LATEST NEWS...........

On a very hot July evening and the first clubnight at our new monthly venue of English Martyrs Church Hall our very own Duncan Ward presented a demonstration called Rottingdean Delights. Duncan told us lots of fascinating facts about the village of Rottingdean. His arrangements took us from the windmill on Beacon Hill, via the seafront and a smuggling vicar to the history of The Grange, the old vicarage on the green, which is now an art gallery and tearoom. Duncan brought the beacon to life with a basket arrangement of firey cherry brandy roses with dried, wispy, smoke bush flowers (cotinus) rising from a base of folded asbidistra leaves. The horizon on the sea was depicted with a raised horizontal arrangement of contorted hazel twigs and phormium leaves manipulated with curls at the end to represent the waves. Moon aqua carnations and lilac lisianthus laid alongside soft ruscus reinforced the horizontal line to great effect. A half-fan arrangement of white 'topspin' bloom chrysanths and lilac lisianthus with a backing foliage of hard rucus was displayed through a rectangular picture frame to provide a link to the art museum. A further arrangement of pink peonies, white stocks and asbidistra leaves used a chicken wire support frame in a basket , and connected us to the garden of The Elms where Rudyard Kipling had lived as a boy. Duncan even covered the origin of the game Cluedo. Who would have believed it had started in Rottingdean?  This linked to a beautiful design using rosemary and privet as foliage with a sweeping line of lilac roses (Maritem), red astilbe, and blue eryngium. The final arrangement depicted the world renown stained glass windows of the 'little grey church on the windy hill' on the green in Rottingdean with brightly coloured germini in pinks, yellow, reds and oranges and lilac carnations, white stocks with yellow/orange roses among tall twigs of dogwood. A fabulous finale to a fascinating and entertaining demonstration.

Thank you for all your support for our Summer Flower Show, 'Summer Sizzler' which was held on 11th July. It certainly was a sizzler with the temperature around 30C! Whether you entered arrangements in the show, donated items for the tombola or raffle, brought cakes for the teas, served refreshments, washed up, manned the stalls, invited and welcomed your friends and family or came and just enjoyed the flower arrangments we couldn't have done it without you. The standard of the arrangements was really high and the judge Gaenor Circus had a difficult job to decide the placings in each class.

The winners for each class were

COMING UP...............

Don't forget our clubnight meetings from July 2026 onwards are being held at English Martyrs Church Hall in Vicarage Lane Horley while Regent Hall is refurbished.

For all you church flower arrangers, there is a free demonstration by Susie Barwick, a renowned floral art judge, of arranging church flowers in an eco friendly way is being held at All Saints Church, Merstham on Tuesday Morning 28th July 10.45-2.30pm. Bring lunch, tea and coffee will be provided. There is also an opportunity to have a go at doing your own 'oasis free' arrangment. Bring your own container, flowers and foliage. If this is you or you know someone who might be interested please invite them along. You are most welcome just to turn up.

At our August meeting we have a Workshop, it will be an evening of Silk Painting flower designs and then framing them for use as cards or gifts. Janet will be running the evening and the cost will be £2.50 to cover materials. Refreshments will be provided.

Bring and Buy Table August: This month please bring any garden produce or garden flowers that we can sell to raise money for the club.

A Summer Luncheon has been planned for Friday 21st August at 35 London Road South Merstham from 12.30pm. Sign up for yourself and your guests on the board at our August meeting. Cost £18 per person. Payment can be made at the meeting or by bank transfer. (Contact the Treasurer for bank details)