Women of The Royal Parks

In July 1940, Britain was at war. In an attempt to combat food shortages, the government launched its famous ‘dig for victory’ campaign by opening a model allotment in Hyde Park where Londoners could learn to grow vegetables. The allotment was located on the edge of the Parade Ground, in an area between the Joy of Life fountain and The Grosvenor Hotel. One newspaper said it was ‘the first time Hyde Park has lent its soil to the production of carrots and onions and such-like, certainly alongside aristocratic Park Lane’.

Initially, the allotment was run by Supervisor Alfred Blye, but when he was called up for service in July 1941, an ambitious young woman took his place. Barbara Tarver was just 26 years old. A graduate of Studley Agricultural and Horticultural College for Women, Barbara went on to become one of the 50 women employed at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew to replace male employees who were serving in the war. At the Royal Parks, too, women had been employed to replace men who were called up – these women were the first to work as gardeners at The Royal Parks, even though their posts were only temporary.

Barbara’s new job at Hyde Park was very high profile. Following her appointment, she was introduced to the press by Mrs Hannah Hudson, the wife of the Minister of Agriculture. Her former tutor, Miss Garstan of Studley College, told the media: ‘[Barbara] is just the right person for the job. She is enthusiastic and has a sound knowledge of such work. She was a brilliant pupil and I have no doubt she will be a great success.’

Miss Garstan’s confidence was well placed – Barbara was indeed a great success. Her role of gardening advisor took her all over England, where she gave speeches and launched ‘dig for victory’ campaigns in the presence of prominent figures and famous gardeners. In March 1942, she spoke at an event in Derby, saying ‘More and more women and older children must help in this vital [war] effort, now that so many are serving in the forces.’

In honour of Women's History Month, it's worth noting that in 1956, Josephine Gillespie made history as the first female gardener employed at The Royal Parks. We recently became aware of her story after finding a press clipping in the archives – her appointment had caught the interest of a journalist, who published a feature on Josephine. With the help of The Royal Parks Guild, we were able to find Jo – now 87 years old – and ask about her memories of the parks.

The young Jo completed a two-year course in Horticulture at Studley Horticultural and Agricultural College for Women, in Warwickshire – the same institution where Barbara Tarver studied. On the completion of her studies, she moved back to her family home in London, where she worked for a brief time with a company who provided window boxes for smart offices in the capital. She interviewed for some jobs as a private gardener, but was put off when potential employers suggested she might also help with cooking and laundry. Eventually, in December 1956, Jo saw an advert for a gardening job at The Regent’s Park. Following a successful interview, she joined The Royal Parks as a gardener on 17th December 1956.

Jo knew before she started that she was the first woman to take on this role. Though women had been employed temporarily during the Second World War, no woman had worked for the parks in peacetime. When Jo was hired, the organisation was looking to diversify its workforce and she got the sense that her appointment was a bit of an ‘experiment’. It clearly went well, as other women soon joined her at The Regent’s Park. She has fond memories of her colleagues Jo, Hope, Peggy and Joan.

Jo’s day at the park began at 7am. At 8.30am, she’d get a half-hour break for breakfast. As a woman, Jo was given a separate space to take her breaks – the men sat on one side of the canteen, and Jo would sit alone in a room on the other side. Her food was delivered through a hatch, and she recalls being a little nervous on her first day when she opened it and saw crowds of men on the other side. Her fear didn’t last long, though, as all of her male colleagues were kind to her. At 11am, she’d get another 10-minute tea break followed by an hour for lunch at 1pm. Another 10-minute tea break would follow at 3pm, before the day finished at 4.45pm.

Jennifer, now a member of The Royal Parks Guild, has very fond memories of her time in the parks. She was in post for a number of historic occasions. She met Margaret Thatcher and Nelson Mandela, enjoyed regular meetings with members of the Royal Family and played a key role in organising the funeral of Princess Diana in 1997.

Particularly memorable was the storm of 1987, when 4,500 trees were lost across the Royal Parks. While working as Superintendent, Jennifer lived in the middle of Hyde Park. During the storm, a tree fell and smashed all of her windows – she had to cut away branches in order to leave her house! Her husband’s sports car was also crushed, making the papers.

During her time at The Royal Parks, Jennifer became a leading figure in the horticultural field. She was a guest on BBC’s Women’s Hour, an Associate of Honour at the Royal Horticultural Society and President of the Institute of Horticulture. She was also granted a Lifetime Achievement Award by Horticulture Week. Queen Elizabeth II appointed her as Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order and she later received an OBE. These are just a few of her many achievements.

In 2001, Jennifer left The Royal Parks, taking up the post of Director of Open Spaces for the City of London. In this role, which she held until retirement, she was responsible for 10,500 acres of open space. Today, Jennifer lives outside of London where she is involved with various local groups who work on the environment, historic landscapes and nature conservation. They are very lucky to enjoy her knowledge and experience!