Tomorrow is the 4th June already! Time for the June meeting of the Godstone Gardener’s Club. This month we have the pleasure of welcoming Neil Miller who will regale us with the History of Hever Gardens Past and Present. As with all Gardeners’ Club meetings there will, of course, be the usual plant sale where members bring spare plants along and sell them on the night with part of the proceeds going to the club. The weather forecast for tomorrow is pretty awful, so a little light entertainment from Neil is likely to be very welcome in the evening!
What a great presentation! Neil gave a fascinating history of Hever Castle, the Gardens and how they have evolved over the years. We learned, for example, that there were no gardens at Hever until 1900 and that it was William Astor who spent the equivalent of millions of pounds employing 2,000 labourers to develop and build the gardens. We learned about the beautiful Buxom Beauty rose with its huge blooms and exquisite smell. We learned about how the Yew topiary is managed and brought back to where it should be over time. And we learned about Nancy Astor’s exchange with Winston Churchill where she is said to have told him, “If you were my husband, I would poison your drink”, and he is said to have replied, “If I were married to you, I would drink it!”
Some presenters are better than others, some use rather old fashioned methods to display their images, some are more engaging than others. One thing that can be said of Neil Miller is that he is engaging, his presentation is interesting and current and he provides a good hour of true entertainment. We shall look forward to welcoming him back in the future to talk about his other gardens in Jerusalem!
I totally agree with Alex’s comments, a very entertaining presentation. I also liked the Churchill anecdote,to which I would like to add another:
At a reception an elderly dowager upbraided him saying,” Mr. Churchill you are drunk !”, to which Churchill replied, ” And Madam your are ugly ! Tomorrow I will be sober”.
I would like to suggest that we take up Neil’s offer of a Club visit to Hever, this year, next year, or whenever.
I have asked our Programme Secretary to try and include him as one of our speakers in 2016 and hopefully our Day Trip Organiser will take him up on his offer for a private visit round the grounds. Watch this space.
I am interested in joining the club so please let me have details.
Thank you.
Dear David
You will be very welcome to join the club. The club meets on the first Wednesday of every month with the next meeting being on the 2nd July at 8pm. Annual membership of the club currently costs £10 which covers the cost of all of the monthly meetings throughout the year, (including speakers). There is a raffle at every club meeting, (with tickets sold at a very cheap price that I can’t remember!), and tea and coffee are sold when the speaker has finished. There is also a plant sale at every club meeting where members bring plants that are sold with 50% of the proceeds going to the club and 50% to the member who brings them. At the next meeting Margaret Arnott from the National Garden Scheme is speaking about the scheme in Surrey which should be interesting. As it happens I will also be talking for a few minutes about the website as it is quite new to the club and not everyone really understands what it is and what it is for! If you are able to come along to the 2nd July meeting you will be very welcome – there is no pressure to sign up there and then, just see what you think of it. The July meeting will be Chaired by Bren Davis as our current Chair, Sylvia Pocock, is away. If you ask for myself, Alex, when you arrive or for Bren, we will be delighted to welcome you and give you the run down.
If you can’t make the July meeting and would like to come to another one, there is no problem, feel free to come along whenever you like.
Best regards
Alex
Dear Alex,
Thank you for your promp reply and the interesting information. The society apears to be very go-ahead when many are struggling. My interests are pelargoniums, fuchsias and hostas with some vegetables, and have been on the commitee of the national society for pelargoniums and geraniums for around thirty years. I look forward to meeting you on the 2nd of July.
Kind regards,
David
Dear David,
Unfortunately I won’t be at the July meeting – off speaking to another society – so you will be looked after by not only Alex but also our Vice Chairman Bren Davies. Hope you decide to come again in August so that I may be able to meet you. Our speaker is Tom Hart Dyke, making one of his many return visits. Sylvia Pocock, Chairman.