A KEEN gardener who kept a seaside town looking tidy has died aged 68.

Pauline Turner had made herself a key part of the local area as a member of the Grange Promenade Gardeners.

Pauline had been the leader of the group for six years until last year before choosing to step down.

The present leader John Entwistle said: "Pauline was a very experienced and active gardener and will be much missed.

"She was always cheerful and encouraging even on very rainy days."

Mr Entwistle said the rest of the group had been left 'shocked and saddened' at her death.

"Her knowledge of the plants and shrubs and where they were on the Grange promenade was invaluable," he said.

"Even when she had left as our leader Pauline continued as an enthusiastic gardener with our group and passed on her knowledge of the beds to me."

Plans are in place to commission a plaque remembering Pauline's life which will be added to a new bench in her beloved promenade.

Still trying to catch up on disruption caused by the Covid-19 Pandemic, Mr Entwistle said the group would continue to work hard on restoring the area in Pauline's honour.

"Our group of gardeners now consists of 11 us so if anybody is interested in helping us, we would be most welcome," he said.

"We feel the prom garden beds are a special part of the amenities of Grange and that it is important to keep them looking attractive especially for when the renovated Lido is opened."

With many of the beds partly overgrown, lots of work still needs doing in terms of keeping on top of pruning and weeding.

"New compost heaps are being prepared and we'll be planting new shrubs and flowers in the spring, which Pauline would have loved," he said.

"We aim to provide interest in the prom for all users all year long but more help is needed to cover over half a mile of beds."

The group meets every Monday or Wednesday from 9am-11am - if interested, you can call 015395 92735.