Southport businessman, hotelier and philanthropist Tim Timmerman will be recognised this week for his role in helping to rescue Southport Flower Show.
Mr Timmerman, who died earlier this year, was among local people who stepped in to save the historic event when it was under threat of closure in the 1980s.
At this Thursday’s full Sefton Council meeting,Southport councillor Sir Ron Watson CBE will call for the community leader to be lauded for his efforts and for his family to be presented with a special Certificate of Thanks by the Mayor of Sefton.
He will say: “Sefton Council recognises the significant contribution that the Southport Flower Show makes to the attractiveness of Southport for many visitors and local residents alike.
“The Council is delighted to congratulate all those involved in the Flower Show having been in existence for 100 years this year.
“The Council has been very sorry to learn of the passing of Mr Tim Timmerman who was responsible for the setting up of the current Southport Flower Show Company and without his huge amount of effort and ability to attract both business and voluntary support the Show would not now be in existence.
“The Council therefore agrees to prepare an appropriate Certificate of Thanks and for this to be presented by the Mayor to his family at the earliest opportunity.”
Tim Timmerman was among local figures who stepped in to rescue the historic Southport Flower Show when Sefton Council was preparing to axe the event in the 1980s.
He grew the Mellors bakery business; bought the Royal Clifton Hotel in Southport; and was involved in the successful operation of the Lancashire Manor Hotel and Mellors Catering Services.
He carried out significant community community work, remaining involved in Southport Flower Show, and supporting a variety of initiatives through The Rotary Club of Southport.
In October last year he raised nearly £4,000 for the Clatterbridge Cancer Charity through a charity abseil down the side of the Clatterbridge Cancer Centre in Liverpool.
Southport councillor Sir Ron Watson CBE said: “Tim Timmerman has been a hugely important figure in Southport over many decades.
“He ran a very successful bakery and was the owner of the Royal Clifton Hotel.
“I worked with him on various tourism initiatives where his input was always very helpful and very positive.
“The main thing which we owe him is the critical role he played in forming the Southport Flower Show Company and without his input, because of what were huge and mounting financial losses, the Show could not have continued when run by Sefton Council.
“Tim recognised the value that the Southport Flower Show had to the town and we were able to agree the formation of the Flower Show Company.
“He was able to gain support from large numbers of volunteers in particular with dramatic reductions in costs which meant that the Show could continue and develop.
“I therefore have a great feeling of sadness that he was not with us long enough to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Show this August.
“It is a lasting legacy to someone who contributed so much over such a long period of time to Southport.”
Tim Timmerman joined Mellors on a Bakery Student Exchange scheme from Amsterdam in Holland in 1963.
He opened his first shop The Dutch Chef, a coffee shop and bakery on Lord Street, Southport in 1974.
Three years later Philip Blundell Hall retired and Tim Timmerman bought the Mellors business, consisting then of the Lord Street shop and bakery. He integrated the two companies and became managing director.
Three additional Mellors coffee and bakery shops opened between 1979 and 1982
The following year he bought The Royal Clifton Hotel in Southport with its 121 bedrooms, three function suites, a restaurant, several bars and a health club and spa.
In 1995 Mellors Catering Services was launched by its founder, Mark Timmerman, Tim’s son.
It would grow to over 140 sites and become one of the most successful catering companies in the UK.
2010 saw the purchase of Lancashire Manor Hotel, which was opened in November 2010 before being fully refurbished with 51 bedrooms and extensive conference / function and wedding facilities.
Southport Flower Show, sponsored by the Seventy Ninth Group, is the UK’s largest independent flower show and attracts over 55,000 visitors across 4 days.
Visitors to this year’s show can enjoy inspirational show gardens, spectacular floral displays, gardening advice, show jumping, pop-up shopping village, cookery demonstrations, live music, arena entertainment and so much more!
Gardening guests at this year’s show are Carole Baxter and George Anderson of Beechgrove Garden, Adam Frost of BBC Gardeners’ World, David Domoney of Love Your Garden and The Skinny Jean Gardener of Blue Peter.
Celebrity chefs at this year’s show are Platinum Pudding winner Jemma Melvin, Matt Tebbutt of Saturday Kitchen, Nisha Katona MBE – restaurateur, cookbook author and TV chef and Phil Vickery of This Morning.
Special guests confirmed to date are CBeebeies Star Justin Fletcher with another announcement to come very soon!
So why not join us Thursday 15th – Sunday 18th August 2024 to celebrate 100 years of Southport Flower Show.
Early bird tickets are available until Wednesday 14th August. Buy your tickets early and save. Tickets are flexible and can be used on any one of the show days. Children under 16 go free. Well behaved dogs are allowed on leads.
Keep your eyes peeled for more exciting announcements on our Southport Flower Show website and social media channels.
For tickets visit: www.southportflowershow.co.uk
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