Groves Nurseries Bridport and Little Groves Beaminster now give us 10% discount on most gardening-related products and plants on presentation of a current Society membership card. This discount is for personal shoppers paying for items to be taken away – not for purchases being delivered. Exceptions where discount is not given: household fuels, paving slabs, food, confectionery, fruit and vegetables, garden machinery, repairs and sharpening, pet and animal products, sheds and summerhouses, Christmas trees and the purchase of Groves or National Garden gift vouchers. Groves reserves the right not to give discount on clearance, sale or new items at their discretion.

Welcome to the 83rd AGM of Uplyme and Lyme Regis Horticultural Society – lovely to see you all tonight. This is my 5th report for the Society and I only intended in doing four!!

Thank you for all who have helped make 2012 another successful year for the club – putting up posters/tables/chairs, collecting subscriptions, publicity, helping with teas and fundraising events, etc – the committee value your help . Special thanks to the committee who yet again have worked hard during what has been a very difficult ‘weather’ year. Several events were plagued by torrential rain – Pippa Greenwood’s talk, the trip to Cothay Manor, this year’s barn dance and of course, the ‘Summer Show’. We had to cancel all the field events and hold just the horticultural show and teas in the hall and patio extension. Fortunately Jenny Oldfield remained calm throughout her ‘swansong’. Thank you Jenny for organising another excellent show in what was the worst weather for years. Despite that we still had a good number (600) and standard of entries and the teas organised by Pam were much appreciated.
The inclement weather has continued and the January meeting with Mary Benger had to be moved on a week due to snow!
But despite all that we have had an interesting range of talks – David Cox delighted us with his knowledge of Butterflies, Nigel and Ashley Ball let us into the secrets of their prize-winning carrots and potatoes, Phil Gamble taught us how to sow seed, Sue Applegate how to grow and plant irises and Hugh Warwick with ‘How hedgehogs can save the world’ drew a capacity audience.

In 2012, we had an excellent coach trip to the Malvern Spring Show, a wet but entertaining trip to Cothay Manor plus evening visits by car to Little Bredy near Bridport, and Trill Farm, Axminster – thanks to Brian, Ann and Pam for organising them.

Ann also organised the Autumn Show and Plant Sale in September which once again was successful and well supported with entries – an enjoyable afternoon with good weather! Ann is handing the reins over to Brian after several years so thank you both.
We took part in the Lyme Regis Christmas Tree Festival once again and have given donations to RNLI and Slow Ride to Turin. In addition, we have agreed to pay for trees on the green outside the church – replacing the Horse Chestnut that was felled.

And so to this year – the Barn Dance in January was great fun although we did not sell as many tickets as we would have liked – we have yet to decide whether to do it again next year – any feedback would be welcome.

On 24th April we welcome back Brian Carlson showing us how to create a hanging basket – some of you may remember he showed us how to take fuchsia and geranium cuttings a couple of years ago.

On 7th May we have a coach trip to RHS Wisley Gardens – Brian is taking bookings

The fundraising Plant Sale and Coffee Morning will be on Saturday 18th May. So please come along – any donations of plants and produce (cakes/veg/jam) will be very welcome. Also offers of extra help for manning the stalls/teas etc.

Other 2013 outings include Hidcote Manor /Kiftsgate Gardens, Avebury Manor and St Bridgets Rose Fields – if you are interested speak to Brian, Ann, or Rob. Non-members are welcome to all of these events.

On 20th July we hold our 84th Summer Show and Country Fayre which will open at the earlier time of 12 noon to give everyone time to enjoy all there is to see. This year Sue Stones has taken over the reins as Show Secretary with help from Zoe Stansfield. They started work last September with help from the committee to sort out the schedule for the competitive entries of fruit, flower, veg, cookery etc, contact stallholders and arrange entertainment on the field. Pam had the idea of including a number of Countryside attractions so booked a Falconry Display, Hurdle Making, Beekeepers etc.  This theme takes us back to our roots. Live Rabbits and Dead poultry were part of the entertainment/exhibits in the past, as was the largest collection of Queen Wasps by a schoolchild – just think what Health and Safety would say today – must remember not to have triangular flapjacks in the children’s competition.

As Beryl has said we welcome new committee members – we meet on the first Monday of the month at 7.30pm for about an hour to sort out the various events. We usually go out for a meal at Christmas and some take part in a couple of quizzes.  We need new blood with fresh enthusiasm and energy so that the society can continue into the future.

The committee aim to provide a varied and informative programme – if there is anything you would like to see on the 2014/15 programme let us know and we’ll see what we can do. Any other suggestions, comments are also welcome as are offers of help for our events.

Lastly, thank you for your support – without your attendance at events/ talks/shows/outings there would not be a society. Thank you.

The Annual General Meeting of the Uplyme and Lyme Regis Horticultural Society took place on 27th March 2013 at Uplyme Village Hall. The meeting opened at 7.35pm

Apologies for absence were received from Ken Gollop and Ann Prince.

Minutes of the AGM held on 28th March 2012 were approved and signed.

Matters arising:  none.

President’s Address:  The President, Beryl Denham, welcomed all those present, and stressed that the committee pays much importance to any suggestions from members on the running of their society.  Mrs. Denham also thanked the committee, led by Jenny Harding, for their work during the past year delivering an interesting programme as well as the two annual shows and plant sale. She invited members to consider joining the committee.
In particular, Mrs. Denham thanked Jenny Oldfield,  who had organised the last two Summer Shows, the first at very short notice and last year’s show so disrupted by bad weather, and praised her publishing and administrative skills.
Mrs. Denham also thanked Ann Prince both as her work as committee secretary, but also for organising three Autumn Shows and Plant Sales.  Ann plans to leave the area in the near future.  Tokens of appreciation for both Ann and Jenny will be delivered as neither were present at the AGM.

Chairman’s Address:  The Chairman, Jenny Harding, welcome everyone and thanked all those who had helped make 2012 another successful year for the society.  She gave special thanks to the committee for their hard work despite the bad weather during the past year.
Running through the 2012 programme of events, she noted various events threatened by dreadful weather, and particularly praised the efforts and support which brought about the success of the Summer Show, modified at the last moment.  Jenny Oldfield was thanked for her role in this event, as were Brian Cursley, Pam Corbin and Ann Prince for organising trips, and Ann for putting on the Autumn Show and Plant Sale, which will be run this year by Brian Cursley.
Feedback was invited on the subject of the Barn Dance and whether it should continue. Although numbers were down this year, it had been good fun.
The Horse Chestnut planted by the Society in 1963 on the green outside the church in memory of Winston Churchill had to be felled last year, and the Society will pay for replacement trees.  The Society also made donations to the RNLI and the Slow Ride to Turin.
Jenny presented the programme for 2013, stressing in particular the arrangements for the Summer Show which this year includes the name Country Fayre, reflecting a slight change in identity to distinguish it from the Village Fete, and returning to an event more akin with the historical roots of the society. Displays of Falconry, Hurdle Making, Beekeepers, etc. are listed among the attractions in the Show Schedule, freely available since December 2012. She welcomed and thanked Sue Stones and Zoe Stansfield who are sharing the organisation of this event and have been working on it since September 2012.
Jenny H also invited people to join the committee, welcomed any suggestions/comments/offers of help from members, and thanked everyone for their support and attendance at all the events throughout the year.

Treasurer’s Report:  The Treasurer, John Routley, reported that the Society had made a surplus for the third year running.  This had been achieved despite the Summer Show making a slight loss, which could be accounted for by the slightly lower attendance and the cost of the marquee in extremely wet weather conditions, but this loss had been covered by other events during the year.  He mentioned that the figures for insurance in 2012 & 2013 might be misleading as the due date for paying this had been altered, and that in 2012, 16 months had been covered.
John Routley was thanked for producing the accounts.
Barbara Bull proposed that the accounts be accepted, seconded by Lois Wakeman.

Nominations:
President: Beryl Denham was nominated, and elected unanimously.
Secretary: Ann Prince will be leaving. There were no nominations for her successor, and an urgent invitation was given to fill this role.
Treasurer: John Routley was nominated, and elected unanimously
Committee members: Pam Corbin, Jenny Oldfield, Jane Godfrey, Alan Booth, Tony Cook, Brian Cursley, Gill Wells & Rob Harvey.
Jenny Thomson proposed they be re-elected, seconded by John Garland and elected    unanimously.
Auditor: John Edwards.  Proposed by Rob Harvey and seconded by Tony Cook, support unanimous.

Membership Fees:
It was proposed that the fees be increased.  There were two possibilities for this increase:
£6.00 per single member, £10 for a couple living at one address.
£6.00 per person (couples paying as two single members).
(Under 16’s would remain free).
There followed a discussion, during which there were several opinions presented from the floor.  A vote was taken, with gave a majority acceptance of option 2.
From January 2014 the membership fee will be raised to a flat rate of £6.00 per person.

Millennium Seed Bank: In response to a suggestion from a member of the Society, Jane Godfrey gave a short presentation on the work of the Millennium Seed Bank Project run by Kew Royal Botanic Gardens.   Several options were presented to members for supporting this project financially, and the consensus of opinion was that £1,000 should be raised to “Save a Species”.  Discussion on how this money can be found, and the choice of species to be saved will take place at a later date.

Any Other Business:
Lois Wakeman proposed a vote of thanks to the Committee.
There was no other business.

The meeting closed at 8.12 pm.

Our AGM took place on 27th March and the committee was re-elected en bloc. We do however urgently need a new member to take over from Ann Prince our society secretary when she moves from the area later this year. Also more committee members would be welcome to help spread the workload of the current members. If you feel you could help us in any of these roles please contact chairman Jenny Harding (phone 01297 444034). Following the AGM Pam Corbin, assisted by Jane Godfrey, gave a talk and demonstration of cooking with wild garlic. This plant, which is in plentiful supply at this time of the year, can be used to make many interesting dishes. Pam demonstrated how to make delicious garlic muffins, a tasty pesto, and mouth watering stuffed garlic using only the leaves from this woodland plant.
          

DIARY DATES

Saturday 18th May – Spring Plant Sale and Coffee Morning from 9.30am to 12noon at Uplyme Village Hall – one of the most popular events in the society’s calendar. Come along and enjoy a coffee, maybe a bacon roll or a cake and a chat; restock your garden from a wide range of bedding plants, shrubs and perennials plus many unique garden features generously donated by members and friends of the society all at gardener-friendly prices. If you have plants and garden items you would like to donate to the society  please bring them along.  The hall will be open to receive your donations, to help fund our Summer Show and Country Fayre, from 8am on the morning of the sale.

Wednesday 22nd May – Talk: Carnivorous Plants – cultivation and natural history by Dennis Balsdon 7.30pm Uplyme Village Hall. Members free, non-Members welcome £2.

Thursday 30th May – afternoon visit to Manor House, Beaminster CANCELLED. The owners of this venue are unable to accommodate visitors at the moment. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause our members.
 

It is time to start thinking about your entries for the Summer Show, if you haven’t done so already.

If yet another rainy day stops you from getting out in the garden, you could be working on something for the Craft section or conjuring up a jar of marmalade for the Preserve section.

You could also be practising your baking skills. There are 16 classes in the Cookery section. Everything from a granary loaf to a plate of shortbread fingers.

The Junior section has a range of classes for all ages, so why not get them practising their skills on those rainy days.

And when the sum comes out, we can practise our photography. “The Winner”, class 136, could be the first one out into the garden to catch up on the weeding.

Good luck to all.

Jenny O.