Garden of Tranquility Opens in Hyde Park
Garden of Tranquility Opens in Hyde Park
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The Garden of Tranquility in Hyde park officially opened on Saturday 30th July 2005. It was created by local garden designer Mel Chantrey as a welcoming space for everyone to enjoy, reflect on life, and remember loved ones.
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Voiceover
Out of tragedy has come tranquilty...
This new garden has been created to help the people of Hyde cope with life's problems, whether a large scale disaster or personal troubles.
Councillor Joe Kitchen
The essential aim was to come up with a garden that wouldn't remember one single event. I think it was absolutely crucial that the Garden of Tranquility which we eventually called it, was to mark any event, any tragic circumstances when anybody lost their loved ones, whether it be through a tragic accident or whether it was at the hands of somebody who should have known better.
Father Phillip Bennison
Here we've got a garden which is talking about growth, about new life, you've got a fountain which is running water which again is life and hope and health.
Angela Woodruff - Relative
I think it's nice to have a place where people can come and be calm, they can be assured of calm, get away from maybe their daily life and just be peaceful.
Voiceover
The garden provides an emotive link between two major events that both cast large clouds over Hyde... more recently the much publicised crimes of Harold Shipman, and a colliery disaster in the town back in the 19th century.
Councillor John Sullivan
Friday 18th January 1889 there was an explosion in a pit in Hyde, in which 23 men and boys died between the ages of 15 and 65. And shortly after the explosion the Mayor of Hyde Alderman Peter Green called a public meeting in the Town Hall to set up a relief fund for the families of the people who died.
Councillor Joe Kitchen
One other important thing about this garden is that it'll enable us to draw a line under the events in Hyde over the past few years and move on. But most importantly we can say goodbye to our relatives which unfortunately we weren't able to do at the time.
James Purnell MP
I think it's very important for us to have somewhere where people can come together and remember, but we were very clear that we didn't want it to be a shrine we wanted it to be somewhere full of life, somewhere which was a place of joy. And I think it's something that people will want to be able to reflect the fact that the town's rallied round in an amazing way as a community but want to be able to move forward as well.
Voiceover
But how do you transform a 1930s rose garden and old bird aviary into a 2005 garden of tranquilty?
Stage one was a meeting at Hyde town hall, with garden designer Mel Chantrey helping to decide on materials, layout, and those all important words.
And on a drab winter's day, work starts on the centrepiece of a two million pound restoration project and the installation of the mechanics that is the heartbeat of the scheme.
In stage three, we had an early sight of the glacier stone that dominates the garden….helped by a water flow. And the heavy diggers are now on site as the landscaping moves into full swing.
But it's the lifting into place of the centre stone that gives you the first real impression of the new look garden. And it's a careful and precise operation.
The tree that signifies life then takes its place, along with the engravings…And after just a few weeks work, the project nears completion, as the text stands out.
Lauren - Flowery Fields Pupil
Do not stand at my grave and weep
I am not there I do not sleep
I am a thousand winds that blow
I am the softly falling snow
I am the gentle showers of rain
I am the fields of ripening grain
I am in the morning hush
I am in the graceful rush
The beautiful birds in circling flight
I am the star shine of the night
I am in the flowers that bloom
I am in a quiet room
I am in the birds that sing
I am in each lovely thing
Do not stand at my grave and cry
I am not there I do not die
Mel Chantrey - Consultant Designer
I think I've achieved the aspirations of everybody involved and my own personal aspirations. It's united the two gardens, we've got this dynamic and symmetry between the two spaces and I think the symbolism the people have responded to is obvious. And the kids have been great, they've seen it just as an object so hopefully it will transcend time and be relevant for future generations in Hyde.
Angela Woodruff - Relative
I think it really is lovely. It's calm, well planted, lovely smells a place where you can relax and be quiet.
Father Phillip Bennison
It's not just about silence though. I think it's great that it's next to where the kids play because the sound of children laughing and playing is also part of the piece, part of the joy, the fruit of the spirit of love, and peace.
Voiceover
Dozens of invited guests attended the official opening of the garden, and were welcomed by the Mayor of Tameside, Councillor Jacquie Lane.
Father Philip Bennison led prayers and gave a blessing….
Father Phillip Bennison
Oh God, bless, sanctify, and hallow this garden. May your holy angels guard, protect, and defend all those who come here, and all those whom they love, and with whom they share life. May your fatherly hand ever be over them, and may your holy spirit ever be with them.
O blessed and holy trinity who created us out of love for love. May all who come to this Garden of Tranquility find inner peace and joy in their lives. And that these gifts of love, joy, and peace be shared among all whom they meet. This we ask in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Voiceover
It was a moving and poignant occasion, but there was also another important element, hopes for the future, dreamt up by children from Mel Chantrey's old school, Flowery Field Primary in Hyde.
The all important moment, when the garden became official, was marked by the switching on of the fountain, and the release of balloons, taking away all those hopes and aspirations to the sky. It's a time to remember, celebrate and rejoice.
Father Phillip Bennison
Over the time I've noticed that people have grown, they want to move on, and they wanted to keep hold of their memories of those whom they love. But too keep hold of memories of love and of life and of being rather than the more destructive memories.
Helen Ogborn MBE - Family Support
The way the garden has been done is about taking the old and the new together because a lot of what's been here from the rose garden will be staying, but there's the new part coming on as well. So that's very much about the people who lost their lives but also about their children, their grandchildren and children to come. So think a lot of this is about moving forward
Mel Chantrey - Consultant Designer
We're painting with plants here, the plants are going to grow, the lavender is going to get larger, the box trees are going to grow, and the tree's going to develop. I'll be back to give it a helping hand to prune here, cut there, and keep an eye on it basically.