Brian Storer will be opening his beautiful garden to the public on Saturday, July 1 to help raise £10,000 for a children’s play area at Queen’s Hospital, in Burton.

Brian told the Burton Mail about how he came within 60 minutes of dying in January just four days after agreeing to raise the money for the hospital.

Brian, from Linton, who turned 70 on Wednesday, June 28 collapsed at his home after suffering kidney failure.

What is your favourite film? Gardeners World is the only programme I watch, I’m not a TV addict but if it’s on, it’s a gardening programme.

What is your favourite takeaway? Fish and chips with peas.

Can you think of one thing that nobody knows about you? Probably not, I think everyone tends to know everything about Brian Storer, I can’t keep secrets.

What is your ultimate ambition in life? Since January, it’s just to make sure I see tomorrow - to keep going.

Have you got any pet hates? When people leave someone’s house and bip their hooters to say goodbye. Why is this, why do they do that?

What is your favourite song? Rose Garden, by Lynn Anderson.

Marmite; love it or hate it? I don’t eat it, but I do like it! If it’s there I’ll put it on my toast, so I guess I do like it.

What would you say is your worst habit? Spending too much money on my garden. All of my money goes on my garden, everything.

What was your first car? A Morris Minor convertible, I had it when I was 16. Our next door neighbours at my mums had it and couldn't afford the payments, so I agreed to take it over.

If you could make up any law, what would it be? To make it completely illegal to bip your horn when you leave someone’s house, there’s no need for it. You’re not warning anybody, you’re just saying “bye mum!”

If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go? I would probably go back to Crete, I’ve been before. I enjoyed my holiday there, it was too hot but I really enjoyed it. I went with my niece and her family.

Who would you invite to a dinner party, dead or alive? Linda Lusardi – I love that woman, she is fantastic. And Monty Don and Carol Klein.

What would you do if you won the lottery? Probably give it all away, I’d probably go and have a nice holiday, pop down to Bournemouth or somewhere like that. Most would go to the underprivileged and cancer charities.