Our team
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Phil Birtwhistle (Managing Director) and Roger Birtwhistle (Co-Founder)
Managing Director of PGS, Phil has been part of the team since he was 14. Fully qualified in horticulture, Phil is continually bringing new ideas and developing PGS to make it the best it can be. Roger, whose Landscape training was for 3 Years at Merrist Wood and who stayed for a further year in the ’70s to study Arboriculture, has well over 50 years of experience. He retired from the field in 2010 but not from the business. He now acts as our consultant and helps with the apprenticeship scheme that Priestgate has run. He is also the author of the Plant Guide and the Blog and Advice sections of this Web Site and our ‘Go To’ for lots of things.
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Mary Birtwhistle (Co-Founder) and Phil Birtwhistle (Managing Director)
Mary and Roger set the company up from scratch, with Mary encouraging Roger to believe that it was achievable. And with equal enthusiasm she is still helping the company to grow to what it is now.
Mary has run the accounts and answered the phones for Priestgate Ltd. Since day dot, and your journey with us will most likely start with a chat on the phone with her. With many years of experience in running an office, she is always only too happy to help.
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Jay Hutchinson – Head Of Landscaping
Jay joined us in 2019, with his practical background as a mechanic, he has picked up the job very quickly. He is now our key landscaper, with an ever growing number of beautiful gardens that he has helped to build. We feel very fortunate to have him as part of PGS.
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Danny Jewkes – Head of Grounds Maintenance
Danny joined us right before the COVID-19 lockdown and has since been given a great deal of responsibility. His knowledge and working methods hold a lot of promise for the future of PGS. A very welcome addition to the team.
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Jake Idiens
Jake completed his apprenticeship with us in May 2021 and has become a key team player for PGS. We are very pleased with how much Jake has progressed in the last couple of years and look forward to seeing which path he takes with us for the future.
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James Stephan
James joined just before the COVID-19 lockdown. He offers a great deal of experience and friendlyness to his work. James is a key member and very welcome addition to the team.
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Alec Waite – Head of Lawn Care
Alec has rejoined the team after leaving us back in 2004. With his years of experience and knowledge in the field, he is a great asset to the PGS team, and has fitted right back in.
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Richard Lowe
Richard joined the team in February 2021 with a background of working in an Adventure Activity and Education Centre. Keen to learn and full of energy, Richard brings fantastic qualities to the Company and is a great addition to the team, offering his input in tasks as he goes, making him an already valuable member of the team.
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Carl Reynolds
Carl joined the Landscaping team in June 2021 and has fitted in to the crew seamlessly. His knowledge and experience through past trade work has made him a valuable part of the team. Carl has been a huge help to both the maintenance and Landscaping divisions, and we feel very fortunate to have him here with us at Priestgate Ltd.
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Brad Hutchinson
Jay’s younger brother Brad joined us in July 2021 and seems to be settling in very well as part of the team. We look forward to seeing Brad develop his skills as a welcome addition to Priestgate Ltd.
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Luke Handy
Luke has been a brilliant addition to the team since July 2022. His eagerness to get stuck in to any task has made him a true asset to the firm. We look forward to seeing how Luke progresses over the coming years.