Severn Vale Flower Club celebrates 65 years!
July 18th, 2022
What an achievement for Severn Vale Flower Club to celebrate our Sapphire (65th) Anniversary. Made more notable for coinciding with the Queens Platinum Jubilee year.
Our Members Day with competitions was on Monday 12th June at St Mary’s Church Hall Thornbury. This was our first Members Day held here since the closure of the Armstrong Hall.
We were not sure how it would all work out, considering it was a smaller hall and we were not sure many entries we would have for each competition. However, we had seventy entries including photographs. Members judged the photos by putting a few coins against the ones they liked best with the money going to our chosen charity. Kathleen Taylor judged the competitions which she found challenging as there were so many entries to choose from.
Margaret Orchard won the Kay Evans trophy. Sue Williams won the Carmen Pitts award. Susie Rees won the Nancy Robbins award and the Kathleen Hawkins award. Christine Mullins won the award for a flower in a vase, which was a lovely crimson clematis.
Members had a chance to look at the entries before enjoying nibbles and a cake, kindly made by June Lyons.
On Monday afternoon 11th July, one of the hottest days of the year, approximately seventy members and friends enjoyed an afternoon tea with a demonstration at Eastwood Park. Sally, our chairman and demonstrator took us down memory lane saying she began flower arranging at an early age and started entering competitions when she belonged to the Young Farmer Club.
Sally’s first presentation was an unconventional arrangement in the style which Constance Spry would have used in the 20th century. Fresh foliage, Jasmine, Pink Dahlias purple Cala Lilies together with Roses, were displayed in a large metal container. To compliment this display, a smaller arrangement, which was arranged in a Paella dish, was placed alongside. Sally explained that in those days any container would have been used, such as a Frys Benson pie tin. Her next arrangement was a small triangle containing pink Antirrhinums, Roses and yellow Gerberas. The arrangement was placed on top of a stand with a smaller arrangement with the same flowers placed underneath. Between both arrangements attached was the number sixty-five made from covered wire . Very appropriate for our anniversary.
Whilst working on her subsequent arrangements Sally told us that the club’s first venues were The Royal George, The White Lion, The Cossham Hall, and finally The Armstrong Hall before it closed.
The club is very lucky to have such a busy and talented chairman. With Kathleen’s help at the afternoon practice classes and the support of our members we hope to continue for many more years. It has been confirmed that our Open Meeting is on 4th November with Angela Turner. This demonstration is to be held at the Olveston Parish Hall.
If you are interested in coming to any of our afternoon demonstrations, the next one is on Monday afternoon August 8th, when Margaret Heal will be our demonstrator. On Monday September 12th Liz Gordon will be the demonstrator. For more information on any of the above, call 01453 811089 or 01454 885213.
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