A new four-tiered planter has been provided at Birkdale Train Station in Southport in memory of Birkdale Civic Society founder Ralph Gregson MBE.
The tireless Southport community campaigner and politician, who loved living in Birkdale, died last year at the age of 91.
Yesterday, volunteers from Birkdale Civic Society were busy improving the look of Birkdale Train Station in a way that Ralph would have been proud of.
They said: “Fantastic morning planting up our new four-tiered planter in memory of our founder Ralph Gregson at Birkdale Station.
“A big thank you to Merseyrail for the donation and to our lovely bloomers for planting it up and adding some colour to the platform.
“We hope that Ralph would be proud of all the hard work being put into the village.”
Ralph Gregson MBE and his wife, Pat, who were married for over 66 years, worked over many years for a wide range of good causes in Southport.
He was a Conservative councillor for both Southport Borough Council and Sefton Council for many years, helping to grow tourism in Southport as the Chairman of the Tourist and Attractions Committee.
One iconic Southport Visiter photo of Ralph showed him surrounded by thousands of people as he welcomed the victorious red Rum racehorse Red Rum to a special reception at the Floral Hall Gardens in Southport, after one of Rummie’s three Grand National victories.
He was a familiar figure at Southport Theatre, which attracted some of the UK’s biggest acts to the resort in its heyday.
He was the Founder Chairman of Southport Oxfam and opened the first Oxfam charity shop on Chapel Street in Southport town centre nearly 60 years ago, leading the drive to raise £2 million for those in need.
Ralph also had a huge influence in the continued improvements and upkeep of Birkdale Village, playing a prominent role in Birkdale Civic Society.
Do you have a story for Stand Up For Southport? Please message Andrew Brown via Facebook here or email me at: mediaandrewbrown@gmail.com
