Our club has approximately 3 acres of beautiful and well-maintained gardens. Everyone who visits the club always comments on how beautiful the gardens are. But do you know who is doing all this hard work? Read on to find out as we interview our gardening duo!
What are your names?
Our names are Pauline and Roman Tymchak.
Are you both Ukrainian? What are your heritages?
Pauline is a Huddersfield girl, born and bred. I am a local boy, originally from Bradford. Pauline’s parents are from the Slaithwaite oblast.
My mum, Maria, was from Sanok, originally situated in Western Ukraine but now in Poland. My Dad, Ivan, was from Sorots’kem in the Ternopil oblast, which is in Western Ukraine.
How long have you been gardening at the club?
We started gardening at the club in the summer of 2011, so that’s 9 years. Initially, it was just to tidy it up a bit as it looked a bit neglected round the edges. We had just taken early retirement so were in a position to give some time back to the club.
We knew from 45 odd years of gardening experience and working as conservation volunteers in the F.O.B.P. (Friends of Beaumont Park) it would not be a quick job so from the outset we approached it as a marathon and not a sprint.
What were your normal day-time jobs?
In our previous lives Pauline was a primary school head teacher and I designed production engineering equipment. We both enjoy being outdoors and the creative side of gardening, plus it gives us exercise and keeps us mobile.
What do you love most about the club's grounds?
There are many and varied aspects of the club grounds we enjoy such as sitting in the memorial garden on a sunny day looking back to the club, the white daffodils in spring, the herbaceous planting in summer and the expanse of green lawns just after they have been cut. Also seeing the grounds filled with smiling and laughing friends and families on occasions such as the Volleyball Tournament or Marshfest fills us with pride and happiness to see the old place being used again as it used to be.
What does the club and the Ukrainian community in Huddersfield mean to you?
The term our parents used a lot when we were growing up was 'domivka', Домівка, which means 'Home'. We are blessed that the Ukrainian community in Huddersfield has such a wonderful 'home', which is thanks to the vision, hard work, and possibly the good fortune of our parents’ generation that we have a lasting legacy worth keeping for as long as we can.
And a final note from our chairman, John Kybaluk
Pauline and Roman do such an amazing job at the club. They can often be seen maintaining the gardens so, when you see them at one of the club's events, make sure you offer to buy them a drink to thank them for all that they do at the club!