It is with great regret that we record the death of David Morris, who made such a big contribution to the gardens.
David was instrumental in the achieving the transfer of ownership of the gardens from the Rendel Estate trustees to a newly formed company, Kemp Town Enclosures Limited in 1995. The company was set up to enable the gardens to be owned and managed on behalf of the residents of the Estate in perpetuity. Under David’s leadership, the practice of levying an annual charge on each house to fund the maintenance of the gardens was reinstated. Prior to this the gardens had been funded by contributions made only by those residents who opted to be keyholders. The change in policy meant that the annual budget increased substantially enabling us to employ our first head gardener and with that the standard of garden maintenance improved dramatically.
David handed over the chair in 1999 but continued to be active in the Kemp Town Society for many more years and to take a keen interest in the gardens. His commitment to the gardens was demonstrated when he and Nina, his wife, contributed £100,000 towards the reinstatement of the Southern railings making a long-held aspiration into a reality. Nina continues to live in Lewes Crescent.
