Garden Club Celebrates 70th Birthday In Full Bloom

Published on: 20 Jul, 2016
Updated on: 20 Jul, 2016

Onslow Village Garden Club celebrated its 70th anniverary in style with a special evening for members and invited guests.

Joan Tubbs, Margaret Arni and Sheila Lambert, cut the club’s birthday cake.

Held in the village hall on Tuesday evening, July 20, special guests included the Lord Lieutenant for Surrey, Michael More-Molyneux and his wife Sarah; and the Mayor of Guildford, Gordon Jackson.

The club’s chairperson, Sandy Fox, welcomed everyone to the evening that included refreshments and a special birthday cake.

Onslow Village Garden club's show secretart Terry Flack, chairperson Sandy Fox and Carol Lee.

Onslow Village Garden club’s show secretary Terry Flack, chairperson Sandy Fox and Carol Lee.

In his speech, the mayor spoke about the council’s aim to encourage people to become more active for health and wellbeing and how gardening is a good way to achieve that; and also the need to encourage young people to take up gardening.

Mr More-Molyneux spoke about his home and garden at Loseley Park and how he and his wife have worked hard to create the gardens there, plus their hopes that the gardens can be an inspiration to others.

Local historian David Rose (and Guildford Dragon writer) gave an illustrated talk titled ‘A Growing Concern’. It looked at what Onslow Village was like in the late 1930s and 40s. Some of the pictures showed the village soon after it was built and as residents began to plant up their gardens; the war years when several bombs fell and residents were cultivating vegetables and ‘digging for victory’. It concluded with the immediate postwar years and a look back at some of seed firms of the time, as well as books and pamphlets that were published encouraging and helping people to ‘grow their own’.

The birthday cake was cut by Joan Tubbs, Margaret Arni and Sheila Lambert, who all have family connections with the gardening club going back into its early days.

A garden voucher was presented to the club’s newest member, who also happens to be its current 70th member, Shirley West. She also brought along Guildford freeman and long-standing supporter of the club, Bill Bellerby.