It is always a pleasure to welcome Barbara Collins to Bedford and  we had another  really enjoyable evening when she visited us this month . Six beautiful but very different  arrangements which certainly lived up to the title of her demonstration ‘Shades of Autumn’- a wide variety of flowers including chrysanthemums, carnations, dianthus , roses , kangaroo paws, gerberas, mini sunflowers all in deep autumnal colours ; enhanced by a wide variety of foliage mainly sourced from Barbara’s garden. We were entertained with stories and tips throughout the presentation.

Thank you Barbara for a lovely presentation and for everything you have contributed to BFAS over many years – demonstrations, workshops and particularly filling in for us in emergencies – we hope you have a happy, healthy and fulfilling retirement when you when you finally ‘hang up the NAFAS  demonstrator’s scissors’ at the end of the year.

No Club meeting this month but instead a lovely trip out to The Walled Garden Flower Farm in Old Warden where we learned that we were actually on the site of an old monastery. Our hosts were delightful and very chatty as they showed us around the flowers and barns before giving us tea and cake. A great way to spend an afternoon.

We welcomed Lorraine Gagan to BFAS for the first time this month. Her ‘Into the Wardrobe’ demonstration (which was enjoyed by all) was made more special, on a hot Summer evening, by the vibrancy, freshness and huge variety of flowers  she used in her arrangements. Almost all of the flowers were British grown and the designs  were enhanced using  garden foliage. There were foxgloves, zinnias, gallardias, scabious, statice, delphiniums, mallow, agapanthus and dill – to name a few! Thank you Lorraine for a delightful evening and for allowing us to share your pictures.

 Another enjoyable meeting when we welcomed Sharon Badger back to BFAS. She presented ‘Floral Medley’ which was a selection of  beautiful arrangements from her demonstrations and shows  – including Eastern Promise, Castles and Canals, In a Dream World, Pizzazz, and The Garden. The photos below just give a flavour of the evening -can you decide which demonstration title each picture might be linked to?

Thank you Sharon for a lovely evening

It was our first in house meeting of the year this month. We had a lovely practical evening on Tuesday when our very creative members made foam free arrangements around a twig frame. This was followed by a Bring & Share Supper which was delicious. It is always good to get ideas/learn from others and have a little more time to socialise  than we have on demonstration evenings. Thank you to everyone who helped to make it a success.

Another really enjoyable evening , this month  with Alison Suffolk. On a Spring evening we were transported to our holidays with her demonstration  ‘Oh  So Nautical’ –  we sailed off on a boat, we dropped anchor, we appreciated the fish and the beautiful colours under the water, there was driftwood on the sandbank and we could see the greenery  ahead with  ‘Land Ahoy’. All the arrangements were beautiful and very different, using many different flowers, foliage and techniques starting with a  parallel design  and finishing with a monochromatic handtie. Throughout the demonstration Alison kept us entertained with her stories and also provided us with hints and tips along the way. Thank you Alison for a great evening and for allowing us to share pictures of your lovely designs.

 A wonderful first demonstration of the year when we were delighted to welcome Emma Remington back to Bedford.  Her presentation ‘Tricks of the Trade’  certainly lived up to its name as she  provided us with interesting and knowledgeable tips and hints throughout her entertaining commentary.   Beautiful colours in beautiful  creative arrangements  which  included  a very varied  selection  of flowers and foliage. The stage looked stunning  at the end of the evening. Raffle winners were delighted with their arrangements  and we were so pleased a couple of visitors won a prize! Thank you Emma for  a great evening and for allowing us to publish photographs.

We had a lovely festive evening at our December meeting when Lynne Sharpe visited us to present ‘Christmas Car Boot Collection’.  Beautiful arrangements  all accessorised with items Lynne had collected from car boots – the stage looked spectacular at the end  of the evening. To tie in with the demonstration, we had a Car Boot sales table of donated bric-a-brac to raise funds for the charity we are supporting this year – The Primrose Car Scheme. Mince pies and non-alcoholic mulled wine added to the evening. A few photos are below…

We were delighted to welcome Jacky West to Bedford for the first time especially as circumstances earlier in the year had postponed her visit.

 Her demonstration was entitled ‘Language of Flowers’.  Floriography is a coded method of communication  where different flowers, colours and arrangements have specific meanings and was  very popular in the Victorian  era to express emotions and send secret messages.   Jacky produced five lovely  and very different designs; the colour combinations within her  all her arrangements were beautiful and emotions/messages  represented included celebrations, welcome, admiration and appreciation. Thank you Jacky for a lovely evening and allowing us to share pictures.

We also celebrated 65 years of Bedford Flower Arranging Society / Bedford Floral Art Society  with a celebration cake   – there were 200 members in the first year and the annual subscription was £1.1s! Times and costs have certainly changed but we look forward to the Society continuing to move forward.

What a great evening of entertainment and floral expertise from Lorena Dyer as she presented ‘Lipstick, Powder and Paint’ at  our Open Meeting this month . The stage looked stunning at the end of the evening, filled with beautiful but  very different designs ( all associated in some way with the title)  using a wide variety of flowers , foliage,  containers and accessories.  Throughout the presentation, there were lots of tips, interesting stories and facts about lipstick, powder and paint and lots of humour! Thank you Lorena  – and for allowing us to use a couple of pictures.