Joan Granahans vowed to continue looking after her husband’s bush after he died in 2012 (Picture: Caters/Michael Scott)

A proud widow who vowed to keep her husband’s bush-trimming dreams alive stands proudly next to his 8ft cock in her front garden.

Joan Granahan made it her personal goal to keep the bush after husband Tom died in 2012.

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The cockerel has been in front of their house in Birmingham since 2002 and he spent a decade carefully pruning it to keep its shape until he lost his battle with cancer.


When her son, Michael, who lives in County Mayo in Ireland, is in the country she makes sure he trims it, but when he’s not she has a professional gardener who comes around and trims it.



Joan, 77, said: ‘Tom used to be a contractor, but when he retired he decided to take on a new hobby.

The cockerel looks out proudly over the suburban street in Erdington, Birmingham (Picture: Caters/Michael Scott)

‘It started out by being an overgrown conifer tree but he slowly started to change that because it was too big.

‘I would always ask him what he was doing but he’d say ‘You get in and do your job, and I’ll do mine,’ so I didn’t know until it was complete.

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‘As soon as I saw it I couldn’t believe how clever his creation was.

‘He was very proud of the cockerel deep down, but he would never show it.

‘I think he got the idea to create a cockerel because he was a farmer’s son and always grew up around birds.

‘I knew when Tom passed away that I’d have to carry on looking after it for Tom, but I’m too old.

‘Now, when my son comes from Ireland he makes sure he clips it, but I’ve got someone who comes around and keeps on-top of it.’