The Annual General Meeting of the Newton-le-Willows Gardeners’ Association will take place on Thursday 29th January 2004. The meeting will be held at the Kirkfield Hotel, Church Street, Newton-le-Willows, and will commence at 7.30pm.
AGENDA
1. Apologies for absence.
2. To read and approve the minutes of the 2003 A.G.M.
3. To discuss any matters arising from the minutes.
4. Financial report.
5. Secretary’s report.
6. Election of Officers, Committee, and Auditors for the year 2004.
7. Any other business.
Nominations for the positions of Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Treasurer, General Secretary, Sales Secretary, Show Secretary, and Membership Secretary, or any other items for the agenda, should be submitted to the General Secretary Mrs. Jean McEvoy MBE, at 49 The Copse, Newton-le-Willows, Merseyside WA12 9YF, Telephone number 01925 220716, by 22nd January.
Our General Secretary Jean McEvoy has decided to stand down from office this time due to other commitments and we must thank her for her efforts over the last twelve months. Please do your very best to attend the A.G.M. - remember this is your opportunity to have your say.
ROB LANE ALLOTMENTS ASSOCIATION
Although the proposal to merge the Allotments Association with the Gardeners’ Association was submitted to St. Helens Council several months ago, sadly we have to report that at the time of writing this letter (mid-December) it is still languishing amidst the labyrinths of the Council Legal Department.
OUR PROJECT
The project to apply for funding to replace the Hut with a new, more secure building with better amenities has been making poor progress. The feasibility study has been completed but unfortunately St. Helens Council planners have now indicated that our proposals would be an inappropriate development, and have advised against the submission of a planning application. This despite the fact that an extended lease for the site has already been agreed by the Council, and the feasibility study was funded by the St. Helens Community Opportunities Fund. We are seeking a site meeting with St. Helens planners but it is quite possible that we will have to modify our plans.
MEMBERSHIP
Your membership fee is due for renewal on the 1st of January and you can pay and obtain your new card at the Sales Hut or by post from Mrs. Sandra Ferry at 26 Gorsey Brow, Billinge, Wigan, Lancs WN5 7NX. Tel. 01744 893423. Or why not come along to the AGM and renew your membership there! The fee is £3 per annum or £2 if you are over 60 years of age.
We are determined to increase the membership of the Association in 2004, and to this end have included with this letter a copy of our promotional leaflet, together with an application form for membership. We would like you all to do your utmost to try and recruit at least one new member each. Our door to door leaflet delivery last year was very successful in that it produced over fifty new members and we would like to improve on that figure this year. We do intend to do another leaflet drop during March, and if anyone would like to help with this, please contact Sandra, or leave your name and phone number at the Hut. It is more than likely that some members will also receive a leaflet through their letterboxes in addition to the one enclosed with this newsletter. If this happens we would be grateful if you could please pass it on to someone else.
SALES HUT
It is intended that the shop will open on Sunday 4th January and will be open on Sundays only until 25th January, and again on Sundays only during October and November. The full opening times will be as follows:-
SATURDAYS: 31st January to 25th September. 10.30am to 12 noon (Closed Show Saturday 11th Sept.).
SUNDAYS: 4th January to 14th November. 10.30am to 12 noon.
WEDNESDAYS: 31st March to 16th June. 7.00pm to 8.00pm.
We will do our best to maintain prices at the same level this year. The Cromwell Multi-purpose compost will definitely still be available at £3 for a 75litre bag and we will repeat last year’s offer of a 100litre bag of Levington Multi-purpose compost for the price of a 75litre bag for as long as stocks last. This is a good offer but will be for a limited period only, so please visit the Hut as soon as possible to take advantage.
The following varieties of seed potatoes, onion sets and shallots will be in stock during late January/February:-
First early Pentland Javelin, Maris Bard. All potatoes £1.75 for 3kg
Second early Wilja, Estima. or
Main crop Majestic, Maris Piper. 60p for 1kg.
Onion sets Sturon, Turbo, Stuttgarter, Red Baron 75p for 1kg bag.
Yellow Shallots £1.35 for 1kg.
Hopefully later on gladiolus and begonia corms will be in stock.
Wild bird food – black sunflower seed, high energy seed mix, and peanuts will be on sale again.
Flower, herb and vegetable seeds from Van Hage and E W King & Co are in stock now.
Bedding plants will be on sale at the polytunnel at the rear of the Hut during April, May, and June, also veg. plants, herbs, and perennials. We would be grateful for some extra help with pricking out the bedding plants, so if anyone can spare an hour or two from time to time, this will be very much appreciated. If you do have any plants surplus to requirements, don’t throw them away, bring them along to the polytunnel to increase the range of plants that we can offer to members.
WORLD WIDE WEB
Just to remind you that we now have our own web site at www.nlwgardeners.homestead.com
The site contains quite a lot of information about the Association, latest news, events, show schedules, pictures etc. Please have a look if you are on the internet and let us know what you think about it by signing the guest book.
MAUREEN WILLIAMS
Who remembers Maureen? Maureen was our Show Secretary during the mid 1980s and apart from being an excellent Show Secretary she will be remembered for the wonderful sweet peas that she grew and exhibited at our shows. She wishes to be remembered to you all and is now living in Barbados where she is trying her hand at growing and exhibiting orchids!
CROSSWORD
Enclosed with this letter is our latest prize crossword puzzle. Our compiler has made this one especially easy so please have a go as the first two correct solutions out of the hat will win vouchers to be redeemed at the Hut!
2004 PROGRAMME OF EVENTS
Thursday 29th January - Annual General Meeting.
Thursday 19th February- Feeding Garden Birds in the Winter” – talk and slide show by Chris Tynon (RSPB Liverpool Branch).
Thursday 25th March - “Vegetables for the Pot” – talk by Bill Dabs of the
National Vegetable Society.
Thursday 22nd April - Hanging Baskets demonstration by Veronica Finney of Lumber Lane Nursery, Burtonwood.
Thursday 27th May - “Herbs for Health” – talk by John Taylor (Herbalist)
from Southport.
Thursday 24th June - “Cottage Gardens” – talk by Christine Yates.
Saturday 11th September - Grand Flower & Vegetable Show. St. Aelred’s School, Birley Street, Newton. Doors open 2.0pm.
Thursday 28th October - Floral Art Demonstration by Amanda Morrison.
The Kirkfield Hotel will again be the venue for the AGM and all the evening meetings which will start at 7.30pm.
Following the success of our two coach trips last year, this year we are running four trips! Again we are sharing our outings with Culcheth Horticultural Society which will give us a better chance of filling the coaches.
Friday 7th May - Coach trip to Malvern Spring Flower Show. Leave Newton (Blue Bell in High
Street) at 8.am picking up at the Harrow in Culcheth at 8.15am. Leaving from
Malvern at 5.0pm. Cost including coach and entrance to show - £20.
Friday 4th June - Coach trip to Holker Hall Garden Festival. Cost including coach and entrance
fees £14. This one is being organised by Culcheth and times have not been
decided yet.
Thursday 1st July - Coach trip to Ryton Gardens near Coventry (Henry Doubleday Research
Association) calling at Bridgemere Garden World on the way back. Leaving
Blue Bell at 8.30am and probably not getting back to Newton till around
7.30pm. Cost including coach and entrance fees £13.
Thursday 19th August - Coach trip to Southport Flower Show. Leave Blue Bell 9.15am and leaving from Southport around 5.0pm. Cost including coach and entrance to Show £14.
More details will be available at the Hut. A deposit of £5 per person is payable on booking please.
REVIEW OF 2003 SHOW - by Ursula Siney
I approached September last year with some trepidation – this being my first time as Show Secretary. Many were complaining about the glorious summer we were having and the possibility that there would be no flowers left for the Show, so I began to wonder how many exhibits we would actually receive, if any at all!
I had no need to worry as we had the same number of exhibitors as 2002 - 49, with a total of 278 actual exhibits. There was a decrease in the number of flowers exhibited but this was compensated for by a small increase in the vegetable entries. The prizes were presented by Mrs. Jean Brooks, wife of the late Gordon Brooks, and Hazel Clark from Stockton Heath took home the brand new Gordon Brooks trophy as the exhibitor winning most points in the Show. The Royal Horticultural Society Banksian Medal, awarded to the exhibitor winning the highest amount of prize money in the Show had two winners - Albert Lyon and Don Farrell who both received exactly the same amount of prize money!
Due to refurbishment work at St. Aelreds we had to change the venue to the Sports Hall this time – much further to carry all the tables but we managed, thanks to all those who came to help set up on the Friday evening and put the tables away again on Saturday! In fact we found the Sports Hall much more suitable as we were able to stage the whole Show in one room, and this will be the venue for the 2004 Show, which will be held on Saturday 11th September.
Anyway at the end of the day I returned home in one piece slightly shattered, but I and many others had an enjoyable day!
If any of you would like to sponsor a class or classes in the Show this year we would be very grateful. It will cost you between £3.20 and £5.00 to sponsor one class and you can sponsor in your own name or in memory of a loved one. For each class you sponsor you will receive full recognition as an appropriate certificate will be placed on the show benches. If you have a business, you may like to place a small advertisement in our Show Schedule for as little as £25. Please contact me on 01942 274584, or ask for details when you visit the Hut.
See you all at the 2004 Show on the 11th September.
SHOW PHOTOGRAPHS
Our new photography section in the annual show is proving to be popular so don’t forget your camera when you are out and about this year, as there will be three photography classes in the 2004 show. These will be:-
a) Water. b) Country styles. c) Humour.
The Chairman and Committee
would like to wish you all the very best for 2004
Please do your best to attend the AGM on the 29th of January and please support
our programme of evening talks at the Kirkfield Hotel.
1. Apologies for absence.
