EXCLUSIVE: Ally and Andy Greenhouse speak to the Liverpool ECHO after the tragic death of their son, Max
EXCLUSIVE: Ally and Andy Greenhouse speak to the Liverpool ECHO after the tragic death of their son, Max
“We were just an ordinary, boring family who went to work, socialised with friends and family, and then went back to work again on Monday”.
This is how Ally Greenhouse described how family life was, until their teenage son was killed in a tragic crash. Max Greenhouse was a loved, ambitious and full-of-life teenager who had his life taken away from him in a crash while in a car with three of his friends. The 17-year-old was a passenger in a Vauxhall Corsa travelling along Fir Tree Lane in Aughton when it left the road and hit a farm building shortly after 9pm on Wednesday, December 11.
He suffered serious injuries and was rushed to hospital but sadly died a short time later.
Sitting in the front room of their semi-detached house in Lydiate, Ally and Andy Greenhouse paid an emotional tribute to their middle child and first born son, who had a “real zest for life”. Speaking to the ECHO the 47-year-old mum said: “Max was a typical teenage boy. He had us up of a night at the weekend when he was going out and coming in late but he had the biggest heart. He was vivacious and loved life.”
Andy, 53, said: “He had a real zest for life and I know people say, ‘what does that mean?’. But I remember when he was younger, he’d get up on a Saturday and he’d be doing swimming, football, bike rides, tennis. It would get to three or four in the afternoon and you’d want to sit down but he’d say ‘right, what are doing next?'”
Ally continued: “He was always on the go, he was so active. You’d couldn’t pin him down. You’d try and put him in front of the TV, no. The Xbox, no. He loved being outdoors.”
Later in his life, Max developed a love for music, turning his hand to DJing. This proved to be his passion, doing it alongside his joinery course at Southport College, the former Deyes High School pupil was determined to make it.
It was his determination which led to one family friend who his parents describe as a successful DJ, saying for certain Max was “going to make it” in the world of music before his life was cut short.
Alongside his passion for music and his busy social life, Max was a lifelong Liverpool fan and after his death a banner was draped on the front of the Kop at Anfield as Liverpool drew against Manchester United in January. The entire stadium burst into applause before an emotional rendition of You’ll Never Walk Alone was sung.
Max’s dad said: “He loved going to the footy but it wasn’t just about watching Liverpool, it was the whole just being in a place where there’s 50,000 people. All that euphoria, that was the bit that he really loved.
“He just loved groups of people, that whole thing of being together. If the match was on through the week, he would say to me ‘do you want to go the pub to watch it?’, not because he wanted a drink, he just wanted to be in a place where there was people.”
Away from his hobbies and interests, Max was close with both his younger brother Jude, 13, and older sister Olivia, 21, who have since supported their parents through the five months of grief as the family attempts to rebuild their lives.
Lancashire Police confirmed the investigation into the crash remains live, with enquiries ongoing, and the force said its thoughts remain with Max’s loved ones.
Since his death, the family have received an outpouring of love and support from the community, with many of Max’s friends writing letters explaining how he had helped them in various ways, encouraging them to do what they enjoyed.
Ally and Andy are now backing a campaign for graduated driving licences (GDLs). Not only that, the family are encouraging law changes around how many hours learner drivers must log behind the wheel before passing their test in a bid to make the roads safer.
Max himself was learning to drive when he was killed, preparing to start lessons after being out in the car with his dad on several occasions, with his parents keen to ensure he was not rushed into driving.
The initiative would see restrictions placed on new drivers who have recently passed their practical driving test. It would allow drivers to be gradually given privileges drivers have.
Last year, the RAC supported a parliamentary bill put forward by MP Kim Leadbeater but did not progress due to the General Election being called. Since then, a petition has been started and Max’s family are backing the law change.
The petition was created by Crystal Owen, mum of 17-year-old Harvey Owen who died, alongside three of his friends who were all 18, when the car they were travelling in left the road, flipped and landed in water, with all four drowning.
Andy and Ally’s campaigning has seen blue ribbons placed across Lydiate, Maghull and the surrounding area as they encourage people to take the time read the petition. Since’s Max’s death 80,000 have signed the petition, which now has over 100,000 signatures. They spoke to the ECHO the day after Ally had been to Downing Street to hand over the petition to government as they push for restrictions to be placed on new drivers.
Speaking about the law change, Andy said: “It’s open for discussion with the government if they want to discuss it. There’s no set rule at the moment but the data from the countries where they’ve took it on is showing that it reduces deaths or serious accidents in younger drivers. That’s the reason we’re looking at it, we believe it would have potentially helped or prevented Max.”
Ally’s mum Kate Shenton, who suffers with peripheral neuropathy, is set to walk from Maghull to Ormskirk on April 26 to raise awareness about the campaign, dubbed Max’s Mission. The 77-year-old’s diagnosis means she struggles to walk but has been training herself in order to complete the walk with potentially hundreds of people from the community who knew and loved Max.
Ally continued: “It was just going to be a family event that we said we’d do and I was get banner and things but there’s been loads of people who have asked to come and join in. The more people, the better, to raise awareness. A friend of mine said about putting up blue ribbons to get people talking.
“Then she started putting on the Maghull Community Page on Facebook about the ribbons. The support has been unbelievable.
“People support the GDL and I keep saying it’s not to punish drivers. I’ve still got a teenage boy myself and he’ll be wanting to drive soon. It’s not to punish, it really isn’t.
“Max hadn’t passed his test yet and we had talked tirelessly and endlessly with him about the importance of a black box before he had even got behind the wheel.”
Issuing a message to people reading this, Andy said: “We just want people to have a look at the petition, read it, make your own mind up. If you think it’s right and want to support it, support it, if you don’t, that’s fine.
“But just take five minutes and have a look for us and that’s all we can ask for. Just give it five minutes of your time and try to understand where it’s coming from and we’re trying to do.
“If you read and think it’s worthwhile, it’s not costing you anything other than a few minutes to sign the petition. Hopefully it just gets people talking and government trying to do something.”
To read more about the petition the family are supporting or to sign, click here.
