Memorial garden sows the seeds of the future (From Warrington Guardian)

Memorial garden sows the seeds of the future

FOUR Winsford brothers who died in a fume-filled car on a Welsh mountain pass are to be remembered with the opening of a special memorial garden.

Seven-year-old Joshua Young and his brothers Thomas, six, Callum, five, and three-year-old Daniel were found by police on March 27 last year, together with the body of their father, Keith Young and a petrol lawnmower.

But staff and pupils at Handley Hill Primary School were determined the brothers would never be forgotten.

Teaching assistant Linda George was particularly close to the family and it was her idea to build a memorial garden to the boys.

Linda said: "Everyone wanted to do something, so I gave it a lot of thought and came up with the idea of a memorial garden, divided into four areas, one for each of the boys.

"I didn't want the four areas to be rigid or too formal, it has to be a place which children can enjoy.

"And I wanted each garden area to be different, because the boys were all very different, with their own personalities.

"At school we've held fundraising events to pay for the garden, but so far the project hasn't cost us anything as everyone has been so generous.

"They have all wanted to donate their time or services for free.

"Two of the four garden sections are to be planted with trees and shrubs, with a third being a garden with stepping stones and areas for the schoolchildren to explore.

"The fourth section will be dominated by a hand-built wooden sculpture, made by students at Mid-Cheshire College in Northwich."

The boys' mum, Sam Tolley, has designed a memorial plaque for the boys, which will feature a tractor in homage to the boys' farming background.

The school hopes to open the garden shortly after the first anniversary of the boys' death on March 27.

rfraser@guardiangrp.co.uk