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Etesia Hydro 80 at St Marylebone Crematorium

October 1, 2025/in Machinery, News, Press Release/by Admin

Etesia Hydro 80 at St Marylebone Crematorium: Tucked away in the green spaces of North London, St Marylebone Crematorium has been a place of remembrance and reflection since 1937. Its peaceful gardens and neatly kept lawns are maintained with care and precision by a dedicated grounds team, who rely on the Etesia Hydro 80 ride-on […]

BIGGA and Bernhard Academy select America delegation

September 29, 2025/in News, People, Press Release/by Admin

BIGGA and Bernhard Academy select America delegation: The British & International Golf Greenkeepers Association (BIGGA) and Premium Partner Bernhard Academy have selected 10 association members to engage in one of the sports turf industry’s most prestigious learning opportunities. A BIGGA Premium Partner, every two years Bernhard Academy invites 10 BIGGA members to attend the Golf […]

Etesia Hydro 80 at St Marylebone Crematorium

October 1, 2025/in Machinery, News, Press Release/by Admin

BIGGA and Bernhard Academy select America delegation

September 29, 2025/in News, People, Press Release/by Admin

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

Etesia Hydro 80 at St Marylebone Crematorium

October 1, 2025/in Machinery, News, Press Release/by Admin

Etesia Hydro 80 at St Marylebone Crematorium: Tucked away in the green spaces of North London, St Marylebone Crematorium has been a place of remembrance and reflection since 1937. Its peaceful gardens and neatly kept lawns are maintained with care and precision by a dedicated grounds team, who rely on the Etesia Hydro 80 ride-on mower to help meet the site’s demanding requirements.

With large expanses of grass, tight access areas, lots of trees, and numerous formal memorial plots, the grounds pose a variety of challenges. But for Head Gardener Alan Wilkins and gardener Lee Harris, the Hydro 80 has proven to be more than up to the task.

Etesia Hydro 80 at St Marylebone Crematorium

“This will be coming up to my second year here,” says Lee. “The Hydro 80 is a great machine, especially for the tight areas where you’re getting in between flower beds. It’s a great height if you need to get under trees, and access is fantastic. It’s a powerful mower—very fast—and it picks up really well.”

Designed for versatility and efficiency, the Etesia Hydro 80 cuts and collects both long and short grass without clogging, even in wet conditions. “Even in the wet, it picks up very well,” Lee adds. “It just makes the job easier—emptying it is simple, and it’s perfect for getting into smaller gaps. I’d recommend it to anyone with big lawns or tight access.”

The machine’s compact size—just 0.82m wide—makes it ideal for a site like St Marylebone, where space between memorials is limited. But compact doesn’t mean compromise. With its 15hp Kawasaki twin-cylinder engine, hydrostatic transmission, and specially contoured deck, the Hydro 80 delivers the power and performance expected from a much larger machine.

Alan, who joined the crematorium just over a year ago, was so impressed with the mower’s longstanding performance that he had no hesitation in ordering a new one. “We actually had this exact mower previously. It had been here for five or six years, and it was so good that we just ordered the same machine again—but the updated version.”

That replacement was supplied by RT Machinery, a supplier long associated with the site. “Purchasing this machine was actually the first time I dealt with RT Machinery directly,” says Alan. “The customer service was excellent, and communication with the rep was really good. They made the whole process very straightforward and easy.”

What impressed Alan most, though, was the quality of the cut. “From my perspective, the finish is very, very good. It’s comparable to a rotary pedestrian mower in terms of the fine quality of cut—and that’s quite rare for a ride-on. Anyone working in formal gardens would appreciate that. For us, the appearance of the grass is very important.”

With an 80cm cutting width, electromagnetic blade clutch, and an integrated 240-litre grassbox that can be emptied from the seat, the Hydro 80 is built for operator convenience as well as performance. Features like anti-scalp rollers for uneven ground, fingertip controls, and a comfortable high-backed suspension seat ensure that mowing is not just effective—but also smooth and enjoyable.

“The machine is just built well,” Lee concludes. “It’s solid, reliable, easy to use, and perfect for the work we do here.”

For a site where respect, appearance, and accessibility are all key, the Etesia Hydro 80 has proven to be the ideal partner—efficient, compact, and a cut above.

A video of the Hydro 80 in action at St Marylebone Crematorium can be viewed here.

For further information, please contact Etesia UK on 01295 680120 or visit www.etesia.co.uk.

For more news, reviews and insightful views, you can follow Etesia UK on X @EtesiaUK and like the company’s Facebook page – www.facebook.com/EtesiaUK. You can also view the latest Etesia videos by visiting www.youtube.com/EtesiaUK

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

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BIGGA and Bernhard Academy select America delegation

September 29, 2025/in News, People, Press Release/by Admin

BIGGA and Bernhard Academy select America delegation: The British & International Golf Greenkeepers Association (BIGGA) and Premium Partner Bernhard Academy have selected 10 association members to engage in one of the sports turf industry’s most prestigious learning opportunities.

A BIGGA Premium Partner, every two years Bernhard Academy invites 10 BIGGA members to attend the Golf Course Superintendent Association of America’s (GCSAA) Conference and Trade Show, this year taking place in Orlando, Florida. A spot on the delegation marks out a candidate as among the most dedicated and talented ambassadors for the golf greenkeeping sector. In the intervening years a Delegation from the USA visits BIGGA’s exhibition and conference, BTME.

BIGGA and Bernhard Academy select America delegation

With experiences designed to elevate the careers of those in attendance, the delegation is a week-long educational trip that features site visits as well as seminars, networking events and educational demonstrations. The successful delegates will also be invited to convene at the BIGGA Turf Management Exhibition in January, where they will meet former participants in the programme, many of whom have gone on to great success in their careers.

The BIGGA members selected for the 2026 BIGGA Delegation with Bernhard Academy are:

Andrew Gibbs, Deputy Head Greenkeeper, Sunningdale Golf Club
Michael Sage, Head Greenkeeper, Knowle Golf Club
John Stewart, Course Manager, Minchinhampton Golf Club
Dan Kendle, Head Greenkeeper, Newquay Golf Club
Ruth Etches, First Assistant, Trentham Golf Club
Jack Wellings, Deputy Course Manager, JCB Golf and Country Club
Ian Kirwan, Course Manager, Bramhall Golf Club
Michael Gibbons, Greenkeeper, The Wilmslow Golf Club
Ryan Gall, Greenkeeper, Loch Lomond Golf Club
Stuart Fergusson, Deputy Course Manager, Trump Turnberry

Head to the BIGGA website to find out more about each of the delegates.

Michael Sage is Head Greenkeeper at Knowle Golf Club. Reacting to being selected, he said: “I’m really grateful to have been chosen for the BIGGA Delegation to the GCSAA Conference and Trade Show. It’s a fantastic opportunity to learn from industry leaders, see how things are done on an international stage, and bring back new ideas that can help us at Knowle to keep improving. My goal is to gain fresh perspectives, especially around sustainability and course presentation, and share anything useful with my team”.

Ryan Gall, a greenkeeper at Loch Lomond Golf Club, expressed his pride at being chosen to join the BIGGA Delegation, representing UK greenkeeping on the global stage. He added: “I’m absolutely delighted to have been selected to be part of the Delegation. To be chosen is a massive career achievement for me and I feel incredibly proud to be part of such a prestigious group. I’m really looking forward to experiencing the event first-hand, meeting greenkeepers and industry leaders from around the world, and seeing the very latest innovations in turf management. I’ve no doubt it will be a hugely valuable learning experience and I’m excited to bring back new knowledge and ideas. Huge thanks to BIGGA and Bernhard for making this possible”.

The GCSAA Conference and Trade Show runs from 2 – 5 February 2026. As part of their duties, the delegates will attend the BIGGA stand during the conference, speaking to visitors about the association and UK greenkeeping.

For more information about the exclusive career development opportunities available to BIGGA members, head to the BIGGA website.

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

Half Sized Blog Element (Single Author Style)

Half Sized Blog Element (Multi Author Style)

Etesia Hydro 80 at St Marylebone Crematorium

BIGGA and Bernhard Academy select America delegation

Etesia Hydro 80 at St Marylebone Crematorium

BIGGA and Bernhard Academy select America delegation

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

Etesia Hydro 80 at St Marylebone Crematorium

BIGGA and Bernhard Academy select America delegation

BIGGA and Bernhard Academy select America delegation: The British & International Golf Greenkeepers Association (BIGGA) and Premium Partner Bernhard Academy have selected 10 association members to engage in one of the sports turf industry’s most prestigious learning opportunities.

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