Timothy Garden, Baron Garden
Encyclopedia
Air Marshal
Timothy Garden, Baron Garden, KCB
, FRAeS
, FRUSI
, FCGI
(23 April 1944 – 9 August 2007) was a senior commander in the Royal Air Force
and later became a university professor and a Liberal Democrat
politician.
Garden gained degrees from both Oxford and Cambridge Universities. He was a pilot in the Royal Air Force
for 32 years and retired as an Air Marshal
. He then moved to academia and was Director of Chatham House
before moving to university defence research. He became an adviser to the Liberal Democrats and was their defence spokesman in the House of Lords
. He was married to Susan
, who was made a life peer as Baroness Garden of Frognal in September 2007.
and educated at King's School, Worcester, Garden joined the Royal Air Force
as a university cadet while at St Catherine's College, Oxford
reading Physics. He was a member of Oxford University Air Squadron
from 1962 to 1965. He was a squadron pilot on No. 3 Squadron RAF
flying English Electric Canberra
B(I)8 light bombers in Germany before becoming a flying instructor on Jet Provost
s. He commanded a jet flying training unit, No. 50 Squadron RAF
Avro Vulcan
bomber squadron and a helicopter base.
Garden completed his staff training with the Army, and did a postgraduate International Relations degree at Magdalene College, Cambridge
. He spent three years as the Director of Defence Studies for the Royal Air Force, lecturing internationally on strategic studies. He was then appointed as station commander of RAF Odiham
, where he flew the Westland Puma
and Boeing Chinook helicopters. He then spent six years at the Ministry of Defence
on both the air and central staffs, including a period on the Air Force Board
as Assistant Chief of the Air Staff
. His last MOD appointment was as Assistant Chief of the Defence Staff (Programmes) with responsibility for long term defence programme planning for all three Services. He was subsequently appointed to be Commandant of the Royal College of Defence Studies
and was in post for the 1994 and 1995 courses. He retired from the RAF in 1996 as an Air Marshal
.
, London. From mid 1998, he was a writer, broadcaster and lecturer, and undertook projects for the British Government, the US Department of Defense and NATO. He was joint chief editor for The Source, an internet public management journal, from 1999 to 2002. In 2000, he provided advice to the Palestinian Authority on negotiations with Israel
under the auspices of the Adam Smith Institute
. He was Distinguished Visiting Fellow and Scholar-in-Residence to Indiana University
for the Spring 2001 Semester, and thereafter lectured there regularly by video. He returned to Indiana University Bloomington
in early 2004 as the Herman B Wells
Professor. He was Visiting Professor at the Centre for Defence Studies at King's College London
from 2000, engaged in research projects on improving European defence capabilities, Defence Diplomacy, interoperability for NATO forces and counter-terrorism. He appeared as the military advisor on the BBC television series Crisis Command
.
Garden wrote widely on security topics, and his publications include two books: Can Deterrence Last? and The Technology Trap. He wrote for a number of security-related projects, including developments in NATO, European defence, missile defence proposals and global security issues. He served as a member of the panel of experts for the UK government's 1998 Strategic Defence Review
, and gave evidence to the Defence Committee on the new threats after 11 September 2001.
, and was an adviser to the Lib Dem defence and foreign affairs teams. He was an elected member of the Liberal Democrat Federal Executive from 2003 to 2006 and of the Federal Policy Committee from 2003 to 2005. He became President of Liberal International British Group
, and also of the Camden Liberal Democrats. He became a Liberal Democrat member of the House of Lords
in June 2004, made a life peer
as Baron Garden, of Hampstead in the London Borough of Camden
. At the time of his death he was the party's defence spokesman in the Lords, and was a member of the Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Select Committee
from 2004 to 2006. He was made a member of the Select Committee on Regulators, and was convenor of the All-Party Parliamentary Group
on Global Security and Non-Proliferation. He became President of the Trading Standards Institute
in April 2005.
In 2005 and 2006 Garden played a leading role in a cross-party campaign to facilitate electoral participation by armed forces personnel and their partners. According to his obituary in The Independent
, cited below,
(FRUSI). He was an Honorary Fellow of St Catherine's College, Oxford
, a Fellow and former Council Member of the Royal Aeronautical Society
(FRAeS), a Fellow of City and Guilds of London Institute
(FCGI) and an Associate Fellow of the Royal Institute of International Affairs. He was a member of the International Institute for Strategic Studies
, the Fabian Society
, the British Association for the Advancement of Science
, the Foreign Policy Centre
, the Centre for European Reform
, the Pugwash Conferences, the UK Defence Forum, the Liberal Democrat European Group, the Centre:Forum, and the Anglo-Jordanian Society. He was also a member of advisory boards to the University of Hull Centre for Security Studies, the Königswinter
Conference, the Oxford Research Group, and the Cambridge University Centre of International Studies. He was a member of the DERA
Analysis Board between 1997 and 2000, and was the UK representative to the NATO Defence College in Rome from 1997 to 2001. He was Chairman of the Rippon Group, which acts a focus for EU issues, from 2000 to 2006, and was a Patron of Saferworld and Crisis Action. He was made an Honorary Fellow of the US Foreign Policy Association in 1997. He was a Commissioner to the Commission on Globalisation from 2002 to 2004. He was a member of the Beefsteak Club
, the 63/68 Club, the National Liberal Club
(of which he was Vice Chairman), and of the Royal Air Force Club
.
Garden retained his connections with the Services as President of London & South East Region Air Training Corps
and as Hon. Vice President of the RAF Rowing Club. He was President of the Combined Cadet Force
Association from 2000 to 2003. He was a Liveryman
of the Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators
, President of the RAF Oxford & Cambridge Society, and was also a member of the RAF Historical Society. He was President of the Adastral Burns Club. He was a Founder Member of the British Armed Forces Federation
.
, who stood for the Liberal Democrats in Finchley and Golders Green at the 2005 general election
. Shortly after his death, it was announced on September 13, 2007 that a life peerage was to be conferred on Sue Garden.
His daughters are:
He had four grandchildren:
a few weeks before his death. According to press reports, he adopted a very philosophical attitude to his illness, explaining to a friend how many of his fellow aircrew had had even less luck and were lost in their twenties and thirties.
The then Liberal Democrat leader Sir Menzies Campbell
paid tribute to Lord Garden in a statement published on the party's website: "Tim Garden has been an outstanding member of the Liberal Democrat team in the House of Lords where his wisdom and top level military experience were widely recognised. His advice to Charles Kennedy
and myself during the Iraq war was invaluable. We have also lost a close friend who was an unfailingly generous and warm-hearted man. The whole party extends its deepest sympathy to his wife and family."
Liberal Democrat deputy leader in the House of Lords, Lord Wallace of Saltaire
, echoed Campbell's words: "Tim was both an expert and a radical, he offered invaluable advice on defence and foreign policy. He gave the Liberal Democrats depth in criticising the mistaken policy on Iraq, which was vitally important. He was also a very active parliamentarian, leading an all-party group on defence and conflict issues and on the delegated powers and instruments committee. We will miss him immensely."
, Garden was appointed a CB
in 1992 and received his knighthood in 1994. He was appointed as a Chevalier de l'Ordre National de la Légion d'Honneur
by President Chirac in July 2003 for his work on European defence issues. Garden was elevated to the life peerage as Baron Garden of Hampstead
, in the London Borough of Camden
, in 2004.
Air Marshal
Air marshal is a three-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
Timothy Garden, Baron Garden, KCB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
, FRAeS
Royal Aeronautical Society
The Royal Aeronautical Society, also known as the RAeS, is a multidisciplinary professional institution dedicated to the global aerospace community.-Function:...
, FRUSI
Royal United Services Institute
The Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies , officially still known by its old name, the Royal United Services Institution, is a British defence and security think tank. It was founded in 1831 by The Duke of Wellington.RUSI describes itself asIt won Prospect Magazine's...
, FCGI
City and Guilds of London Institute
The City and Guilds of London Institute is a leading United Kingdom vocational education organisation. City & Guilds offers more than 500 qualifications over the whole range of industry sectors through 8500 colleges and training providers in 81 countries worldwide...
(23 April 1944 – 9 August 2007) was a senior commander in the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
and later became a university professor and a Liberal Democrat
Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
politician.
Garden gained degrees from both Oxford and Cambridge Universities. He was a pilot in the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
for 32 years and retired as an Air Marshal
Air Marshal
Air marshal is a three-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
. He then moved to academia and was Director of Chatham House
Chatham House
Chatham House, formally known as The Royal Institute of International Affairs, is a non-profit, non-governmental organization based in London whose mission is to analyse and promote the understanding of major international issues and current affairs. It is regarded as one of the world's leading...
before moving to university defence research. He became an adviser to the Liberal Democrats and was their defence spokesman in the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
. He was married to Susan
Susan Garden, Baroness Garden of Frognal
Susan Elizabeth Garden, Baroness Garden and Baroness Garden of Frognal is a British Liberal Democrat politician and member of the House of Lords...
, who was made a life peer as Baroness Garden of Frognal in September 2007.
RAF career
Born in WorcesterWorcester
The City of Worcester, commonly known as Worcester, , is a city and county town of Worcestershire in the West Midlands of England. Worcester is situated some southwest of Birmingham and north of Gloucester, and has an approximate population of 94,000 people. The River Severn runs through the...
and educated at King's School, Worcester, Garden joined the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
as a university cadet while at St Catherine's College, Oxford
St Catherine's College, Oxford
St Catherine's College, often called Catz, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its motto is Nova et Vetera...
reading Physics. He was a member of Oxford University Air Squadron
University Air Squadron
University Air Squadrons are training units of the Royal Air Force which primarily provide basic flying training, force development and adventurous training to undergraduate students at British universities...
from 1962 to 1965. He was a squadron pilot on No. 3 Squadron RAF
No. 3 Squadron RAF
No 3 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the Typhoon F2, FGR4 and T3 from RAF Coningsby, Lincolnshire.No 3 Squadron, which celebrated its 95th anniversary over the weekend of 11-13 May 2007, is unique in the RAF for having two official crests....
flying English Electric Canberra
English Electric Canberra
The English Electric Canberra is a first-generation jet-powered light bomber manufactured in large numbers through the 1950s. The Canberra could fly at a higher altitude than any other bomber through the 1950s and set a world altitude record of 70,310 ft in 1957...
B(I)8 light bombers in Germany before becoming a flying instructor on Jet Provost
BAC Jet Provost
The BAC Jet Provost was a British jet-powered trainer aircraft used by the Royal Air Force from 1955 to 1993. The Jet Provost was also successfully exported, serving in many air forces worldwide....
s. He commanded a jet flying training unit, No. 50 Squadron RAF
No. 50 Squadron RAF
No. 50 Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Air Force. It was formed during the First World War as a home defence fighter squadron, and operated as a bomber squadron during the Second World War and the Cold War. It disbanded for the last time in 1984....
Avro Vulcan
Avro Vulcan
The Avro Vulcan, sometimes referred to as the Hawker Siddeley Vulcan, was a jet-powered delta wing strategic bomber, operated by the Royal Air Force from 1956 until 1984. Aircraft manufacturer A V Roe & Co designed the Vulcan in response to Specification B.35/46. Of the three V bombers produced,...
bomber squadron and a helicopter base.
Garden completed his staff training with the Army, and did a postgraduate International Relations degree at Magdalene College, Cambridge
Magdalene College, Cambridge
Magdalene College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The college was founded in 1428 as a Benedictine hostel, in time coming to be known as Buckingham College, before being refounded in 1542 as the College of St Mary Magdalene...
. He spent three years as the Director of Defence Studies for the Royal Air Force, lecturing internationally on strategic studies. He was then appointed as station commander of RAF Odiham
RAF Odiham
RAF Odiham is a Royal Air Force station situated a little to the south of the historic small village of Odiham in Hampshire, England. It is the home of the Royal Air Force's heavy lift helicopter, the Chinook HC2, HC2A and HC3...
, where he flew the Westland Puma
Aérospatiale Puma
The Aérospatiale SA 330 Puma is a four-bladed, twin-engined medium transport/utility helicopter. The Puma was originally manufactured by Sud Aviation of France.-Development:...
and Boeing Chinook helicopters. He then spent six years at the Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
on both the air and central staffs, including a period on the Air Force Board
Air Force Board
The Air Force Board of the Defence Council is responsible for the management of the Royal Air Force.Prior to the creation of the current UK Ministry of Defence in 1964, the administration of the RAF and its personnel was undertaken by the Air Force Council, part of the Air Ministry...
as Assistant Chief of the Air Staff
Assistant Chief of the Air Staff
The Assistant Chief of the Air Staff is a senior appointment in the Royal Air Force. The incumbent is in practical terms the deputy to the head of the RAF, the Chief of the Air Staff....
. His last MOD appointment was as Assistant Chief of the Defence Staff (Programmes) with responsibility for long term defence programme planning for all three Services. He was subsequently appointed to be Commandant of the Royal College of Defence Studies
Commandant Royal College of Defence Studies
The Commandant of the Royal College of Defence Studies was a UK senior serving military officer between 1972 and 2001. The post rotated through the three branches of the armed forces in turn. In 1971 the old Imperial Defence College became the Royal College of Defence Studies...
and was in post for the 1994 and 1995 courses. He retired from the RAF in 1996 as an Air Marshal
Air Marshal
Air marshal is a three-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
.
Academia and journalism
Garden was a web-site consultant before being appointed as Director of the Royal Institute of International Affairs at Chatham HouseChatham House
Chatham House, formally known as The Royal Institute of International Affairs, is a non-profit, non-governmental organization based in London whose mission is to analyse and promote the understanding of major international issues and current affairs. It is regarded as one of the world's leading...
, London. From mid 1998, he was a writer, broadcaster and lecturer, and undertook projects for the British Government, the US Department of Defense and NATO. He was joint chief editor for The Source, an internet public management journal, from 1999 to 2002. In 2000, he provided advice to the Palestinian Authority on negotiations with Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
under the auspices of the Adam Smith Institute
Adam Smith Institute
The Adam Smith Institute, abbreviated to ASI, is a think tank based in the United Kingdom, named after one of the founders of modern economics, Adam Smith. It espouses free market and classical liberal views, in particular by creating radical policy options in the light of public choice theory,...
. He was Distinguished Visiting Fellow and Scholar-in-Residence to Indiana University
Indiana University
Indiana University is a multi-campus public university system in the state of Indiana, United States. Indiana University has a combined student body of more than 100,000 students, including approximately 42,000 students enrolled at the Indiana University Bloomington campus and approximately 37,000...
for the Spring 2001 Semester, and thereafter lectured there regularly by video. He returned to Indiana University Bloomington
Indiana University Bloomington
Indiana University Bloomington is a public research university located in Bloomington, Indiana, in the United States. IU Bloomington is the flagship campus of the Indiana University system. Being the flagship campus, IU Bloomington is often referred to simply as IU or Indiana...
in early 2004 as the Herman B Wells
Herman B Wells
Herman B Wells was the 11th president of Indiana University. He served the university in a variety of capacities, most notably as president and as chancellor. He was pivotal in the development of Indiana University into a world class institution of higher learning.- Early life :Herman B Wells was...
Professor. He was Visiting Professor at the Centre for Defence Studies at King's College London
King's College London
King's College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London. King's has a claim to being the third oldest university in England, having been founded by King George IV and the Duke of Wellington in 1829, and...
from 2000, engaged in research projects on improving European defence capabilities, Defence Diplomacy, interoperability for NATO forces and counter-terrorism. He appeared as the military advisor on the BBC television series Crisis Command
Crisis Command
Crisis Command — Could You Run the Country? was a 2004 BBC2 role-playing interactive drama documentary which was based on realistic scenarios and dramatised situations that Britain could face one day....
.
Garden wrote widely on security topics, and his publications include two books: Can Deterrence Last? and The Technology Trap. He wrote for a number of security-related projects, including developments in NATO, European defence, missile defence proposals and global security issues. He served as a member of the panel of experts for the UK government's 1998 Strategic Defence Review
Strategic Defence Review
The Strategic Defence Review was a British policy document produced by the Labour Government that came to power in 1997. Then Secretary of State for Defence, George Robertson, set out the initial defence policy of the new government, with a series of key decisions designed to enhance the United...
, and gave evidence to the Defence Committee on the new threats after 11 September 2001.
Liberal Democrat politician
Garden was a member of the team developing defence policy for the Liberal DemocratsLiberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
, and was an adviser to the Lib Dem defence and foreign affairs teams. He was an elected member of the Liberal Democrat Federal Executive from 2003 to 2006 and of the Federal Policy Committee from 2003 to 2005. He became President of Liberal International British Group
Liberal International British Group
The Liberal International British Group is a UK organisation which promotes the work of The Liberal International and assists with contacts between UK Liberal Democrats and worldwide Liberal movements...
, and also of the Camden Liberal Democrats. He became a Liberal Democrat member of the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
in June 2004, made a life peer
Life peer
In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the Peerage whose titles cannot be inherited. Nowadays life peerages, always of baronial rank, are created under the Life Peerages Act 1958 and entitle the holders to seats in the House of Lords, presuming they meet qualifications such as...
as Baron Garden, of Hampstead in the London Borough of Camden
London Borough of Camden
In 1801, the civil parishes that form the modern borough were already developed and had a total population of 96,795. This continued to rise swiftly throughout the 19th century, as the district became built up; reaching 270,197 in the middle of the century...
. At the time of his death he was the party's defence spokesman in the Lords, and was a member of the Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Select Committee
Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Select Committee
The Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Committee is a committee of UK parliamentarians. Members are drawn from the House of Lords. The committee has several primary functions.-Orders:...
from 2004 to 2006. He was made a member of the Select Committee on Regulators, and was convenor of the All-Party Parliamentary Group
All-Party Parliamentary Group
An all-party parliamentary group is a grouping in the UK parliament that is composed of politicians from all political parties.-All-party parliamentary groups:...
on Global Security and Non-Proliferation. He became President of the Trading Standards Institute
Trading Standards Institute
The Trading Standards Institute is the professional association which represents trading standards professionals in the UK and overseas.-History:...
in April 2005.
In 2005 and 2006 Garden played a leading role in a cross-party campaign to facilitate electoral participation by armed forces personnel and their partners. According to his obituary in The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
, cited below,
His great legacy is the Electoral Administration BillElectoral Administration Act 2006The Electoral Administration Act 2006 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, passed on 11 July 2006. The Bill was amended during its passage through the House of Lords to require political parties to declare large loans; this followed the "Cash for Peerages" scandal...
, for which he secured cross-party support to overcome, in the face of dogged Ministry of Defence opposition, the problems of registration and voting for members of the armed forces and their partners.
Memberships
Garden was a Fellow and Council Member of the Royal United Services InstituteRoyal United Services Institute
The Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies , officially still known by its old name, the Royal United Services Institution, is a British defence and security think tank. It was founded in 1831 by The Duke of Wellington.RUSI describes itself asIt won Prospect Magazine's...
(FRUSI). He was an Honorary Fellow of St Catherine's College, Oxford
St Catherine's College, Oxford
St Catherine's College, often called Catz, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its motto is Nova et Vetera...
, a Fellow and former Council Member of the Royal Aeronautical Society
Royal Aeronautical Society
The Royal Aeronautical Society, also known as the RAeS, is a multidisciplinary professional institution dedicated to the global aerospace community.-Function:...
(FRAeS), a Fellow of City and Guilds of London Institute
City and Guilds of London Institute
The City and Guilds of London Institute is a leading United Kingdom vocational education organisation. City & Guilds offers more than 500 qualifications over the whole range of industry sectors through 8500 colleges and training providers in 81 countries worldwide...
(FCGI) and an Associate Fellow of the Royal Institute of International Affairs. He was a member of the International Institute for Strategic Studies
International Institute for Strategic Studies
The International Institute for Strategic Studies is a British research institute in the area of international affairs. It describes itself as "the world’s leading authority on political-military conflict"...
, the Fabian Society
Fabian Society
The Fabian Society is a British socialist movement, whose purpose is to advance the principles of democratic socialism via gradualist and reformist, rather than revolutionary, means. It is best known for its initial ground-breaking work beginning late in the 19th century and continuing up to World...
, the British Association for the Advancement of Science
British Association for the Advancement of Science
frame|right|"The BA" logoThe British Association for the Advancement of Science or the British Science Association, formerly known as the BA, is a learned society with the object of promoting science, directing general attention to scientific matters, and facilitating interaction between...
, the Foreign Policy Centre
Foreign Policy Centre
The Foreign Policy Centre is a British think tank specialising in foreign policy. It was formed in 1998 and launched by Tony Blair with the aim of developing a "vision of a fair and rule-based world order". It is pro-European. It has its origins on the centre-left of British politics, but works...
, the Centre for European Reform
Centre for European Reform
The Centre for European Reform is a London-based think tank which supports European integration while arguing for institutional reform of the European Union...
, the Pugwash Conferences, the UK Defence Forum, the Liberal Democrat European Group, the Centre:Forum, and the Anglo-Jordanian Society. He was also a member of advisory boards to the University of Hull Centre for Security Studies, the Königswinter
Königswinter
Königswinter is a town and summer resort in the Rhein-Sieg district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is situated on the right bank of the Rhine, opposite to Bonn, at the foot of the Siebengebirge.- Main sights :...
Conference, the Oxford Research Group, and the Cambridge University Centre of International Studies. He was a member of the DERA
DERA
DERA may refer as an abbreviation or acronym to:*Defence Evaluation and Research Agency*Downtown Eastside Residents Association – in Vancouver, British Columbia*Direct Epitope Recognition Assay*Disaster preparedness and Emergency Response Association...
Analysis Board between 1997 and 2000, and was the UK representative to the NATO Defence College in Rome from 1997 to 2001. He was Chairman of the Rippon Group, which acts a focus for EU issues, from 2000 to 2006, and was a Patron of Saferworld and Crisis Action. He was made an Honorary Fellow of the US Foreign Policy Association in 1997. He was a Commissioner to the Commission on Globalisation from 2002 to 2004. He was a member of the Beefsteak Club
Beefsteak Club
Beefsteak Club is the name, nickname and historically common misnomer applied by sources to several 18th and 19th century male dining clubs that celebrated the beefsteak as a symbol of patriotic and often Whig concepts of liberty and prosperity....
, the 63/68 Club, the National Liberal Club
National Liberal Club
The National Liberal Club, known to its members as the NLC, is a London gentlemen's club, now also open to women, which was established by William Ewart Gladstone in 1882 for the purpose of providing club facilities for Liberal Party campaigners among the newly-enlarged electorate after the Third...
(of which he was Vice Chairman), and of the Royal Air Force Club
Royal Air Force Club
The Royal Air Force Club is situated at 128 Piccadilly, London. While it is sometimes referred to as a gentlemen's club, membership is open to men and women who hold or have held commissions in the RAF, PMRAFNS, Reserve Forces and Commonwealth and friendly foreign air forces.-History:The Royal...
.
Garden retained his connections with the Services as President of London & South East Region Air Training Corps
Air Training Corps
The Air Training Corps , commonly known as the Air Cadets, is a cadet organisation based in the United Kingdom. It is a voluntary youth group which is part of the Air Cadet Organisation and the Royal Air Force . It is supported by the Ministry of Defence, with a regular RAF Officer, currently Air...
and as Hon. Vice President of the RAF Rowing Club. He was President of the Combined Cadet Force
Combined Cadet Force
The Combined Cadet Force is a Ministry of Defence sponsored youth organisation in the United Kingdom. Its aim is to "provide a disciplined organisation in a school so that pupils may develop powers of leadership by means of training to promote the qualities of responsibility, self reliance,...
Association from 2000 to 2003. He was a Liveryman
Liveryman
For Livery Companies in the City of London, a Liveryman is a full member of their respective Company.Livery Company members fall into two basic categories: Freemen and Liverymen. One may join as a Freeman, and thereby acquire the "Freedom of the Company", upon fulfilling the Company's criteria...
of the Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators
Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators
The Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators is one of the Livery Companies of the City of London. The Guild was established in 1929 and was granted the status of a Livery Company in 1956...
, President of the RAF Oxford & Cambridge Society, and was also a member of the RAF Historical Society. He was President of the Adastral Burns Club. He was a Founder Member of the British Armed Forces Federation
British Armed Forces Federation
The British Armed Forces Federation is an independent non-statutory professional staff association for members of the British Armed Forces. It is politically non-partisan. Founded in late 2006 as a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee, BAFF has so far no full-time staff and no formal...
.
Personal life
Garden had two daughters with his wife SueSusan Garden, Baroness Garden of Frognal
Susan Elizabeth Garden, Baroness Garden and Baroness Garden of Frognal is a British Liberal Democrat politician and member of the House of Lords...
, who stood for the Liberal Democrats in Finchley and Golders Green at the 2005 general election
United Kingdom general election, 2005
The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160....
. Shortly after his death, it was announced on September 13, 2007 that a life peerage was to be conferred on Sue Garden.
His daughters are:
- Alexandra Whitfield (The Hon. Mrs Whitfield) (married Paul Whitfield)
- Antonia Rolph (The Hon. Mrs Rolph) (married Jon Rolph)
He had four grandchildren:
- Jack Whitfield
- Charlotte Whitfield
- Henry Rolph
- Thomas Rolph
Death
Garden was diagnosed with incurable cancerCancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
a few weeks before his death. According to press reports, he adopted a very philosophical attitude to his illness, explaining to a friend how many of his fellow aircrew had had even less luck and were lost in their twenties and thirties.
The then Liberal Democrat leader Sir Menzies Campbell
Menzies Campbell
Sir Walter Menzies "Ming" Campbell, CBE, QC, MP is a British Liberal Democrat politician and advocate, and a retired sprinter. He is the Member of Parliament for North East Fife, and was the Leader of the Liberal Democrats from 2 March 2006 until 15 October 2007.Campbell held the British record...
paid tribute to Lord Garden in a statement published on the party's website: "Tim Garden has been an outstanding member of the Liberal Democrat team in the House of Lords where his wisdom and top level military experience were widely recognised. His advice to Charles Kennedy
Charles Kennedy
Charles Peter Kennedy is a British Liberal Democrat politician, who led the Liberal Democrats from 9 August 1999 until 7 January 2006 and is currently a Member of Parliament for the Ross, Skye and Lochaber constituency....
and myself during the Iraq war was invaluable. We have also lost a close friend who was an unfailingly generous and warm-hearted man. The whole party extends its deepest sympathy to his wife and family."
Liberal Democrat deputy leader in the House of Lords, Lord Wallace of Saltaire
William Wallace, Baron Wallace of Saltaire
William John Lawrence Wallace, Baron Wallace of Saltaire is a British academic, writer, politician and Lord in Waiting.-Early life:...
, echoed Campbell's words: "Tim was both an expert and a radical, he offered invaluable advice on defence and foreign policy. He gave the Liberal Democrats depth in criticising the mistaken policy on Iraq, which was vitally important. He was also a very active parliamentarian, leading an all-party group on defence and conflict issues and on the delegated powers and instruments committee. We will miss him immensely."
Honours
In the Order of the BathOrder of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
, Garden was appointed a CB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
in 1992 and received his knighthood in 1994. He was appointed as a Chevalier de l'Ordre National de la Légion d'Honneur
Légion d'honneur
The Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
by President Chirac in July 2003 for his work on European defence issues. Garden was elevated to the life peerage as Baron Garden of Hampstead
Hampstead
Hampstead is an area of London, England, north-west of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Camden in Inner London, it is known for its intellectual, liberal, artistic, musical and literary associations and for Hampstead Heath, a large, hilly expanse of parkland...
, in the London Borough of Camden
London Borough of Camden
In 1801, the civil parishes that form the modern borough were already developed and had a total population of 96,795. This continued to rise swiftly throughout the 19th century, as the district became built up; reaching 270,197 in the middle of the century...
, in 2004.
Styles
- Timothy Garden, Esq. (23 April 1944 – 22 September 1963)
- Acting Pilot OfficerActing Pilot OfficerActing Pilot Officer is the lowest commissioned grade in the Royal Air Force, being immediately junior to Pilot Officer. Unlike other RAF ranks which officers may hold in an acting capacity, Acting Pilot Officer is maintained as a separate grade. It normally denotes an officer who has recently...
Timothy Garden (22 September 1963 – 15 July 1965) - Pilot OfficerPilot OfficerPilot officer is the lowest commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. It ranks immediately below flying officer...
Timothy Garden (15 July 1965 – 16 January 1966) - Flying OfficerFlying OfficerFlying officer is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence...
Timothy Garden (16 January 1966 – 23 October 1966) - Flight LieutenantFlight LieutenantFlight lieutenant is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many Commonwealth countries. It ranks above flying officer and immediately below squadron leader. The name of the rank is the complete phrase; it is never shortened to "lieutenant"...
Timothy Garden (23 October 1966 – 1 July 1973) - Squadron LeaderSquadron LeaderSquadron Leader is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is also sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in countries which have a non-English air force-specific rank structure. In these...
Timothy Garden (1 July 1973 – 1 January 1979) - Wing CommanderWing Commander (rank)Wing commander is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries...
Timothy Garden (1 January 1979 – 1 August 1982) - Acting Group CaptainGroup CaptainGroup captain is a senior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. It ranks above wing commander and immediately below air commodore...
Timothy Garden (1 August 1982 – 1 July 1984) - Group Captain Timothy Garden (1 July 1984 – 1 January 1989)
- Air CommodoreAir CommodoreAir commodore is an air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
Timothy Garden (1 January 1989 – 1 January 1991) - Air Vice-MarshalAir Vice-MarshalAir vice-marshal is a two-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force. The rank is also used by the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence and it is sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in...
Timothy Garden (1 January 1991 – 31 December 1991) - Air Vice-Marshal Timothy Garden, CB (31 December 1991 – 21 March 1994)
- Air MarshalAir MarshalAir marshal is a three-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
Timothy Garden, CB (21 March 1994 – 11 June 1994) - Air Marshal Sir Timothy Garden, KCB (11 June 1994 – 9 June 2004)
- Air Marshal The Rt Hon. The Lord Garden, KCB (9 June 2004 – 9 August 2007)
External links
- Tim Garden Archives
- Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation - Air Mshl The Lord Garden
- Lord Garden profile at the site of Liberal Democrats
- theyworkforyou.com Record of parliamentary activity
- Obituary, The Daily Telegraph, 14 August 2007
- Obituary, The Times, 14 August 2007
- Obituary, The Guardian, 14 August 2007
- Obituary, The Independent, 17 August 2007