Page 9 - Simply Vegetables Winter 2021/22

Obituary
Bill Hargreaves and Medwyn Williams
An obituary for WR Hargreaves FNVS President Emeritus
It is with deep sadness that I
must report the passing of W R Hargreaves in hospital on the 11th of November at the grand age of 96. Bill as he was known to all his friends, joined our Society in 1964 when he took on the position of Assistant Secretary and Treasurer of the Northern Branch. In 1970 he became the Northern Branch Secretary and persuaded his wife Hilda to become Northern Branch Treasurer.
I met Bill the day I joined the Society at the NVS Championships held at Shrewsbury Flower
Show and from that day on we became firm friends. To me,
Bill was the embodiment of
the NVS from that moment on and he worked tirelessly for the Society. Undoubtedly his biggest achievement was during 1973 when he started a move towards the creation and formation of the District Associations, which have undoubtedly proved to be a life blood for our Society.
On the 10th of November
1973, a meeting was convened in Worsborough Dale near Barnsley that was attended by sixty-odd members from all over the area and so the first D.A. was born. The South Yorkshire District Association. Bill travelled all
over the country to assist in
the formation of many District Associations and much later came
over to my village to form the Gwynedd DA.
Bill, along with Martin Robinson, was at the forefront of the formation of new Branches. In 1973 the Scottish Branch was formed with Donald McLean
as Chairman and in 1976 the Midland Branch came into being with Cecil Smith in the chair. In 1977 he took on the position of National Secretary and stayed in that position until 1985 when his wife Hilda became ill. In 1999, at the Society’s AGM in Tunbridge Wells, Bill was elected President, a position he cherished that filled him with an immense amount of pride for many years.
Bill was undoubtedly a gentleman, and I do not think I ever saw him anywhere without being well dressed and always wearing his beloved NVS tie. Bill had a deep Christian faith and read passages from his bible daily. Throughout his entire life, he held an unwavering faith in God, which he shared with those who knew him. Now that Bill has passed into the arms of our Lord, we should remind ourselves that while this
is the end of Bill’s physical life on Earth, it is the beginning of an eternal and beautiful journey for him.
Rest in Peace Bill, it was a privilege to know you as a friend. Medwyn and Gwenda.
Ian Stocks reported that he is currently preparing a programme for winter ZOOM presentations commencing in November. Suggestions from the recent
survey will be incorporated into
the programme. It was agreed that ZOOM talks are a real benefit to our members. Non-members will be able to attend a maximum of two zoom talks.
Normal Dickinson reported that
one of the downsides to the pandemic has been the number of Societies
and Organisations who have not renewed their membership of the
NVS in 2021, mainly due to them
being unable to put on their Spring, Summer, and Autumn shows, or to have the ability to hold their meetings. He also reported that a number of Societies or Organisations have folded entirely from a lack of support in their communities. We wish all societies members well and and hope to see you all back stronger than ever in 2022.
Ian Simpson provided an update on the growing leaflets. 13 leaflets are now complete and available on the members only section of the website. Courgettes, Globe Beetroot, Brussels Sprouts, Onions, Carrots, Leeks
and cabbage are in progress. It was reported that the first twenty growing leaflets selected for publication match with the recent survey results of the most popular vegetables varieties that members grow.
Gareth Cameron updated the trustees on the continuing positive engagement with our sponsors. It was agreed
that the NVS will produce flyers for inclusion in DT Brown, Marshalls, and Medwyn’s of Anglesey 2022 catalogues. The design of the flyer will reflect the NVS website look and feel and include a direct link to our website.
Jean Forrester issued a finance report in advance of the meeting It was reported that Gift Aid return is complete for this year. Fiona Shenfield has included an article in this magazine to explain how gift aid works and how members can change their preference to help the society.
Simply Vegetables 9