About Trevor

A Brief History of Trevor

Trevor White Old Fashioned Roses have been trading for almost 25 years.

Trevor was born and brought up in Surrey. After leaving Strodes Grammar School for boys he started work as an Assistant Scientific Officer at A Veterinary Investigation Centre(MAFF) where his first job was to take notes on animal post mortems. The work provoked an immediate interest in the study of disease and the following year he began a degree in microbiology at the University of East Anglia.

During his second semester break, Trevor found himself a holiday job with Peter Beales Classic Roses, who was most impressed to hear that he had already had previous experience (during the first semester) working for Hillings Nursery in Surrey where Peter himself had been manager under Graham Stewart Thomas. It soon became clear that Trevor's true passion lay not with the study of animal biology but with the intricate nature of plants; specifically in the growth, development and nurturing of roses. And after completing his degree it was this passion which evolved into a life long love and career.

One might argue that Trevor's love for the rose was always an innate part of him; inbuilt into his genetic make-up. His Grandfather, William Bennett, had followed in his own father's footsteps and started out as a gardener, working for the picturesque grounds of Ham House in Surrey. As a child, Trevor remembers his grandparents' garden overflowing with varieties of beautiful roses which he and his Grandmother used to make into rose petal wine and enjoy long into the bleaker winter months.

After University Peter Beales offered Trevor a full time job which he gladly accepted. The opportunity provided him with a further education in the field of old fashioned roses (since these had particularly captivated his imagination) whilst enabling him to make a home for himself in Norfolk; a county he'd become very fond of. In January 1985 he planted his first crop of just a few thousand roses and today, with the help of his family; his wife Vanessa and his four, now adult, children, he is one of the leading experts in his field as well as a well respected international rose judge.

Esme White MA