Popular garden centre to be sold after 61 years

Barton Grange Garden Centre was officially opened in May 1963

The family owners of a popular garden centre have said the business has reached "the end of the line" after 61 years trading because their children want careers outside of horticulture.

A deal has been reached by the Topping family to sell Barton Grange Garden Centre in Preston to another garden centre company, Blue Diamond.

Guy and Peter Topping said the "very difficult decision" was due to their children having decided to "focus on new paths outside of horticulture".

The brothers, who also own the Flower Bowl Entertainment Centre and Barton Grange Marina, said the sale could take as long as six weeks to complete.

Back in 1951 Edward and Ada Topping bought a small mansion in Barton with the intention of transforming it into a six-bedroom hotel.

When their son Eddie had returned from his training as a horticulturist and landscape gardener, he set up a market garden on the land surrounding the hotel.

Barton Grange Garden Centre was officially opened in May 1963.

Guy, one of Eddie's four children, spent many years working around the world before he came home to take charge of the garden centre in 1991.

The 60-year-old told the BBC: "I've been very lucky to have a career in garden centres, and there are lots of very down to earth good people in the trade.

"But it became very apparent 18 months ago that none of Peters or my children want to pursue a career in in horticultural or retail.

"It was the end of the line for the Topping family in in the horticultural industry."

Mr Topping said that he had enjoyed "every minute" of his time "creating what we have with some wonderful people along the way".