The parks of West Suffolk would not be nearly as lush and beautiful as they are today without the hard work of the man who tended them for 20 years.
Peter Tunnah was the parks and landscapes manager for the whole of West Suffolk until he finally hung up his trowel in 1994.
The parks were Peter’s pride and joy. Whether he was encouraging his team to chase international awards or dreaming up new ways to make the parks come alive with blooms each year, Peter’s love for the outdoors stayed with him for all of his life.
“He loved every aspect of nature, and nature loved him right back,” said Peter’s youngest daughter, Lisa Kalandjian.
Peter was born in Manchester on October 26, 1934. He was the eldest of ten children born to Alice and James Tunnah.
As a child, Peter would spend hours hiking through the West Pennine Moors, and his family believe that it is here that his interest in the natural world began.
Peter trained for seven years to be a patternmaker but, much to his father’s annoyance, decided instead to take a job as a gardener at Longford Park in Stretford, Manchester.
The hours were long and the work was hard, but Peter loved it. He rose through the ranks, all while holding down part-time jobs delivering library books and selling flowers to florists, before eventually taking his Royal Horticultural Society exams, which he passed with flying colours.
In 1974, Peter accepted the position of Park Superintendent for the St Edmundsbury Borough Council. By this time, he had married the love of his life, Marguerita, and the couple had three daughters: Ruth, Julie and Lisa.
The family upped sticks, and moved 200 miles to Bury St Edmunds in March of that year.
During his 20 years in Suffolk, Peter estimated that he arranged for well over 100,000 trees to be planted.
He was also incredibly proud of the ‘daffodil avenue’ he created at Nowton Park. With funds leftover from park’s renovation project, Peter decided to purchase as many daffodil bulbs as he could. A Dutch company offered a hefty discount, and an estimated six million bulbs arrived.
The gardeners worked tirelessly to plant the bulbs, and jokingly asked Peter not to “please not have any more good ideas” for a little while.
Peter’s ambition knew no bounds. ‘Bury in Bloom’ began in 1986, quickly becoming a hotly anticipated event in the town’s calendar. Peter and his staff received thousands of letters over the years from members of the public, who were so thrilled with their visits to the town they felt compelled to mail their praise.
In 1987, Bury St Edmunds entered the ‘England in Bloom’ competition for the first time – and won.
Having won the national contest, the town was chosen to represent the UK in the prestigious Entente Florale, the European competition.
The ceremony took place in Paris on September 16 and 17, 1989, with many members of the Bury Council and ‘’Bury in Bloom committee in attendance, including Peter.
Six countries competed and four were awarded honorary prizes which left Bury St Edmunds and the town of Angers in France battling for the top two places.
The top prize of the floral crown of Europe was not to be Bury’s, but the town did receive the title of Grand Prix d’Excellence, the second-best town in the contest.
Peter retired in 1994.
That year, he was invited to Buckingham Palace, where he was awarded an MBE from the late-Queen, recognising the hard work and outstanding contribution Peter had given his community. The medal was presented to Peter by the then-Prince of Wales, now his Majesty the King.
Peter’s daughter, Lisa, said that her father’s passing had left a hole in her family’s lives.
“We were beyond fortunate to have you in our lives and even though we no longer get to hug you, laugh at your awful jokes, stand with you and admire your garden full of beautiful plants, and listen to tubular bells with you and see the rapture on your face, we carry these moments with us now forever,” she said.
“They are more than memories. They are woven into the very fabric of our being. You have been, and always will be, the very best part of us all.”
Peter died on June 21 at the age of 88, following a short illness.
He will be greatly missed by all who knew him, including his three daughters, his six grandchildren, and Marguerita, with whom he shared 61 happy years.
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