The Club’s AGM and social evening was held on the 29th June and was well attended, with everyone contributing to making it a very enjoyable evening with a fun quiz and refreshments. There was a significant change in personnel for the new Committee, thanks were expressed to the departing committee members who also received a token of appreciation from the Club.
An exciting programme of events was announced, starting at 7.30 in the Reading Room on the 28th September with Gillian Taylor speaking on the subject of “My Greenhouse Year “, followed over the next few months by:
October – Katherine Crouch (Dahlias)
November – Penelope Ibbs (Bourne Secret Garden & the Salisbury Garden Volunteers)
January – John Hallett (The Japanese Garden at Kingston Lacy)
February – Michael Bowyer (2022 Flower Festival Salisbury Cathedral)
March – Lynda Warren (World War Two Gardens)
April – Pauline Weeks (Wild Bunch in the Garden)
May – Sally Morgan (A Healthy Garden)
June – AGM
AGM Chairmans Report 2023
Another interesting year in the life of our Garden Club, with a range of speakers and subjects. We finished last year’s AGM with Rosemary Legrand telling us about Spring Time in Japan.
Our new year started with Jane Moore talking on the subject of “Painting with Flowers” followed by a talk from John Hallett on the house and gardens at Arundell’s, a bit more on the house than gardens but very interesting. In November Fran Clifton talked about the life of a head gardener of Hillier Gardens. In January Ray Broughton talked on Pests and Diseases (still cannot get his hand out). The History of the Front Garden was explained in February by Dr Francis Burroughs and in March a very interesting talk by Dr Lawrence Beaton on Garden Architecture, being an acknowledged expert on the works of Thomas Archer it made the evening even more compelling. Sally Morgan gave an enthralling talk on The Climate Change Garden, very appropriate these days. Then in May, Lynda Warren talked (without PowerPoints or screen shots what a change) on the subject of Herbs which rounded off a very varied and excellent year of speakers.
We have also had fun this year with the Scouts turning up one evening thinking they had the hall, the screen falling and the overhead projector just working on time. It was never dull.
We have increased our membership by 20% and attracted 50 visitors during the year and thanks to Jan the club is in a positive position to go forward. At our September meeting we presented Alabaré with a £400 cheque as part of our proceeds from the open garden event.
As per our By Laws the committee are required to set the subscriptions for the following year. This is obviously always a difficult decision to make, however as we are all aware costs are on the increase, this year we have experienced a cost increase for our speakers both with their basic charge and travel expenses. So, it’s been decided to set the annual subscription to £18 (which equates to £2 per meeting) and our visitor charge at £4 per meeting which remember includes refreshments, hopefully these increases will be seen as modest and necessary in the present climate to ensure we continue to have quality speakers. A new programme for the next year has been developed and will be presented at the AGM.
I would like to thank the current committee for serving over a number of years particularly Jan our Treasurer and Judith our secretary for their commitment as both live outside the village, Christine for taking over programme planning after we lost Angelina. Jo who supported by many of the members has ensured we have refreshments and Dorothy for her garden epistles and help over the past few years. My thanks also to Lesley, Derrick, and Rob for continuing the committee.
We will conduct our AGM in accordance with the Bye Laws agreed at our EGM held in January. Despite early fears that there was little response for new committee members I am delighted to inform that some of our members have put their names forward, however two or three more would be welcome.
Our club has a reputation of welcoming anyone interested in gardening, beginner or expert, our talks at each meeting cover a wide range of subjects and we also end with refreshments, so I hope we can maintain our current membership and attract new members in the forthcoming year and that we can grow further in 2023 and beyond.
Barry Goldsmith
Chairman