Advertisement for Pine Nursery by C.F. Cattell in the Westerham Herald

This curious ‘advertisement’ appeared in the Westerham Herald in the early 1900s, clearly attempting to smooth some troubled waters.  It starts by promoting that he, Charles F. Cattell, is the son of the late great nurseryman John Cattell, but then proclaims that the nursery site is remote enough to grow speciality stock and keep them true by ensuring pollination would not be compromised by bees visiting cottagers’ inferior stock. The final statement goes on to attempt to re-address rumours that his father’s business had gone into liquidation, but that it was his own brother, John James Cattell who had gone bust!  The battle for retaining goodwill in a successor-business can follow a rugged road at times…