Menosery; following one's nose (a not-so Fractured Fryday Hairy Tale!)

Over at Murphy and Stanley's place it is last Friday of the month story day... click to read more!!!

Normally I use a photo to prompt my stories and this is no exception, though this time it is a TRUE STORY; we are also given a sentence by M&S which we have to highlight in the story.

This month it is "I knew I needed a good excuse..."

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Last Friday I shared a small adventure which revealed itself to me in the Benmore Gardens.

At the Golden Gates, we heard a speech from 'Sir Peter', who was not introduced any further than this. Assumption was, apparently, that all present knew exactly who the man is. He came up after the ceremony and greeted several folk, including myself, inviting us all to refreshments. Of course, I had been present by sheer dint of 'fate' so made my excuses and moved on.

However, I was struck by the warmth and erudition of Sir Peter. It was all very spontaneous and natural, but underlying it all, I knew I needed a good excuse to go 'ferreting' for info. Being the inquisitive YAMarazzi that I am (and I have a suspicion that I was included so readily due the presence of the Fudge; there were three other Large Cameras present who were firing away and am thinking I may have been mistaken for someone with influence!  Well... blogging has it's own sphere...) Digression.  Back to it YAM.... the minute I got home I was onto YAMspetoo and researching Benmore + Sir Peter? + Debrett's Register.

Correction; the minute I got home it was out with the heat packs for the hips and back, then onto Y2. Here's the skinny.

Sir Peter Craft Hutchison of Rossie, 2nd Bt, CBE. (That's Baronet and Commander, Order of the British Empire.) The baronetcy was formed for Sir James Riley Holt Hutchison in 1956, a distinguished officer of the British army with interesting war history and who was a Conservative member of parliament for Glasgow Central. The family background is that of shipping and ship builders.

Sir Peter was a graduate of Eton College and Magdelene College, Cambridge. He also gave army service, then was chairman of Glasgow insurance brokers, Hutchison & Craft. However, his great love and contribution to life, it appears, is in the natural environment.  He was chairman of the Forestry Commission 1994-1998. Sir Peter was also chair of the working committee, and has continued service for, the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park. Benmore Gardens sit within the borders of that park. He was also the first Chairman of Trustees at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.

Sir Peter and his wife, Virginia (nee Colville), are passionate about their own private gardens, which are open to the public once a year. He has travelled widely throughout China and the Himalayas, researching and bringing back specimens of plants from those regions, with a particular emphasis on rhododendrons (a love I share!). He and his 'partner in plants' have produced a book (click here), in which their adventures in search of the rare and the endangered are given. Many of the plants at Benmore are present purely from Sir Peter's efforts.

Notable on my visit were the carpets of Himalayan primrose and poppy. Clearly a man passionate about nature, the environment and preservation. No wonder I liked him.