This year’s Spring Show will be held on Sunday 9th April from 1pm to 3.30pm at Lowdham Village Hall. Entries need to be in between 9.30am and 11.30am. The schedule can be downloaded by clinking the link to the right. Please come along and join us to see a wonderful show of spring flowers, floral art and paintings. Refreshments will be served in the afternoon. Entry is £1.50 for adults with children free.
MARCH TALK
Our next talk is on Thursday 30th March, 7.30pm at the WI Hall, Lowdham. We will be revisited by Janette Merilion, a well known horticultural lecturer and historian with a successful garden design business based in central Lincolnshire. Janette’s talk, ‘The Sensual Garden’, explores the concept that a garden should be inviting, attracting you inside and appealing to all of your senses. Plants that are perfumed, sounds that are musical and even the spiritual feeling of a garden can be created with the right design and imaginative planting. All are welcome and there is a small charge of £3 to non-members.
COACH TRIP TO WOBURN ABBEY GARDENS
I already have 49 people signed up to go on our trip to Woburn on Sunday 4th June, so please can I have payment in by the end of March. This way I can offer any spaces to people on the waiting list. The cost of the trip is £20 to members and £25 to non members.
EVENING VISIT TO THE ECHIUM GARDEN, EDWINSTOWE
We are following up the very interesting talk on echiums by Linda and Ray Heywood, with an evening visit to the Echium Garden at 7pm on Wednesday 17th May. We will be given a short talk about the history of Edwinstowe House and the garden, a tour of the garden and refreshments. The cost of the visit will be £5 for members and £8 for non-members. Again all are welcome, but you need to sign up and pay me beforehand, as they need numbers in advance.
If you would like more details, don’t hesitate to contact me via the website.
Nicola
FEBRUARY TALK
Our first talk of 2017 is at 7.30pm on Thursday 23rd February at the WI Hall, Lowdham. We will be visited by Linda Heywood from Echium World at Edwinstowe, who will share with us her love of growing and caring for echiums in ‘Land of the Giants’. We plan to follow up this talk with an evening visit during the summer to see their national collection of echiums. All are welcome and there is a small charge of £3 to non-members.
COACH TRIP TO WOBURN ABBEY GARDENS
After an excellent talk in December from Martin Towsey, the Estates Garden Manager, will be visiting the Abbey and Gardens at Woburn, Bedfordshire, on Sunday 4th June, We will be leaving from Lowdham at approximately 9am and travelling there by coach, where we can spend time visiting the Abbey and gardens, relaxing with a picnic or enjoying a spot of lunch in the Duchess’ Tea Room!
All are welcome and the cost of the trip is £20 to members and £25 to non members. This price covers both the transport and entry to the gardens and abbey. We are keeping our fingers crossed for a lovely sunny day.
If you would like more details or to join us, don’t hesitate to contact me.
Nicola Macdonald
Many apologies for the delay in publishing details of an excellent talk which was given by Martin Towsey who is the Woburn Abbey Estate Garden Manager, being responsible to the Duke and Duchess of Bedfordshire. Martin took us through his career which actually started with Nottingham City Council Parks and Gardens Department, (back in the halcyon days of municipal parks and gardens), together with training at Brackenhurst College. He told us about the work being carried out to restore gardens and associated structures to the original layouts and designs. These include the Chinese Dairy, Bog Garden, Kitchen Garden, Camelia House, Hornbeam Maze, Rockery & Pavilion and so many more. Martin and his team of gardeners are also responsible for the Woburn parkland, Safari park, Golf course, Hotel grounds and interestingly the parks and gardens which form part of the Bedfordshire Estate in London. Altogether a most interesting talk for all those Society members and visitors present. We hope to have a coach trip to Woburn and all it encompasses on Sunday 4th June 2017. This should be a most rewarding visit.
Our next talk is on Thursday 15th December, which we plan to follow up with a visit to Woburn next June. Join us for a mince pie and glass of wine and to listen to Martin share his knowledge and passion for the gardens and estate. All are welcome with a charge of £4 to non-members. Note the change of venue – Lowdham Community Building, off Old Tannery Drive.
If you would like to book a place please let me know.
This Sunday 20th November there will be a new event on at Lowdham Village Hall from 10.30am to 4.30pm. One of our members Adrian Baggaley is showcasing a new event for all the family. there will be cider and perry tasting, hot food and drinks as well and a variety of stalls and entertainment. Entry is £3.50 for adults with accompanied children being free.
Our hardworking Chairperson (Nicola) is seen introducing an excellent talk with superb photographs which was delivered by Jack Perks (Wildlife and Underwater Specialist). The talk was thoroughly enjoyed by members and visitors to Lowdham W.I. Hall. Jack is a wildlife cameraman, film maker, researcher and presenter who has worked for the BBC on Springwatch 2016 and Countryfile. In fact, the Sunday prior to his talk he appeared on BBC Countryfile with a fascinating item about chubb in the Fairham Brook, including images of the fish feeding on blackberries which were falling into the brook. He took us from the source of rivers to the sea with wonderful images of wildlife along the banks and in the water. Altogether, a most worthwhile talk by a professional Natural History photographer who is based in the East Midlands. Perhaps you could do some research yourselves and have a look on his website and Facebook page.
After technical ‘hitches’ between an ‘Apple’ iPad and our website, with photos being shown upside down, at last a short ‘blog’ about a successful ‘Apple’ Day event in Lowdham Village Hall. We had 380 adults plus children coming to the show with excellent feedback from visitors. As well as so many varieties of apples and pears on display, there was fruit tasting, jams and chutneys to purchase, local honey, cider, perry, teas and homemade cakes, and of course the pork cobs. Adrian, our national prize winning fruit grower was giving fruit pressing demonstrations and advice on fruit varieties throughout the event.
We thank all those who came along and of course everyone who participated or helped in any way.
Only a few days to go until Apple Day.
Please can I ask anyone who has time, to make a cake to go with the teas, as we ran out very early at the Summer Show.
Members will all be given a bag of 5 ‘Narcissus Tresamble’ bulbs to grow for the Spring Show, so please collect these on the day as it is easier than us trying to get them to you.
If anyone has an hour spare and wouldn’t mind helping serving teas, with apple sales or tasting please let me know, as many hands make light work!
There will be refreshments and hot pork rolls, so no need for lunch beforehand! Look forward to seeing lots of you there.