First Person: Ian Neale

With growing the giant stuff it doesn’t matter how big or ugly it is as long as it is heavy.

I didn’t want to grow them for the fame- I did it for my own enjoyment.

You don’t get any money for growing them; you don’t even get a knighthood.

I think you should be recognised for it and I think a lot of people think about it that way, but you don’t do it for rewards.

During the war my father Richard Bernard Neale made carburettors for the engines of aeroplanes.

I was born in Birmingham on April 3 1943 as my mother Dorothy Deakin, worked at the Bristol Ball Rink moved there to have me.

My first recollection was when I was in my pushchair and saw the Birmingham barrage balloon-I must have been about two to two and half years old.

I was the second oldest of seven –four brothers and three sisters.

Joan Gooch was the eldest followed by me; my brother Peter Barry Neale; Linda Brenda Sellick; Mary Alice Edwards; who has now passed away; Roy Antony Neale; and Trevor William Neale.

I have 11 nieces and nephews but I am not trying to get them to grow- besides they are all working now.

I went to Church Stretton School in Shropshire and my brother and I used to walk a mile and a half there and a mile and a half back.

In 1947 I was just four years old but in those days we had jobs to do-we had to chop fire wood.

I think that’s the problem worth youngsters these days-they need to work.

You just got a secondary education in those days, you had no exams- and you just had to go out and work.

I was from a big family and I think there are a lot of people like me.

I have enjoyed life and made a living and that is all that you need.

I then went to Christ Church School, then Langstone when I was ten or 11 years old, followed by Caerleon, as my father was made manager of engineering shop Scott Will so we ended up in Ponthir and moved to Newport in 1952.

I was 15 when I left school and in those days you were allowed to leave the holiday of your birthday so I left at Easter as I was born in April.

I used to go a local farm where I used to pick potatoes and plough the hay and corn-general work.

I enjoyed the farm as from the age of four I liked to go to the garden and watch my father work.

My dad was an engineer but I didn’t want to get my hands dirt with grease I wanted to get them dirty with dirt.

When I was at school I always wanted to be outside so when I left school I got a job in Danny Willis nursery growing flowers in 1958 and 1959 for about 18 months and then left there to work on Wilf Lewis farm when I was 17.

The farm grew a lot of potatoes, as well as having sheep, pigs and cows.

It was a hard winter.

During this time I used to play rugby in Magor for the 18-24’s but I gave that up.

I then started this garden centre in 1968 growing salad vegetables to sell.

But there wasn’t enough money in it so I started to make bedding plants and baskets in a small way.

Then somebody in Cwmbran -George Williams -started the largest pumpkin competition in the 1980s and I decided to enter.

It was held at the Cwmbran working men’s club, but I didn’t win that time but I won the second year.

The Bernard Lavery started the British Championships in vegetable growing at the Cardiff working men's club for two years in 1987, followed by competitions at Alton Towers, as well as Lincolnshire and Spalding ten to 12 years.

Then there were the at national championships at Shepton Mallet for 16 years.

I knew Bernard but only well enough to thank him for organising the shows.

Nobody inspired me to start growing giant vegetables it was just something that I wanted to do.

I see it as a challenge.

I used to want to be able to grow a 100lb swede - it was something to be done and I did it growing a 119lb (54kg) swede.

My sister bought me the 2014 Guinness Book of World Records and my last world records including the record for the longest cucumber 42.1inches, celery 33.9kg, Swede 38.92kg and beetroot 23.4 kg are in there , although my latest world record achievements-the 119lb Swede are not in there yet.

I never married or had children but I had a cat called Misty for 18 and a half years.

She was a beautiful cat-she was off my brother’s farm.

I looked after my mother when she was ill from 9am to 9pm every day.

Then I looked after my old man and he let me stay in the house.

I have always lived off the garden centre –at first I managed it all on my own and there was one other personal and seasonal staff.

I am retired now- retiring in 2008- people still want me to start up again! But I'm too old.

Over the years I have learned that you must have decent weather to be successful; good seed, good ground, good weather and good luck!

You need some good seed.

I gave some seed away at the Malvern show as I don’t think that you should let your secrets and seed go with you.

I think that these old growers that have been on the allotment for years should share stuff.

At the moment I am helping a young grower Tim Saint from Reading by giving him advice in vegetables.

I just wish he was closer as I could really help him then.

It is all about getting the balance of feeds and fertilisers right.

There are two types of people in this world-pen pushers and doers.

You need them both.

I am a doer and believe that if you do what you enjoy then life is one long holiday."

For more information on vegetable growing visit www.giantveg.co.uk