Page 53 - Simply Veg 1 2024

Midland Branch
MEMBERS 10000 TO 19999
Chairs Report
By the time you read this, Christmas will have come and gone and we will be into yet another new year. Where did the last one go? I do know that 2023 was not a good year for some of our members in lots of ways, whether it be bereavements or illness, but I hope you all managed
to have a peaceful festive season and I wish you all a joyous and positive 2024. I am sure you all agree that gardening is a therapy which can greatly help those who find themselves in not a particularly good place, so go for it!
The biggest event of 2023 for the Midlands Branch was, of course, our Branch Championships at Malvern. I
would like to thank the Three Counties Agricultural Society for allowing us to hold our Championships, in what is a beautiful setting and very accessible. I must admit that, having such a small committee this year, I approached the Championships with some trepidation. Never having wanted to hold the position, I found myself, not only as Chairman and Branch Secretary, but also as Show Secretary. I knew Pat Brown would be a hard act to follow, but I am pleased
to say that with the help of Sue Meek and Ruth Bleasdale on the day, we got through admirably. One or two tweaks need to be made next year, but on the whole, I felt the whole team, including our loyal judges and stewards, worked together and the show turned out to be a great success.
I am grateful to Bob Bleasdale for coming on board to assist Mike, and for his work
in designing a new stand. A new position of Assistant Show Manager was created, and Bob was duly elected to the role. The new signage he had created was quite impressive and the layout of vegetables earned us a Silver Medal from the judges. Quite an achievement from a new team of people. If Bob has his way, I can see this going from strength to strength.
Ruth Bleasdale was also co-opted onto the committee and filled the vacancy of Membership Secretary, and I thank Sandra Hall for having stood in for this role.
Bob Oliver organised a social evening
for which I am grateful, and for which we received many appreciative comments.
It was a simple evening, with a simple ploughman’s, live music, not too loud, which gave people the opportunity to chat and catch up with friends old and new. Thank you, Bob and his wife, Val, for organising it.
On behalf of the Branch, congratulations are extended to Robert Heigham and David Lowndes on being awarded a Fellowship
in the recent NVS Awards. They are both well respected ambassadors of the Society, and the Fellowships are richly deserved. Congratulations are also extended to Martyn Strange, FNVS, who was awarded an NVS Silver Medal. Martyn has been
a stalwart member of the Society and of the Midlands Branch Committee for many years and is a very familiar face on the stand, particularly at the Malvern Spring and Autumn Shows. He has also been a judge for many years. This Award was long overdue. We were pleased that Medwyn was available to present all these Awards
at Malvern (as the photographs show), as none of the members were available to
attend the National AGM in Ripon.
I would like to thank those too numerous to mention – you know who you are – who
helped to man the stand and talk to the public. Several new members were signed up which is very promising, and a couple of members showed an interest in joining the committee. Watch this space!!!
Now a plea to the membership. We
are currently in the process of talking about next year, and the shows we will
be attending. A lot will depend on how many people come onto the committee
at the next AGM. I, personally, desperately need more help. Being Chairman, Branch Secretary and Show Secretary is too much for one person. If you feel you can take on one of the roles, (even just to take minutes at committee meetings) that would be much appreciated. The future of the Branch depends on the help from its members.
I wish you all a very happy gardening season and look forward to meeting up with you, in 2024.
June Davies, FNVS, Chairman junedavies648@yahoo.com
Tel 01531 822750 Mobile 07484 877627
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