Party time at Paxton Friday Forum

As we celebrated the 20^th anniversary of Friday Forum, some time-honoured members shared their reminiscences.

Celia Latham Brown, herself a stalwart member, read out from notes supplied by Gerry Vernon, who set up the group.

We learnt about the origins of Friday Forum.  It was at the time that the television programme “The Good Life” resulted in a rise of the popularity of gardening and it was thought that such a group could help new gardeners. 

Margaret Denton, first Chairman of the group recounted a visit to Prince Charles garden at Highgrove.    Stringent identification and police checks were carried out, visitors were counted on and off the coach and tea was served in china cups accompanied by Highgrove biscuits.  Nobody has admitted to taking any cuttings!

Margaret’s husband Carl was the first treasurer and we can see his careful bookkeeping.

 

The celebrations continued with a cream tea

 

 

The Bring and Buy Sale was a success; bric-a-brac, plants and other produce were snapped up including Marjorie’s scrumptious Peanut Butter Cookies, for which she has kindly given us the recipe:

Peanut Butter Cookies

3oz margarine

1oz lard

6oz plain flour

3oz brown sugar

1 egg

¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp bicarb

3oz peanut butter (2 good tablespoons - use the chunky peanut butter) 

Cream the marg, lard and egg, add sugar, peanut butter then the rest of dry ingredients.

Take a teaspoonful of the mixture and form into a ball.

Press down a little onto a baking sheet.

Bake at gas mark 5 for about 10 minutes.

Wild about Gardens Week

It's RHS Wild About Gardens week from 25 – 31 October.  Have you made your garden more wild-life friendly?  If you would like more tips to try this website:  http://www.wildaboutgardensweek.org.uk/ 

Links

I have added links to a few of my favourite gardening blogs to the Blog List.  Do you have any to recommend?

Dates for your diary

The next meeting of the Friday Forum will be on 1^st November.  We welcome a return visit of the entertaining speaker Tony Cleaver who is giving an illustrated talk on Yorkshire Gardens.  Non-members and members of other Paxton groups are cordially invited.

Friends of Paxton will meet on 4^th November at midday.  Volunteers to assist with the maintenance of Paxton Hall are much appreciated.

 

The Friday Forum meets on the 1st and 3rd Fridays of each month at 1.30pm at the Paxton Hall.  Paxton Horticultural Society is located at 186, Kirkstall Lane, Leeds LS5 2AB.   The meetings are split between hands-on sessions, guest speakers and garden visits. A regular feature is the "Plant Table" where members are invited to bring their plants for discussion and advice.  Another feature is the "Sales Table where members bring plants and cuttings and produce they have grown to sell at a small cost to help the club funds.  For further information, please use the comments box or log on to https://sites.google.com/site/paxtonhorticulturalsocietycouk/Home