'Britain's dullest man' shares this year's 'mundane' calendar for allotment fans
Britain's "dullest man" has created a calendar featuring allotments in his hometown which was dubbed the worst place to live in the UK.
Kevin Beresford, 71, has dedicated months to exploring the best green spaces in Redditch, Worcestershire, as part of a 2024 edition for garden enthusiasts. The pensioner, who calls himself the "dullest man", said he recognised the beauty within his local allotments as well as the people in them. "I used to think people who do allotments were weird and dull people, but when you get talking to them it’s pretty good," he said.
"They're eco-warriors, they’re resourceful people. Whatever is going round, that’s been discarded, they’ll use. They don’t just grow plants, they’re into bee hives. They’re digging for victory. They're very relaxing places."
Kevin has produced numerous calendars in the past (Anita Maric / SWNS)
His favourite month is December (Anita Maric / SWNS)One particular allotment in Astwood Bank struck a chord with him due to its tranquillity. "I always put my favourite in the December page and that made it," he shared. Kevin has previously produced calendars featuring car parks, village notice boards, roundabouts and even one dedicated to footballer Jack Grealish’s calves.
"These calendars don’t sell for the thousands, but it covers the cost for the printing. It gets me out," he explained. "I do all the design, I make them. It's fun coming up with different content. I like to capture a slice of English life and put that into a format." Drawing inspiration from renowned artists who found beauty in the ordinary, he added: "Artists have always focused on the mundane. Van Gough would paint his pipe on the chair. I am the ambassador of the mundane."
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Among Kevin's favourite subjects are allotments, including the Dolphin Road allotments, featured in May, where old bathtubs and toilets have been creatively repurposed into planters. He said: "Dolphin Road allotments, this is a sight that is broken into twice a week. An amazing array of produce grown here. Even flowers. This had bathtub and toilets. Then there’s Church Hill which is broken into twice a week as well. Sturdy gates with huge bits of razor wire to stop people climbing over. This is the sign of the times.”
Kevin is determined to challenge the negative perception of Redditch, which was recently voted the worst place to live in the UK in a poll. He passionately stated: "Some say Redditch is the worst place in England. We can combat that horrible moniker."
Believing in the power of community, Kevin said: "I think with allotments there's a lot of people involved in allotments. The British have always been gardeners, it's intrinsic in our psyche. They're wind up gifts at the moment."
* This article was crafted with the help of an AI tool, which speeds up The Mirror's editorial research. An editor reviewed this content before it was published. You can report any errors to [email protected]
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