The heartwarming story of pensioner Pete Dalgarno's devotion to his wife Pat, 77, a resident at St Cecilia specialist dementia care home in Shepton Mallet, continues to touch hearts.  

For almost two years, Pete, 80, who lives in Street, has personally cared for the home's garden and window boxes, a dedication that recently made local headlines.  

Inspired by his efforts, his former employer, Dairy Crest, now part of Saputo Dairy UK Limited, has sent Pete £100 in vouchers for his local Dobbies Garden Centre to spend as he wishes. 

"Pete was a long-standing employee of Dairy Crest, and we wanted to celebrate his dedication to creating a beautiful and comforting environment for Pat," said a spokesperson from Saputo. 

"His commitment to his wife and his impressive gardening skills are truly inspiring, and we are proud to support his efforts."  

Pete, a former depot manager, says he is going to spend his vouchers on plants for St Cecilia, which is run by White Care Group. 

"It was such a surprise, I was in total shock," said Pete. "I've felt like a bit of a local celebrity since the article came out. So many people have come up to me who saw the piece in the local papers or heard me on (BBC) Radio Somerset." 

"I've got a clematis to go in, a Montana, which is quite vigorous plant. There's a silver birch tree in the garden and I'm going to train it up there, to brighten the trunk a bit. 

"I'm also going to try to buy a nice wrought iron planter if I can." 

Working for the dairies was a family tradition for Pete, whose father and grandfather both worked in the industry, his grandfather delivering milk twice daily by horse and cart. 

Around 1975, Pete moved to Horlicks Dairies in Glastonbury, working as a roundsman delivering milk. When Unigate Dairies took over, he was promoted to manager. 

Later, Dairy Crest succeeded Unigate; Pete retired in 2002 due to ill health. 

Alongside his working life, Pete's roots and family story add even more character. As for his unusual surname, it's of Scottish origin, tracing back to the lands of Dalgarnock in Dumfriesshire. 

 "My father grew up in Dundee," said Pete. "He was born in the tenement buildings up there and was posted down to Somerset during the war. That's when he met Mum, who was working as a dinner lady at Street County Mixed School on the High Street, the same school I later went to. 

"It worked out well, really, because with Mum being the dinner lady, everyone wanted to be my friend at lunchtime!" 

Pete's mother was Cornish, and her father was a rat catcher. "I used to go around some of the farms with him sometimes," added Pete. 

St Cecilia is part of a third generation, family-run business, run by White Care Group, which has other homes in Glastonbury and Taunton.