MEMORIES of growing up in Great Yarmouth inspired a garden designer to pay a floral tribute to his home town.Ralph Nichols is hoping to create the themed garden for next year's BBC Gardeners World Live show.

MEMORIES of growing up in Great Yarmouth inspired a garden designer to pay a floral tribute to his home town.

Ralph Nichols is hoping to create the themed garden for next year's BBC Gardeners World Live show.

The design is based around two long demolished houses on Blackfriars Road close to where he spent his childhood.

Local historian Colin Tooke gave Ralph a print of the flint built terraces that were knocked down in 1930.

Now living in Hampshire Ralph, 56, is planning to retire as a mental health team leader to run a nursery and design gardens full-time with wife Linda.

The dad of two was invited by the RHS to design and build his first garden at this year's Gardeners World Live.

Called Something in the Air, it was inspired by the 1969 song of the same name by rock group Thunderclap Newman. The BBC filmed the creation of the garden which won a bronze medal at the show.

Ralph said: “I spent my childhood in Yarmouth and lived on Blackfriars Road, my parents owned a shop and caf� on the seafront near the jetty.

“The shop is still there today, but the swimming pool where I spent most of my summer days has been demolished.

“I have wanted to design a garden with a Yarmouth theme for some time. The town has so many old buildings and I think the garden would promote Yarmouth and act as a reminder to look after our history and heritage.”

Drawings for the garden are being made by Ralph's daughter Louise, an art teacher. The planting includes wild grasses, cornflowers, lavender, native hedging and silver birch trees. All the materials are being supplied from an award winning Brighton based re-claim company.

Ralph is hoping a local business or organisation will be able to provide sponsorship for the garden.

Contact: Ralph on 07968733232.