1st February 2018

Demonstrator: Lesley Sturdy
​Her Title: "Ways with Wood"

February is not the cheeriest month in the year for most people, but our club members had something cheery to look forward to as our programme for 2018 was started by Lesley Sturdy with a great demonstration called  “Ways with Wood”.    Lesley, as well as being a demonstrator, is also a judge, a speaker, a teacher and, more importantly, a member of our club.   Lesley had obviously carried out much ‘behind the scenes’ preparation as all her materials were in pristine condition and, as we learned during the evening, had created several additional arrangements to compliment those she demonstrated on stage. 




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Six different uses of wood were shown – each one accompanied by superb flowers and foliage.  Birch branches were used in the first design, cleverly entwined along an oblong metal stand allowing two arrangements to be displayed – one at each end.  Wooden crates of differing sizes supported the next two arrangements, whilst the last before the tea break was an upright design over which Lesley lowered an openwork tower of twisted twigs through which the design could be viewed.

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Memories of fun time on water were depicted, after our break for tea, with a wooden boat-shaped container followed by a design for a wedding.    Where is the wood you ask?  A complete tree trunk then appeared with a similar design to that which Lesley had just created, adorning the top.    Her 3-tier finale used square wooden frames, all filled with a lattice-work of twigs.  One she used as a board on which to stand her base arrangement, the other two were fixed at different angles on a framework stand which was produced from behind the side screens.   Both displayed similar arrangements to the one at the base creating a fitting dramatic end to a terrific evening.

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​Lesley gave us plenty of tips during the evening on conditioning flowers (particularly roses that droop) and flowers with hollow stems.   Come to our club and you can get lots of tips too as well as a really enjoyable evening.  



Jo Poulter is coming on 1st March with “Picture this….”

and on 5th April we shall see Jackie Watson with “Movies from the Mansion”.





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