Sir Francis Osbert Sacheverell Sitwell, 5th Baronet, was an English writer. His elder sister was Dame Edith Louisa Sitwell and his younger brother was Sir Sacheverell Sitwell; like them he devoted his life to art and literature....
and Sacheverll
Sacheverell Sitwell
Sir Sacheverell Sitwell, 6th Baronet CH was an English writer, best known as an art critic and writer on architecture, particularly the baroque. He was the younger brother of Dame Edith Sitwell and Sir Osbert Sitwell....
, all of whom Cecil Middleton came to know well as a child. On his marriage certificate on August 10, 1912 in London to Rosa Annie Jenkins, Middleton was listed as a Horticultural Instructor. He left Northampton to work first in the seed trade, then spent time as a student at Kew Gardens.
In Your Garden and Dig for Victory
Middleton's broadcasting career began when Colonel Frank Rogers Durham (1872–1947), Secretary of the Royal Horticultural SocietyRoyal Horticultural Society
The Royal Horticultural Society was founded in 1804 in London, England as the Horticultural Society of London, and gained its present name in a Royal Charter granted in 1861 by Prince Albert...
, recommended him to the BBC for radio talks. His first programme was on 9 May 1931 and, from 1934 onwards, he broadcast regularly on Sunday afternoons at 2.15 p.m. a series of gardening talks entitled In Your Garden. These talks continued until 1939 when the BBC and Ministry of Agriculture extended the series to include topical advice about what became the "Dig For Victory" campaign and launched the complementary Kitchen Front programme.
By 1940, 3.5 million listeners were tuning in to hear Middleton's 15 minute talks from the BBC's studios at Evesham
Evesham
Evesham is a market town and a civil parish in the Local Authority District of Wychavon in the county of Worcestershire, England with a population of 22,000. It is located roughly equidistant between Worcester, Cheltenham and Stratford-upon-Avon...
(the corporation having dispersed or evacuated many of its departments in wartime). These broadcasts, which were extremely successful and listened to both by practical gardeners and those who "only dreamed of gardening", were published in book form during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and have since been reprinted. In 1942 research into listening habits suggested that over 70% of people in Britain with wireless sets listened to advice about gardening; of these, almost 80% referred specifically to In Your Garden, which was far and away the best known programme dealing with the subject. When the Allotments Bill was debated in Parliament in 1950, the Minister of Agriculture Tom Williams
Tom Williams, Baron Williams of Barnburgh
"Tom" Williams, Baron Williams of Barnburgh, PC was a British coal miner who became a Labour Party politician.-Career:...
recalled that "until his death [in 1945], Mr. Middleton stimulated and encouraged us all by his avuncular advice every Sunday after lunch".
In addition to giving practical advice, Middleton was unafraid to confront issues of public policy: for example, as early as 1940, he was concerned that the Dig for Victory campaign was focused too much on urban areas, thus tending to overlook the contribution of rural gardeners who often had more space available, with the potential for greater yields. He was also comparatively adventurous for his time, for example, advising listeners in 1940 to sow a row of garlic
Garlic
Allium sativum, commonly known as garlic, is a species in the onion genus, Allium. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chive, and rakkyo. Dating back over 6,000 years, garlic is native to central Asia, and has long been a staple in the Mediterranean region, as well as a frequent...
. However, although his influence on wartime food cultivation was considerable, Middleton's personal passion was for flowers, one colleague later remarking that "he could not love an onion
Onion
The onion , also known as the bulb onion, common onion and garden onion, is the most widely cultivated species of the genus Allium. The genus Allium also contains a number of other species variously referred to as onions and cultivated for food, such as the Japanese bunching onion The onion...
where a dahlia
Dahlia
Dahlia is a genus of bushy, tuberous, perennial plants native to Mexico, Central America, and Colombia. There are at least 36 species of dahlia, some like D. imperialis up to 10 metres tall. Dahlia hybrids are commonly grown as garden plants...
might grow".
Early television
Television gardening broadcasts began on 21 November 1936 when Middleton presented In Your Garden from a purpose-built plot at Alexandra PalaceAlexandra Palace
Alexandra Palace is a building in North London, England. It stands in Alexandra Park, in an area between Hornsey, Muswell Hill and Wood Green...
in the first month of the BBC's official television service. After the suspension of television on the outbreak of war in 1939, he never used that medium again.
Relationship with the BBC
Despite his acknowledged popularity, Middleton's relationship with the BBC was sometimes a little strained and he was treated with a degree of meanness and condescension. For example, during a spell of bronchitis, when his talks had to be relayed by an announcer, his fee was reduced and, after his home was bombed in 1940, obliging him to live with relatives in Northamptonshire, his claim for additional travelling costs was dismissed in an internal memorandum as "grabbing". He was also prevented from appearing on the rather highbrow discussion programme The Brains TrustThe Brains Trust
The Brains Trust was a popular informational BBC radio and later television programme in the United Kingdom during the 1940s and 50s.- History :...
on the basis that "he is an amateur expert".
Other work
Middleton wrote for the Daily ExpressDaily Express
The Daily Express switched from broadsheet to tabloid in 1977 and was bought by the construction company Trafalgar House in the same year. Its publishing company, Beaverbrook Newspapers, was renamed Express Newspapers...
and was also an advisor and writer for publications by Boots
Boots UK
Boots UK Limited , is a leading pharmacy chain in the United Kingdom, with outlets in most high streets throughout the country...
stores, which promoted itself as 'The Gardener's Chemist'. He also appeared in British Pathe Newsreels. Other films included Ministry of Information film shorts such as Blitz on Bugs as a voice or in animated cartoon form.
Death and legacy
Middleton died of a heart attack outside his house at Princes Villa, Surbiton on 18 September 1945. Warm tributes were paid to him and flowers were sent to his funeral from all over Britain, although an obituary in the Daily Express noted that, ironically, his own front garden was noticeably unkempt. Middleton is remembered in the allotment gates of the Weston and Lois Weedon Horticultural Society, Northants, where he was a founder member in 1940. This Society still remembers him at their annual horticultural shows, as he did much to promote the horticultural shows and societies continuing in wartime.Middleton was the first in a long line of British "celebrity" gardeners, from Percy Thrower
Percy Thrower
Percy John Thrower MBE was a British gardener, horticulturist, broadcaster and writer born at Horwood House in the village of Little Horwood in Buckinghamshire....
to Geoff Hamilton
Geoff Hamilton
Geoff Hamilton was an English gardener, broadcaster and author, best known as presenter of BBC television's Gardeners' World in the 1980s and 90s.-Background:...
and Alan Titchmarsh
Alan Titchmarsh
Alan Fred Titchmarsh, MBE DL is an English gardener, broadcaster and novelist. After working as a professional gardener and a garden journalist, he established himself as a media personality through appearances on gardening programmes...
, who became famous through radio or television. He received much fan mail and letters relating to gardening, and listeners and readers contributed by public subscription towards a set of memorial gates to his radio garden allotment in London near the Old Langham Hotel in London. These have since been moved to BBC Written Archives Centre at Caversham
Caversham
Caversham may refer to:*Caversham, Berkshire, a town in Reading, England*Caversham, New Zealand, a suburb of Dunedin*Caversham, Western Australia, a suburb of PerthAlso...
, near Reading. Describing Middleton as "the Gert and Daisy
Gert and Daisy
Gert and Daisy were the two characters of a British female comedy act who are particularly remembered for their contribution to film and radio entertainment during World War II...
of the gardening world", historian Philip Ziegler
Philip Ziegler
-Background:Born in Ringwood, Ziegler was educated at St Cyprian's School, Eastbourne, and went with the school when it merged with Summer Fields School, Oxford. He was afterwards at Eton College and New College, Oxford...
cited the immense popularity of his wartime broadcasts which "did as much as anything to convince doubters that running an allotment was a pleasant and profitable pursuit". Indeed, such was his contemporaneous fame that, in 2008, author Byron Rogers
Byron Rogers (author)
Byron Rogers is a Welsh journalist, essayist and biographer. In August, 2007 the University of Edinburgh awarded him the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for the best biography published in the previous year, for The Man Who Went Into the West: The Life of RS Thomas...
observed that Middleton was "the first English national working class hero, apart from footballers and hangmen".
Publications
- Mr. Middleton Talks About Gardening, 1935
- More Garden Talks, 1936
- Winter-Flowering Plants for Outdoor Borders, 1937
- Colour all the Year in My Garden, 1938
- Your Garden in Wartime, 1941 (reprinted Aurum Press, 2010)
- Mr. Middleton's All The Year Round Gardening Guide, 1945 (reprinted Aurum Press)
External links
- Colour footage of Mr Middelton with Elizabeth Cowell at RadiOlympia, 1938
- World War Zoo gardens project blog
- 'www.wartimegardening.wordpress.com (modern tribute)Blog following Mr Middleton's gardening advice today
- British Pathe Newsreel link for Mr Middleton, Pictorial Personalities, In Your Garden, 1944