News and Reviews

Social Supper

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Our 2025 social supper was enjoyed by all with around 45 suppers served.  Plenty of food and fun was had. The summer photo board kindly lent by David Joyce and a fantastic hamper donated by Jo Sankey and won by Jenny Head added to the fun.

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Floral Rebellion

Our October meeting included a demonstration by Steph of Floral Rebellion on working with Willow
A really interesting and captivating demonstration and even included her “thinking ahead” and making her own coffin!!
Please look out for the link to her website to book any of her workshops. A few of us want to attend the “all day” in December. Email Pam if you want to join us or direct with Steph

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Our 2024 Annual Flowers show
 

All in all a great little show. The entries were up on last year especially Craft and the Children’s division.
As always the Flower arranging was a delight. The creativity in the larger exhibits was amazing. The teacups were plentiful and again a delight to see. The members plug plants were a great display of colour and all looked very well cared for. A fabulous selection of cakes were donated for our afternoon tea. Thank you to you all. A big  thank you  to all judges, stewards and helpers and may the next years show be as good if not better.

 

The list of awards were as follows;
 

Reed challenge cup-Vegetable
Dave Baker

 

Skyrme cup -fruit
Bob Dunster

 

Daisy Cottle cup- Flowers
Katie Shepherd

 

Gordon Sale award -members plug plant
Hilary Geddie

 

Banksian Meda
Most point for division 1.2.3
Pam Taylor

 

Feltham award -flower arranging
Penny Fleet

 

Grace staff shield-children’s
Lily Judd

 

Pitt cup- domestic
Elizabeth Lester

 

Nathaniel James Salver-photography
Clare Dunster

 

Sankey Trophy-craft
Elsie Galloway

 

Earls Manor Award- Best in show
Joan Curtis

 

Vicars Trophy - vicars choice
Susan Cane

 

 

Saturday 13th January's Social Supper “ Best of British” was the most successful suppers the club has had. 54 attended and a couple of 50s and 60s rounds of quiz question kept everyone entertained . 

We followed with our popular “pop up poetry and as always David wrote his own poem which you can see below.

Thanks to all that came and everyone that helped 

 

 

THE DAY THE EXPERT CALLED

 

I always thought that knowledge grew

Upon a Knowledge tree.

But if you choose to read a lot,

Knowledge comes for free.

And so I got out all my books

To sit down for a read,

Only to discover that

My garden’s full of WEEDS!!

What could I do?

What could I ask,

Next time the expert called?

I really thought I knew a bit -

But he’d be quite appalled.

I couldn’t really cuff it,

‘Cos he’d know I’d tried to bluff it.

Yep - this expert (from a northern town)

Had caught me with my trousers down.

Well, it pays to be quite open,

So I let him hear my woes –

No point in being embarrassed

And staring at my toes.

So I started with an easy one,

And believe me, I was flustered!

“Should manure go on your rhubarb?”

“NAY LAD! - cream - or custard……”

 

David Joyce

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Pumpkin Cheesecake recipe

The pumpkin cheesecake was very popular at our November meeting, so we thought we'd share the recipe below:

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Ingredients

Base                                                    Topping

85g butter                                            2 x 225g cream cheese

200g gingernut biscuits                      110g soft brown sugar

50g demerara sugar                           115g pumpkin puree              

                                                            ½ tsp vanilla extract

                                                            ½ tsp cinnamon

                                                            Pinch ground cloves

                                                            Pinch ground nutmeg

                                                            2 eggs

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• Pre heat oven to 350f/180c/160cfan

• Line 8”/20cm square tin with greaseproof paper

• Crush biscuits and mix with butter and demerara sugar

• Pack into baking tin using potato masher to compact and create base

• Beat all the topping ingredients together adding the eggs last and mixing them in until just blended

• Pour onto the base and bake for 40 mins

• Refrigerate for 3 hours before removing from tin

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THE GARDENER, THE SNAIL, THE DOTS AND THE HOSTAS

Written by one of our members 

David Joyce and read at our Social Supper Pop up poetry

How talented is he!

 

Look, attitudes can harden 

When snails are in the garden

Yet it’s just a case of dealing with them quickly.

If you leave them to their romping

They simply go on chomping,

And your hostas soon look very very sickly.

 

So I set myself a task

To find a snail to ask

Why they always give us such horrendous trouble.

You’d think with climate warming 

That we’d heed the clear warning

That their numbers in the garden could soon double.

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Well, dear friends, here’s the story -

It’s hardly death or glory –

And I’m not so proud of how it finally ended.

I saw some shells with dots –

Not just a few - but LOTS!

Then chose a snail that was to be befriended.

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It was sitting near the hostas

And you know how that could cost us,

So I gave it a determined sort of glance.

“I’m fed up with you snails!”

But it turned upon me, pale.

“I’m Margot - an escargot -

And I slithered ‘ere from France”

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“A snail? A snail! Mon Dieu!”

My small friend wailed,

“You’ve really no idea what you’ve said.

Getting ‘ere wasn’t easy,

Channel crossings make me queasy,

And then I go all fuzzy in zee ‘ead.”

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The snails all yelled “Gardener –

We think you ought to pardon her, 

She’s got some style – she’s very … continental”.

You can all say what you like, 

But I said, “On yer bike!” -

I just couldn’t get all soft and sentimental.

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Well, having laid my plans

I took her in my hand, 

And I have to say, the girl exuded taste.

She wore a feather boa

Which made her slither slower, 

Though the French are never noted for their haste.

 

Let me say that when things started

I never saw us being parted – 

The gardener and the tiny little snail.

But she looked me up and down

And gave a haughty frown,

So I knew the end was nigh in this short tale.

 

“Come with me, dear, “I said,

While I go and find some bread,” 

Though I said this just a bit above a mutter.

“I like snails quite a lot

With – or without the dots, 

But you’re always best when served in garlic butter!”

 

David Joyce, January 2023

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BHVS Social Supper Saturday 14th January 2023

Just a thankyou to all those that came to the Social Supper on Saturday night. It was a very successful evening with over 40 people attending. Our “Mediterranean Theme” seemed to be very popular.

Hopefully everyone enjoyed the great selection.

 

Our POP UP POETRY  entertains well and I must say we have a very talented poet in our members (David Joyce just to name drop)

He has kindly said he will send me a copy and I will post it on our website, so watch this space.

 

I have to say a big thankyou to all the team who cooked the delicious food, helped set up the tables, tended the bar, cleared away and washed up.

 

Looking forward to the next one.

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Bourne Valley Horticultural Society & Gardening Club Annual Show 2022

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A relaxing afternoon was enjoyed by both visitors and the committee despite the fact that the Show was not quite as busy as in previous years. The last Show prior to the pandemic was held in 2019. Before this an Annual Show had been held every year without a break since 1945.

 

Despite the three year gap, there were twenty entrants who, between them, produced entries for all the divisions, totalling over 100 exhibits. The Glebe Hall showcased these, making pleasing and interesting viewing. We are very grateful to all those who made the effort to take part and make the event such a success.

 

Due to the low numbers we were only able to give out eleven awards. There was the usual keen competition for the Banksian Medal, awarded this year to Neil Grace who gained the most overall points for his exhibits in the vegetable, fruit and flower divisions. The flower division was the best supported in the Show, with the Daisy Cottle Award for the most points overall going to Katie Shepherd. Although there were not enough entries in craft to award the division trophy, the ‘Best in Show’ for craft was given to Sue Cane for her vibrant crocheted bag.

 

The ‘Vicar’s Choice’ Trophy, after much deliberation by Rev. Peter Ostli-East, was awarded to Gomeldon School for their trug of produce from their school garden, a lovely display of wild flowers and courgette plants.

 

This year committee created a life time award presented to Terry Cox for his long-standing contribution to previous Shows with his home made wines and outstanding sweet pea displays. We will miss his exhibits.

 

Our gratitude goes to all who participated in making this a successful comeback. A big thank you especially to Joanne Sankey who not only organised the refreshments and three superb food hampers which assured a very successful raffle, but also sponsored all the children’s prizes.

 

The last word goes to our Flower Arrangement Judge, Sue Clissold, who left us this note

 

 

 

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AWARD WINNERS LIST

Reed Challenge Cup                    Division 1, Vegetables              Neil Grace

                                                                                                2nd Charles Penn, 3rd David Baker

Skyrme Cup                                  Division 2, Fruit                Charles Penn & Bob Dunster

Daisy Cottle Cup                           Division 3, Flowers                              Katie Shepherd

                                                                                                           2nd Clare Grace,

                                                                                                3rd Clare Dunster & Margaret Ward

Gordon Sale Cup                 Members only, plant from plug                   Jenny Head

                                                                                                2nd Clare Grace, 3rd Pam Taylor

Banksian Medal                    Divisions 1,2,3, most points              Neil Grace

(excludes winners in 2 previous years)

Pitt Cup                                         Division 6, Domestic                 Elizabeth Lester

                                                                                                2nd Katie Shepherd, 3rd Clare Dunster

Nathaniel James Salver                Division 7, Photography            Clare Dunster

                                                                                                2nd Neil Grace, 3rd Lexie Baker

Earls Manor Trophy            Division 8, Craft, Best in Show           Susan Crane

Vicar’s Trophy                               Vicar’s Choice                                Gomeldon School

Grace Staff Shield              Division 9, Children, most points                    Hollie Baker

Daphne Adlam Cup            Best school garden produce trug           Gomeldon School

 

(Due to low entry numbers, the following trophies could not be awarded this year: Feltham Award for flower arranging, Tipple Award for wine, beer, cider & spirits, Sankey Trophy for craft)