South Yorkshire Times, November 3rd 1933

This is a Yucca. It can be seen growing in the front garden of Mr. Henry Perry, 66, Bath Road, Brampton, and hundreds of people have been to look at it. Allotment holders who are accustomed to seeing outsizes in onions and monstrosities in marrows do not know what to make of this specimen. There are few who have ever seen anything like it, except perhaps in botanical gardens. The Yucca is a stunner.

So for the benefit of those who might have been under the impression that a Yucca was a cross-word catch or one of Gordon Richards’ mounts we had better explain what it is. Yucca is the botanical name for the genus Liliaceae, popularly called “Adam’s Needle.”

The number of the species is about twelve, chiefly found in sub-tropical North America. Some are of arborescent habit, producing a crown of linear-lanceolate, more or less rigid leaves, from the centre of which arises an erect panicle of showy, whitish, bell-shaped flowers. That seems to describe exactly the species seen in this picture and of which the owner is very proud.

But the remarkable thing about this Yucca is that in all the long time it has been farmed by Mr. and Mrs. Perry it has never shown signs of flowering. Six or seven weeks ago it began to flower and week by week they have watched it wax in size and loveliness. No doubt it has been checked by the cold winds of the past few days but they are still hoping that it will put out its full glory before winter sets in. They can only conclude that it has been brought on by the wonderfully fine summer.

This Yucca has a history. Fourteen years ago Mr. and Mrs. Perry were on holiday in Bournemouth and a friend who lives there persuaded them to bring the shoot away. It was then no larger than a stick of celery. They planted it in their garden in Oaklea Avenue, West Melton and seven years ago moved it to its present site in the centre of their front plot on the Brampton housing estate. There it has enjoyed all the sunshine that could be trapped in a sunken garden.

A great admirer of the plant was Mr. Frank Tonkinson, a Brampton veteran and a bit of a “globe trotter.” He had run into Yuccas in Africa and always said he hoped he would live to see this Yucca in flower. He died last year. The plant measures four feet to the top of the cactus bush and another three feet to the summit of the floral spike.