BREAM GARDENING SOCIETY SEPTEMBER NEWSLETTER
Hello again
Many thanks to everyone involved with the show this year. What a super show and how lovely to have a fine and sunny day – that makes a change!
Our sincere thanks to everyone who attended, exhibited and to our invaluable volunteers without whom, the show could not take place. I did take a few photos before the judging so apologies that prize cards are not shown.
There are more pictures on our Facebook page – thanks to Jennifer. A report from Kathryn and Elizabeth is copied below. Many thanks to everyone involved.
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Unfortunately not all the news is good and sadly I need to report that one of our members Helen Theophilus passed away on 26th August. Our condolences to her husband John and their family.~~~~~~~~
Saturday 7th September A reminder that the Aylburton Flower and Vegetable Show is on next Saturday. Here is the link for the schedule so you can enter there. http://www.aylburtonvillagehall.org.uk/2024%20flower%20show%20schedule.pdf
Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th September – 2pm to 5pm
You are invited to TEA IN THE GARDEN – The Homestead, Clements Tump, GL16 8LW In aid of Cots for Tots, the Special Car Baby Charity, St Michael’s Hospital, Bristol.
Donations of cakes, or to our JustGiving.com page Anne Large Cots for Tots, will be much appreciated. If you can attend and RSVP it will help with catering. 07808 470452
Many thanks. Anne and Phil Large
Tuesday 10th September – 7.30 to 9.30 at St James’ Church Hall.
BGS Talk: GROWING VEGETABLES – getting the best from your efforts — Marion Stainton
Marion is involved in a broad range of horticultural projects for domestic, commercial and community gardens. She has published in The Horticulturalist and The Plantsman. This is a ‘back to basics’ talk which focuses on a practical approach to planning and managing your vegetable growing. Marion is interested in an environmentally friendly approach to gardening with integrated pest management. Not organic gardening, but where chemicals are only used as a last resort. Prevention is better than cure.
Sunday 15th September. Hidcote and Kiftsgate gardens. Two contrasting gardens: Arts and Crafts-inspired garden rooms at Hidcote and a much more relaxed garden at Kiftsgate. For those of us who are interested in handicrafts, there will also be an opportunity to visit the special Nature’s Tapestry | Botanical Embroidery exhibition at Hidcote. Details from Diana on our usual email address. breamgardeningsociety@gmail.com
APPLE PICKING AND JUICING. Probably October or late September, depending on when the apples are ripe and ready to pick. Details to follow.
Saturday, 9th November BGS AUTUMN SHOW West Dean Centre.
Please support our traditional Autumn Show as a volunteer, exhibitor or visitor.
Don’t forget to enter the members-only Peanut Yield competition.
Schedules will be available soon on-line (some details are there now) or at our next talk and at selected shops and venues thereafter. Take a look and see what classes ‘tickle your fancy’ – the more the merrier.
Best wishes from
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159th BGS SUMMER SHOW
We want to say a HUGE thank you to all involved in making the 159th Summer Show such a fantastic success again this year. Attendance was up by over 160 paying visitors this year. More importantly, even after what had seemed to be a terrible growing season, numbers of both exhibitors and total entries built slightly on last year’s bumper figures. We were particularly pleased to see several new entrants on the list, some of whom have gone on to join the society. Thank you to everybody who entered the show themselves or who promoted the event to others.
The judges were all extremely impressed with both the number and standard of entries across the board; however, special congratulations must go to Sue Hill, who won the Banksian Medal for the highest number of points across the horticultural classes, and to Julie Sparkes, who won the BGS Summer Cup for the best exhibit across all sections. Also to Trudi Breadman who scored the highest number of points across all classes – a whopping 121 points!
And we’re of course delighted that Bream triumphed in the Battle of the Villages on the third attempt! Thank you to the very many who contributed to us putting on such an amazing display, in particular to Wendy and Clive Harris for managing our entries, nurturing them for weeks and even having a ‘B Team’ of containers ready in reserve.
We were pleased to see the excellent coverage in the Forest Review, with the headline referencing our Heptathlon Event. Well done to our gold, silver and bronze medal winners – Sue Hill, Suzanne Snowden and Trudi Breadman. .
We’re incredibly grateful to those who gave up their time to keep the show thriving, especially those who aren’t on the committee or even members. Thank you to everybody who: distributed schedules, flyers and posters; put up road signs; sold raffle tickets to friends and family; set-up or packed-up the show site; baked cakes for the tea tent; donated plants or prizes; lent us gazebos and equipment; or volunteered for one of the many jobs on Show Day.
There are too many people to thank everybody personally; however, special mention must go to Peter and Ruth Bean in their roles as Equipment Officer and Tea tent Manager; Geoff Davis for all of his help before, during and after the show; Suzanne Snowden as Treasurer behind the scenes; Jane Carr for running the plant stall and for caring for many of the plants year round; Louise McGuinness for organising the raffle; and to Sue and Nick Hill for not only storing our equipment in their shed but for repairing it whilst it was there too!
Thank you to Bream Sports Club for the use of their grounds. In particular, to Julie Holder for managing the stalls on the lower field, to Glyn Shingles for sorting out our electricity supply, and to those club members who helped us to carry equipment and erect the small marquees. We were pleased to have the Bream Silver Band entertain us again and who, along with other local groups including Canopy Arts, the Poetry Salmon, Bream Library, St. James’ Church, Dean Forest Beekeepers, and the Forest of Dean Camera Club, created a real buzz on the lower field.
Thank you to St. James’ Church and the West Dean Centre for the loan of their tables, to Bream School for the use of their field for parking, and to The Lions for supervising the parking arrangements. Finally, we would like to thank all our sponsors and advertisers, particularly the show’s main sponsor this year, the Royal Forest of Dean Rotary Club, and The Lions for their generous grant towards the cost of non-slip flooring.
This year we took the risk of scaling up to an 80′ x 40′ marquee. Not only did we manage to fill it with wonderful exhibits but the Children’s Section had to spill outside into its own dedicated mini marquee. Furthermore, the Show managed to cover the increased hire costs associated with the larger marquee and still made a small profit. This gives us the confidence to hire the same marquee for next year’s special 160th Anniversary Show.
Don’t forget, before then we have our Autumn Show to look forward to on 9th November. Look out for the link to the Autumn Show Schedule that we will be sending out very soon.
Elizabeth (Show Secretary) and Kathryn (Show Manager)
THANK YOU!
September 2024