WAGS NEWS
July 2010
Chairman's Piece
Well, was that summer we saw in late May, or is it still to come? Hopefully it will be well and truly here by the time you read this.
As for the year so far, the Store continues to provide much of what you need, but with fewer members, falling demand and supply problems, it is difficult to keep everything in stock.
Please let Colin know if you want a particular item and give him plenty of time to get it in if there is none in stock. Also please speak out if there are things that should always be there, but aren’t.
We are still looking for an Assistant Store Manager, despite asking for several years now. There is a small Honorarium attached to this position, so please give it some thought and approach Colin, or any Committee Member if you think you can help out. Maybe a trial period might help the decision. There must be someone out there who can spare some time on Saturdays and occasionally in the week to receive deliveries and stock the shop.
The new E-mailing list has been used in April, and again for this Newsletter.
Please let us have your e-mail address if you have one, so that we can reduce our printing costs and get the News to you quicker. Some members have told me that they find having an electronic Newsletter means that they can file it for future use, rather than it getting ‘lost’ when someone clears up the coffee table.
Just before you read this, we will have had the first WAGS Trip for several years, to Kew Gardens. There will be a full report on this in the October Newsletter. Hopefully it will be followed by trips to other places of interest, either later in the year, or maybe next. Thanks to Toni for persisting.
In January and April I requested a ‘volunteer’ to organise catering for the various WAGS events throughout the year. We have not had a single response, so catering at the Band Concert and Show may be reduced in quality and quantity this year. Please consider helping us with this important role, so that we can continue to please or guests and raise money for local charities.
Happy Gardening,
Bernard Novell
WAGS Band Concerts
One evening in January 1979 at a Wallingford Allotments and Gardens Society committee meeting, Cyril Hovard proposed that WAGS host a Band Concert.
After a general discussion it was decided that we would hold a Band Concert and the best place to hold it was in the Wallingford Castle Gardens, if the Town Council would grant us permission.
A letter was sent to the Town Council requesting permission, which was granted, and on Sunday the 19th August 1979 WAGS hosted the first Band Concert in the Castle Gardens. The Band we had playing for us on that occasion was The Kennington Youth Band.
This Concert was so successful that the Town Councillors decided that the Council should hold other Concerts in the summer months.
WAGS have hosted a Band Concert every year since that date; I am sorry to say that rain forced cancellation of two concerts.
We would especially like to thank all the generous members who have spent time baking and donating such lovely cakes for the Band Concerts. Long may they continue to do so. They were greatly appreciated by all and we were able to make an excellent profit to donate to charity.
We are extremely proud of our record of Band Concerts. This year on Sunday 8th August we will have The Goring and Streatley Concert Band playing for your entertainment between 3.00 and 5.00 pm.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Peter Atkins President
Catering - Help Needed!!
In the absence of a Catering Manager, please could members contact Ivy or Joyce if they would like to donate cakes. If you are able to help with either the Band Concert, Sunday August 8th, or on Show Day, Saturday September 11th please get in touch with Bernard.
It would be greatly appreciated if members who have helped before can confirm whether they are willing to help again this year. As well as help with baking, we will need people to serve teas, etc. on the day of the Band Concert. As the saying goes, “many hands make light work” – if just 20 people each prepare a dozen portions of their favourite recipe, it will be sufficient.
Your contribution will be much appreciated, not only by WAGS, but by all those people who attend the Concert and flock to buy your “goodies”.
RHS Dig Together Day
On the first weekend of September 2009, the RHS launched what will hopefully be the first of many Dig Together Days. The event originated in response to the growing concern that Gardening Clubs are soon to be featured on “last chance to see” due to a lack of enthusiasm about gardening and dwindling numbers of members who are under the age of 65 and can thus continue the tradition for future generations. Over 160 gardening clubs affiliated with the RHS took part in making community horticulture history, a whopping figure.
The idea of the project was inherent in its message, to encourage members of the public to go to their local club’s event in order to learn about them, to join in with activities on the day, and to learn more about gardening in their area. It was also a chance for those already keen horticulturalists and members of the society to pass on their wealth of knowledge on gardening to a new and younger generation of gardeners. Inga Grimsey, director general of the RHS, said “The aim of the day was that people would get bitten by the gardening bug and the knowledge these clubs hold will be discovered by new generations.” Evidently the idea was also that this launch could lead to some new members for the local clubs, as people become more aware of what they are doing and realise they want to get involved as well. Grimsey added “we know that our gardening societies and clubs are the custodians of grassroots gardening. Like all clubs, however, they need the support of new members.”
Find out more in the RHS Affiliated Societies Autumn Newsletter 2009. This year’s Dig Together Day weekend will be 4th and 5th September 2010. See the Dig Together Day website.
Wags Store
The WAGS Store stocks a variety of composts, fertilizers (by the kg), liquid fertilizers and tomato feeds, not to mention seed trays, string, labels, etc. Let me know if there is something you need that is not in stock. We take orders for Dobies Catalogue – 10% discount on all orders. New catalogues are usually delivered in October.
If you are able to help out on odd Saturdays during the year; please contact me at the Store or see the telephone number in the printed/e-newsletter.
Colin Timmins Store Manager
Showtime
You will find your Show Schedule and entry forms stapled into the centre of this newsletter.
Please, please consider entering at least one thing in the Show on Saturday 11th September. There is such a wide range of classes that there really is no excuse not to enter something. The more entries we get the tougher it is on the judges. We want them to have to make decisions, not just award places to the one, two or three entries. The Children’s entries have been particularly disappointing in recent years. Our judge says that judging is so difficult if there is no competition, so this will be the last year for her if there are not more things to judge.
If you won a trophy last year, please return it to the Store, engraved if desired (as per Show Rules) and cleaned, by Saturday 24 July.
I hope to see you all at the Show.