On Friday January 31st we held our AGM which was attended by thirty members. Alan Morris, our chairman, reported that the annual summer Show held in conjunction with the Village Fete was once again a success with a good attendance and an encouraging number of new people entering the various vegetable, flower and craft classes. Looking forward to this year, he highlighted that we will be running more events, including a visit to Hyde Hall RHS Garden on Saturday 16th May and the return of the Open Gardens Weekend on Saturday 20th / Sunday 21st June, as well as forging links with other local Horticultural Societies. He was pleased to note that the Society now has forty-six members, including the new members who joined on the evening, which is a very healthy increase on the previous year.
The AGM was followed by an enjoyable, informative and entertaining talk by Paul Cooling, Chairman of Coolings, the new owners of Wych Cross Garden Centre. We all enjoyed his insights into the history of the family business, which was started by his grandfather in 1913, seeing the fascinating artefacts that he brought along, and hearing about the plans for Wych Cross. As well as refurbishing the whole site, the rose nursery will be revived and they are aiming to sell about 6,000 roses every year. Paul ended his talk with some topical gardening tips and answered questions ranging from leatherjackets via badgers to the effects of Brexit.