"It's been years and years of my life. I sold my house to help enable everything moving forward, and I left everything behind. At this point, it's been over 10 years that I've been involved, and I moved to England in 2017. I've spent hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of pounds of my own personal money to make this happen. I'm completely invested in it, and also I believe in the community."
"It was a big shock and really devastating, he said, because so many of our volunteers from the community have been putting in five years rescuing the gardens that were completely in rack and ruin, and they turned them around into award-winning gardens."
Hopwood DePree, 55, relocated from California to north Manchester to restore Grade II* Hopwood Hall in Middleton and began work in 2017 under an agreement with Rochdale council that gave him an option to buy. He led community volunteers to revive derelict gardens and chronicled the project in a book; the hall contains an ornate fireplace once gifted by Lord Byron. In November the council locked the gates, saying he had not met his obligations. DePree says he sold his house and spent substantial personal funds and now lacks confidence in the council to secure the building’s future. He is contesting possession in court.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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