A GRIEVING husband has spent six months on a labour of love to ensure his wife of 50 years will be remembered.

James Hacking, 72, has created a memorial garden round his cottage in Johnson Road, Eccleshill, for Mary, who died on December 1 last year aged 69.

It is filled with her favourite things like the colour lilac, butterfly bushes and viburnum shrubs.

The couple's half-acre garden had received little attention through their six years at the cottage as James was caring for Mary full-time.

But once she died, he thought a memorial garden would be the perfect tribute.

He said: "It's not something that will last for five months it's something which under normal circumstances will last for at least 100 years. I have done it all by myself. I worked on it any time I had spare. I was out there long as it was light. It became like a full time job.

"Friends gave me some donations when Mary died to go towards something and I decided to create a garden. Since then it has gone on and on and on.

"I will have to keep working in there to keep it maintained, but now I can sit and eat meals there and read.

"If she knew about it she would have been very impressed."

Mary died after spending five weeks in a coma following a series of strokes. She had suffered from rheumatoid arthritis from the age of 29.

"She was been so ill for so long," said James, "but she had the phone by her side and gave everybody else sympathy when they weren't well. My wife was a very gentle, caring, generous person."

Mary is buried at Lytham, which was her favourite place.