Christmas Tree


Flitwick Gardeners’ Association
wishes all our members
a Merry Christmas
and a Happy New Year

 

 

 

 

 

Christmas 2013 brings to a close an unusual year for the Flitwick Gardeners’ Association. Membership fell at the beginning of the year with many members not renewing.

 

Despite that, the number of members putting entries into the shows increased, members attending the shows and the quiz was up on last year and takings at the Seed Box did not decrease.

 

Thank you one and all for continuing to support the Flitwick Gardeners’ Association.

 

On behalf of the Executive and Show Committees, I wish you all a very merry Christmas and a happy new gardening year.

 

J-P. R. Carter

Chairman

 

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The Seed Box winter closure – reopens Saturday 1 February 2014

 

The Seed Box is closed for the winter break during December and January.  It is open again on Saturday 1 February and the following:

 

Tuesdays       6.30 pm. to 7.30 pm. (February to the end of May)

Fridays           7.30 pm. to 9.00 pm. (February to November)

Saturdays      2.00 pm. to 4.00 pm. (February to November)

 

 

Autumn Show and Quiz

 

Another busy October saw not only some superb displays at the Autumn Show but also 21 teams competing at our annual quiz evening.

 

With 140 exhibits at the show this was the highest number I can find from the records I’ve got. There were a lot of big vegetables, including a pumpkin weighing over 220lbs (100kg) and a cabbage over 22lbs (10kg), other vegetables, fruit and flowers. The hall was a delight to see and soon there were lots of people enjoying looking around and eating delicious homemade cakes.

 

At the quiz the teams all seemed to enjoy a fairly relaxed but challenging evening trying to find the correct answers to 100 random questions.  However, sustained by some excellent food and drink in the middle of the evening, we managed to keep everyone awake until the last answer had been given and the winners declared.

 

My thanks to all the people that took part in one or both events and a special thanks to all those that helped and made the events such a success.

 

Colin Stennett

Show Secretary


Cookery classes for the Spring Show

 

At the Spring Show to be held on Saturday 29 March 2014 we’ve decided to introduce two cookery classes.

 

The first class is titled ‘A Cake for Easter’ – leaving it up to the baker to decide what sort of cake they would like to enter.

 

The second class is a Bedfordshire Clanger.

 

Please try and enter these classes, as well as all the usual flower classes. Given I’m not the clever one in the family at growing flowers, I’m off to scour the web for recipes that a poor cook like me can cope with for the cookery classes.

 

Colin Stennett

Show Secretary

 

 

2014 Photography Classes

 

Below are the photography classes for the 2014 Annual Show:

 

103 – Near

104 – Far

105 – High

106 – Low

 

For the children’s photography class the subject is ‘My Friend’.

 

 

Hative de Niort shallots

 

Hative de Niort shallots, and brief growing instructions, are now available for collection from the Seed Box for those wishing to grow some to show at the Annual Show on 16 August 2014.

 

Jim Godden

Trading Secretary

 

 

Musings from the Rota Queen

 

I would like to thank all the members who have helped at the Seed Box over the last year on behalf of everyone.

 

This last year has seen us lose a few volunteers and it has proved a bit tricky at times but I have been very pleased and relieved that someone has always volunteered to man the till when needed.

 

May I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year. Without your sterling work we would not be able to open the Seed Box for the rest of the members.

 

Sandra M Ridgway

Membership Secretary

 

 

Orders of seed potatoes and onion sets

 

By the time you are reading this, the Seed Box will be closed for the winter months.

 

If you have not ordered your seed potatoes and onion sets yet, it is not too late. Just pop into the Seed Box on a Saturday afternoon, even though it should be closed! Most Saturdays there is someone there so you’ll be able to hand in or complete an order form.

 

Alternatively, send a note of your requirements by email to enquiries@flitwickgardeners.co.uk This will be picked up by me, and I’ll get back to you.

 

Our stock of seed potatoes is on track for delivery in early January and I anticipate being able to contact members to ask them to collect their orders well before the end of the month.

 

Jim Godden

Trading Secretary