It was great to catch up with some BFAS friends this week many of whom hadn’t met each other since our last meeting at the beginning of March. We had so much to chat about we didn’t really do justice to the Shuttleworth Swiss Gardens but they were looking lovely in the sunshine as you can see from the pictures below. We still don’t know when we can meet again as a Flower Club but in the meantime stay safe.
‘What a good demonstrator we had this evening. All the arrangements so different and flower colours so carefully chosen’
This comment summed up everyone’s reaction as we welcomed Doug Howard back to BFAS to present ‘Brilliantissimum’ – the first demonstration of our Diamond Anniversary Year. There was a relaxed atmosphere: he gave us useful tips, introduced us to dynamic balance (see Summer 2019 Flower Arranger) , to new plant material (Jatropha Firecracker) and sundries , gave an interesting and entertaining commentary whilst using his skill to produce a display of varied and colourful floral designs ( there were two non foam designs including the use of a pinholder) – the stage certainly looked ‘brilliant’ at the end of the evening.
This year we have also reintroduced ‘Your Turn’ when members interpret a title and bring along their arrangements – this is not a competition and not judged but designed to share ideas . The title was ‘Spring around the Corner’. There were some beautiful and inspirational arrangements. We were pleased with the number of responses and thank members who participated – we are always delighted with the talent and expertise we have amongst our membership. Our next Your Turn is in July when the title is ‘Summer Gardens’.
What a ‘brilliantissum’ start to our Diamond Anniversary Year – thank you Doug for starting it of so well.
It is always good to welcome a large number of our members to the AGM. 2019 was another successful and varied year for the Society . The demonstrations had been inspirational and enjoyable and there had been a challenging workshop run by Gill McGregor. We had an interesting and enjoyable visit to the NAFAS Diamond Show in August. A members evening when the theme ‘recycling and no floral foam’ saw a wide variety of mechanics and containers used which resulted in many beautiful arrangements. We also asked members to complete a questionnaire which gave us their ideas and comments on how to take the society forward. Everyone was thanked for their hard work and help during the year – members for their contributions, volunteers and committee members.
We were delighted that we were able to present a cheque for £1096 to Bedford Hospital Charity (Primrose Car Scheme) which we had raised in memory of Ann Gray. The Primrose Cars make over 1000 patient journeys each year transporting patients from the Bedford area to Addenbrookes Hospital in Cambridge for their radiotherapy treatment. We were pleased that Ann’s son, Peter, was able to join us for the presentation.
After the business part of the evening we welcomed Claire Pick from Bedford Borough Council who spoke to us about the beautiful flower planting along Bedford Embankment and other public areas in the Borough. We did not envy the gardeners planting 43000 tulip bulbs in just a few days!
We look forward to 2020, our Diamond Anniversary year, which starts on March 3rd with Doug Howard presenting ‘Brilliantissimum’ and includes two open Evenings and a celebratory Dinner.
