Born in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, he grew up on the North East coast where he spent most of his early years fishing, messing about on boats and exploring the woods and fields.

Heather grew up on her parent’s farm and has nurtured plants for as long as she can remember. A gardening career just seemed the natural choice.

Now as Head Gardener of Clovelly Court Gardens for many years, she applies as many organic and sustainable principles as possible. 

Heather prefers a natural look for the flower borders, but ordered lines are de rigeur in the vegetable plots for ease of harvesting. She particularly draws on her assistant Ernie’s encyclopaedic knowledge of fruit and vegetable care as well as that of her husband, who has a distinguished academic background in horticulture.

The environmental issue of most concern to Heather is waste, so she recycles as much as possible. The most troublesome pest? Heather could not think of one particular pesky pest, except for the Clovelly pheasants and grey squirrels.

Sheltered by its high Victorian walls, Clovelly Gardens in North Devon are usually a month ahead of the season. The glasshouses, where apricots, melons, nectarines and grapes thrive, require no heating, even in winter. Outside, there are apples, pears, quinces, medlars and soft fruits in abundance and in 2006, Heather planted a pair of Chinese Gooseberries.

No visitor to Clovelly should omit a walk through Clovelly Gardens. It is a thriving Victorian kitchen garden bordered by the scents and sights of herbaceous beds ablaze with glorious colour the summer long.  All kinds of herbs, vegetables and fruit can be bought throughout the season; from freshly dug new potatoes to perfumed sweetpeas in their array of pastel colours to luscious sugar-rich hothouse grapes, or just a plant or two to put in your own garden to keep the memory of your visit to Clovelly alive.

There is a small admission charge and R.H.S. members can enjoy free admittance to the gardens during October to March.

STEPHEN PERHAM, HARBOUR MASTER

Harbour Master at Clovelly, Stephen, once the senior helmsman of Clovelly lifeboat, is one of just two remaining fishermen of the ‘silver darlings’ or herrings, which used to be the staple industry of Clovelly.

A Harbour Master is ultimately responsible to the Secretary of State for Transport and Stephen’s primary concern is safety. He ensures that visiting vessels to Clovelly are made welcome and safely berthed.  Stephen is also responsible for the maintenance and the restoration of the harbour wall to its former appearance.

His father was Harbour Master before him and Stephen finds it deeply satisfying to continue building upon his father’s work. Improvements have included electric hook-ups for visiting vessels, the replacement of the harbour wall wooden posts and the reinstatement of the old cotton net drying gibbets.

If anyone should have a hoard of these now obsolete nets, please email sperham@btinternet.com

Stephen is passionate about Clovelly’s maritime history, particularly the Picarooner. The vessel is unique to Clovelly but there remains just two. ‘Picarooner’ was once a Spanish insult, meaning ‘a rogue or rascal stealing a march’, because the vessel, with its shallow draft, rounded bilges and high transom, could get out to sea faster and return on the tide earlier and thus steal a march on the bigger boats in the pursuit of sweet Clovelly herrings.

Stephen’s favourite herring dish? ‘Definitely, soused herrings’.

MELINDA DUNN, ARTIST

Devon born and raised, Milly has been painting since she first learned to handle a paintbrush.

Milly paints naïf scenes of life at Clovelly in oils on canvas, and also applies her enviable talents to our sea-washed pebbles. These are first cleansed, then primed and painted with acrylics and finally varnished.

Attractive ornaments both indoors and out, they are often used as paperweights and door-stops and can be seen on display as well as in use at the Clovelly hotels.  They can be bought at the Red Lion Hotel and make a unique souvenir.

Milly would not want to live anywhere else. She loves living right beside the harbour, from which she draws much of her inspiration, as well as being part of a tight-knit community.