'bringing gardeners together'
NEWSLETTER NOVEMBER 2015
Hibernating Dormouse. Photograph by Danny Green. Highly commended in the British Wildlife Photographer Awards 2013
Hello again,
We've had an extraordinary Autumn haven't we? Delphiniums are sending up flower spikes in my garden.
Can you ever recall that happening mid November?
Well, extraordinary weather or not, Christmas is predictably on the way. It isn't just the Christmas jingles
you hear as you go round the shops, Kinver Horti AGM is almost upon us too - a sure sign. Come along
again this year for a feast of mince pies, punch and festive entertainment by our talented members preceded by a bit of business of course! If you would like to get more involved in the Horti by joining the
committee there will be a warm welcome. We have just four meetings a year and it is a lot of fun.
We enjoyed a sociable evening when we hosted the Morgan Shield Quiz last month and were runners up
behind Wollaston who hold the Shield again this year. Thank you to all who contributed to the event. Philip
Aubrey proved to be an entertaining and challenging quizmaster.
Thank you also to those who returned the questionnaire. Next year's exciting talks programme has already
been booked but we do need your feedback for 2017 (good speakers book well ahead these days!) It is never
too late to give us your feedback and it will help us a lot.
The seed catalogues are now available offering members huge discounts, read on to find out more.
With best wishes for a Merry Christmas and happy growing in 2016
Carole
Chairman - Mrs Geraldine Wooddisse.
Treasurer - Mrs Rosemary Pope.
Secretary - Mrs Carole Lacy email secretary@kinverhorti.org.uk Tel 01384 873321
www.kinverhorti.org.uk
Charity No. 701258
Our Next Meeting
Thursday 26th
November
7.30 pm
St Peter's Church Hall
Vicarage Drive
To build on the success of last year's AGM we will once more be following the
business side of it with Mulled Wine and Mince Pies with some seasonal
entertainment by some of our talented members.
There will of course be a number of agenda items (see below) that must be voted
on. If you would like to consider joining the committee please don't be shy. Due to
a couple of resignations we will also be looking for a new Vice Chairman and
Minutes Secretary. If you have any items you would like added to the agenda
please contact our Chairman, Geraldine Wooddisse on 01384 394789
Come and join us in the cosy room at the back of the hall (with the comfy seats).
See you there.
AGENDA
1. Welcome.
2. Apologies.
3. Minutes of the AGM of 2014.
4. Matters arising.
5. Presentation and adoption of Annual Report of 2015.
6. Presentation and adoption of the Accounts for 2015.
7. Election of President and Vice President for 2016.
8. Election of Committee Members.
9. Election of Officers for 2016.
10. Appoint Account Examiner for 2016.
11. Proposal and adoption of revised Constitution.
12. Any other business at the Chairman's discretion.
Beryl writes - The October meeting was a very sociable and friendly occasion, when Kinver hosted
the final round of the inter-society quiz for the “Morgan Shield”. And so we welcomed Kidderminster,
U3A Stourbridge and Wollaston Societies. The question master for the evening was Philip Aubrey.
Kinver team were Geraldine, Jane and Ann, an all Ladies team. The questions covered a wide
spectrum of horticulture but when the points were added up for the three rounds, the winners for 2015
were Wollaston with 119.5 points. Kinver came second with 99 points, Stourbridge U3A has 89 points
and just one point behind was Kidderminster with 88 points.
Everyone then enjoyed a good selection of refreshments provided by Kinver members, which were
washed down with plenty of tea and coffee.
It was a very good evening to end our programme for 2015.
Call me old fashioned but one of my greatest delights during the hectic madness of
preparing for Christmas is to go out on the shortest day of the year gathering
evergreen - holly, ivy, yew and anything else that still has life in it. If I have time I'll
make it into a wreath for the front door or garlands for the stairs and mantelpiece.
Evergreens are said to represent everlasting life and were traditionally hung around
doorways and windows. Each has a symbolism of its own.
Mistletoe
Greatly revered by the Druids, this is the healer and protector and
was carefully cut to ensure it never touched the earth. Its magical
properties were thought to be because it hangs between two worlds
ie between the sky/heaven and earth.
The white berries of mistletoe are said to represent the fertile white
semen of the life-giving male…. Which is where kissing under the
mistletoe comes from! Every berry on the mistletoe bears the promise of a kiss, and for every kiss
given or taken a berry is removed. When all the berries are gone, the
kissing has to stop!
Holly & Ivy
An evergreen of protection, holly's spiky bristles
are believed to repel unwanted spirits. In pagan
times, Holly was thought to be a male plant and
Ivy a female plant. An old tradition from the
Midlands of England says that whichever one
was brought into the house first tells you whether
the man or woman of the house would rule that
year!
Yew
The Yew has been around since before the Ice Age. The one
pictured is in a churchyard in Powys and is believed to be five
thousand years old. Because of its longevity, and the unique
way the Yew regenerates by growing new trunks from within the
original root bole, many races of the Northern Hemisphere,
including the Celts, Greeks, Romans and the North American
Indians, have revered the Yew as the tree of regeneration and
rebirth. The Yew was also believed to be deeply connected with
the spirit realm and the ancestors.
and as you sit by your cosy fire....
RHS membership Tesco continue this year to offer RHS membership in exchange for just £18 in Tesco
Vouchers (usual price £55). Go to
http://www.tesco.com/clubcard/deals/ Individual membership
Even if you don't use your membership to gain entrance to any of the RHS gardens or affiliated gardens
you'll receive their very readable and informative monthly 'Garden' magazine.
Seed ordering is now much simpler and offers great discounts on seeds and sundries. Each member
has their own Dobies catalogue and order form that has an allocated discount code on it for our club.
Orders can be made by post, online or by phone but you must quote the unique code. Catalogues
available at the AGM or call Geraldine on 01384 394789 or if you are able to order online email
secretary@kinverhorti.org.uk for the code.
There are lots of festive events in the area, many at National Trust Houses. Here are just a few....
Arley Arboretum Meet Santa and his elf every weekend in December. Santa's Grotto
£5.00 per child pre-booked or £5.50 per child on the door (booking info on their website) There is a free
elf trail each day throughout December and from 2nd -20th December kids get in for free. Open
Wednesday to Sunday 11am-5pm www.arleyarboretum.co.uk
Bodenham Arboretum Christmas Nativity Trail running all day from Saturday Nov 28th to Sunday Jan
Sunday 3rd every day except Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Entrance to the Arboretum including
the Nativity Trail is £5.50 per adult and £3.50 per child. The quarter mile long trail takes you round the
Arboretum following "stars" located on the trees The trail takes in the old farm buildings where life size
wooden characters are set in the Nativity story with real life donkeys, sheep, cattle, poultry and turkeys.
Hanbury Hall and Gardens Winter Food Fayre : 14th November 2015 11:00am and 15th November
2015 11:00am Price: All Tickets £1 (Non members only £1 to visit the whole property.)
Wightwick Manor and Gardens Christmas Carol Concerts performed in the splendour of the Great
Parlour. Enjoy a festive evening and a Christmas tipple at this hugely popular event. Choirs featured this
year are: Mon 7 Dec - Penn Singers, Tues 8 Dec & Mon14 Dec - Chad Singers, Tue 15 Dec - Tantallon.
More Information: NT Central Booking Office, 0844 249 1895, wightwickmanor@nationaltrust.org.uk
Booking Essential
Christmas Craft Fayre at the Ruskin Glass Centre, Stourbridge, 10am - 4pm Saturday & Sunday 28th
& 29th November 2015 includes two cafes offering seasonal food, choirs and live entertainment
throughout the day. There are fifteen onsite shops/studio’s plus a ‘Craft Market’ selling a range of
products offering unique, affordable, exciting and creative displays of work.
Contributions to the newsletter are very welcome. Please let Carole have your copy by the end of each
month.
Email secretary@kinverhorti.org.uk 01384 873321