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THACS
Tewin Horticultural Arts & Crafts Society
Newsletter
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THACS Autumn Show in the Tewin Memorial Hall on Saturday 6 September 2008
Please send your entry forms post haste to Anna Clark at Tewin Orchard, 1 Upper Green, Tewin AL6 0LX.
You can obtain copies of the Schedule and Entry forms from the THACS page on the Tewin web site or from
Anna Clark telephone 01438 798324.
Remember that in order to have everything ship shape in the hall for the judges at 11.00am, the exhibits must be in place by 10.30am, so please make sure you are there in time!
The show is open to the public at 2.15pm, and there will be refreshments served during the afternoon. The presentation of prizes is at 3.30pm, and the popular auction of exhibits, when you have a chance to bid for prize-winning marrows and other vegetables, fruit, chutney, jams, cakes and flowers. The auction will begin when the presentation of prizes is over at about 4.00pm.
Entrance to the show is 50p - accompanied children free - show competitors free.
Please come along to support your local show - and get those entries in - you may win a first prize!
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Guided Walk in St Albans on Sunday 12 October 2008
As a change from a church visit, THACS is proposing a visit to St Albans to take an organised and guided walk on Sunday, 12th October starting at 2pm. The walk we have chosen is from Fishpool Street to St Michaels Village. This is an old route that follows George Street, Romeland and Fishpool Street to picturesque St Michael's Village, with its elegant houses, Saxon church and the superb Verulamium Roman Museum.
The walk will start outside the Old Town Hall in Market Street and will take about 1hour 30 mins. As St Albans is nearby, we will not be organising a coach but car sharing is an option you may wish to consider. Parking is available in the town centre or at the Verulamium.
You will be able to purchase Afternoon Tea (which will not be pre-booked) after the walk in any of a number of local inns or cafes. In close proximity are The Six Bells, The Rose and Crown and the Waffle House. The Inn on the Park, which is close to the Museum, is recommended for cream teas.
The price for this guided tour will be £5 for members and £6 for non-members. If you wish to come, then please complete the Booking Form shown below and send it with your cheque or cash, to Pat Fulford by 31st August 2008.
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Art & Craft Exhibition in Burnham Green Hall on
Saturday & Sunday 15 & 16 November 2008
Because it was so popular, we are presenting an exhibition of our local art and craft people again in November at Burnham Green Hall, so please put the above dates in your diary.
Further information coming soon.
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Gardening talk in the Memorial Hall on Monday 8 December 2008
We are delighted to announce that Matthew Biggs will be talking about the Back Gardens of Britain in the Memorial Hall on the evening of Monday 8 December 2008, starting at 8pm.
Matthew lives in Hertfordshire and so is a local gardening celebrity. He has been a professional gardener for over 25 years and has achieved considerable success as a gardener, horticultural judge, lecturer, TV presenter, radio presenter and author.
A plant enthusiast, Matthew has travelled extensively, leading gardening tours and cruises in Europe, the Mediterranean, south east Asia, South America, Australasia and Africa where he is a lecturer and host.
Currently Matthew is a regular panellist on BBC Radio 4s Gardeners Question Time and writes regularly for several gardening magazines. In addition, he has written several gardening books which he will bring to the talk, giving us an opportunity to purchase signed copies.
The lecture is based on visits to over 150 different locations. It will introduce you to some of the fascinating characters who have created their dreams, from suburban back gardens to allotments and inner city roof gardens.
The lecture aims to enlighten you to the treasures to be found in the back gardens of Britain and discover what lessons that can be learned from the passions of their owners for plant collecting, vegetable growing and design. Let their enthusiasm encourage and inspire you to continue developing your own garden and increase your enjoyment of the greatest hobby in the world!
The prices for tickets for this event are £3 per person for members and £6 per person for non-members. The original price for members was £5 but the financial success of the Open Gardens event in June has enabled the THACS committee to offer this reduced price to members. Refunds of the price difference will be provided to those members who have already purchased tickets.
If you wish to come, then please complete the relevant form (see below) and send it with your cheque or cash, to
Pat Fulford, 27 Bishops Road, Tewin Wood, AL6 0NP (798717) by 1 December 2008.
You will then be provided with a ticket.
This is likely to be a popular event and the number of tickets will be limited by the seating capacity of the hall. Therefore, we are giving THACS members first chance to purchase tickets before this event is offered to non-members. Tickets will be on sale at the door if any are available, but please book early to avoid disappointment.
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Recent Events
Saturday 9 August 2008 Visit to Copped Hall
It was a very wet day for this visit, so it was just as well that the restoration of Copped Hall had progressed far enough to have most of the roof on! The 36 people were split into two groups, each with its own guide. The tour started in the Georgian mansion and then went into the Victorian extension. It was fascinating to see the building and its contents and to learn about its history and the restoration project. After a leisurely tour of the mansion, we had welcome refreshments before touring the grounds. The highlight there was the four-acre walled garden, flanked on one side by a 400 yard long traditional herbaceous border.
The guides were knowledgeable and informative and they successfully dealt with a wide-range of questions. The good mix of history and horticulture, served in the context of an inspirational restoration project, ensured that we all had an enjoyable visit.
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Open Gardens throughout Tewin on Sunday 15 June 2008
More than 250 people took advantage of the THACS Open Gardens day and visited some of the Open Gardens in and around Tewin. Thanks to Tewin Stores and Tebbutts for selling tickets so efficiently.
Fifteen gardens opened this year, six of them for the first time. They represented a great diversity in location, size and style. There was something of interest for everyone and it all made an enjoyable day out. Many of the visitors talked about the gardens with their owners and many (visitors and owners!) found the day to be very informative, as well as enjoyable. There were welcome refreshments at Tewin Orchard, Dawley Cottage and Digswell Water House and there were plants for sale at some of the gardens and booklets about the history of Queen Hoo Hall were on sale there.
The high number of open gardens, combined with their dispersed locations, caused most visitors to be selective about which gardens they visited. Most favoured the gardens that were opening for the first time and it was no surprise that Queen Hoo Hall had the highest number of visitors (nearly 200). Consequently, visitor numbers were lower than last time at some of the other gardens but they were still high enough to make them worthwhile opening.
The event was a success financially therefore THACS would like to make a donation to a suitable charity (to be decided later by the committee).
Congratulations and thanks to all those who opened their gardens and who worked so hard to ensure that their gardens were in great condition for the day. Thanks too to all the other people who helped out in various ways on the day and of course to all who bought tickets and made the day such a success.
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THACS stall at the Tewin Village Fete on Saturday 28 June 2008
The THACS Committee would like to thank all those who contributed to making the plant stall at the Village Fete such a resounding success. Many generously gave their time to serve behind the counter; more donated a splendid array of plants including some unusual specimens clearly grown with much tender care. Others provided gazebos or helped with erecting and dismantling. Not least, thanks go to the provider of refreshments to those manning the stall.
Business was very brisk for the first two hours or so as a result of the attractively colourful display on view, and it is gratifying that the Tewin Memorial Hall - our local amenity is the beneficiary.
A few items were left over and these will be given to Tewin Stores for further sales.
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To Print a Form, Highlight the text then Copy and Paste it into your Word Processor
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Booking Form
Guided walk in St Albans on Sunday 12 October 2008.
Name(s)
..
Address
Tel. No
e-mail address
Are you a member of THACS ?
.
Number of members
Number of non- members
I enclose £
. (£5 for members and £6 for non-members) cheques made out to THACS please.
Please send to Pat Fulford, 27 Bishops Road, Tewin AL6 0NP by 31 August 2008.
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Booking Form
Matthew Biggs talk about the Back Gardens of Britain
in the Memorial Hall on the evening of Monday 8 December 2008.
Name(s)
..
Address
Tel. No
e-mail address
Are you a member of THACS ?
.
(Note that only THACS members can purchase tickets before 10 September 2008)
Number of members
Number of non- members
I enclose £
. (£3 for members and £6 for non-members} cheques made out to THACS please.
Please send to Pat Fulford, 27 Bishops Road, Tewin AL6 0NP by 1 December 2008.
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For more information on events
Contact: Ray Keppler on 01438717545 or ray@raykeppler.wanadoo.co.uk
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Report on the THACS AGM 2008 can be seen by clicking Here
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Your THACS Committee members for 2008
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Chairperson: Gay Cates
Vice Chair: Ray Keppler
Hon. Secretary: Doreen Lloyd
Hon. Treasurer: Pat Fulford
Show Secretary: Anna Clark
Newsletter Editor: Ray Keppler
Newsletter Distribution: Menna Searle
Events & Open Gardens Organiser: Ray Keppler
Publicity and Book-keeper: Terry Brand
Website Co-ordinator: Alf Fulford
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Subscriptions for Membership to THACS
Already, 70% of members have signed standing orders and we hope many more of you will do the same to help keep our administration to a minimum. Those of you who have not yet signed and are willing to do so, please complete the standing order form and send it to the address below.
For those of you who do not wish to pay by standing order, please complete the top half of the membership form and send it together with your cheque or cash to Pat Fulford, 27 Bishops Road, Tewin Wood, AL6 0NP
(cheques made out to THACS please)
You can find a Membership and Standing Order Form that you can print off HERE
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Updated: AF 23 August 2008
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