We had a committee meeting last week when we had long discussions on future meetings and events. They are always very social occasions as we are friends and each member contributes. That is why we are a great team as each plays an important role.

We all agreed that the Dabble Evening went very well and all who attended, including 15 visitors enjoyed the varied crafts. In fact some members said it was their favourite meeting of the year!  Nine of our members attended the Area Fun Day on Tuesday, this week in Wheathampstead when we ‘dabbled’ at leaf manipulation with Gill McGregor and created foliage designs.

Our demonstrator at our next meeting on 6th November is Lynne Sharp with her ‘Car Boot Collection’. This should be an entertaining evening and we will see what Lynne has found at car boot sales in the Midlands.  The theme of the Charity Table is ‘Christmas’ so if you have any contributions, please bring them to add to the stall.  We are introducing Gift Aid forms for MND Association to support your donations.

Area AGM and Christmas demonstration is on 19th November at the Marford Memorial Hall in Wheathampstead. I am attaching the details and tickets are available from Celia Thompson, who is on our committee and greets you at the door. This should be a great day and the demonstrator, Delyth Price, is excellent.

Our Christmas demonstration is on 4th December with Debbie Davis from Warrington. This is an Open Meeting so you will need to have a ticket and these are now available from Gillian (07960662334) - £6 for members and £12 for visitors. Mulled wine and our famous mince pies made by Joan T will be served at the beginning of the meeting. The Charity Tables will be selling candles.

The Flower Arranger magazine is the official NAFAS publication and can be ordered through the Club. Subscriptions for members are £17, which is good value for 4 issues that are packed with ideas, articles and information for all those who love flowers.   Please see Kate or Alison to order for 2026.

St Mary’s Church, Clophill is holding a Christmas Tree Festival on 6/7th December and we will be decorating several trees for this event. Seasonal refreshments will be served and there will be music played throughout the weekend.

2026 is our Golden Anniversary Year that we will be celebrating in June with a dinner and special meeting.
Please note our Open meeting in 2026, usually held in May, will be on Tuesday 24th March as we have had problems with our booking for the hall and we have tried to avoid Easter.
​The Committee have other special events planned – further details later.

I hope to see you on 6th November,
 
With my best wishes,
Carolyn
Chairman of Clophill and District Flower Club

It seems that our last demonstrator took us into Autumn with her seasonal designs. She was a florist and showed us some different styles and ideas and had certainly put a lot of preparation into her demonstration.

Our next meeting a practical Dabble Evening is on 2 October. There will be 5 different activities for you to try – all with floral connections. All you need to bring is a pair of scissors and all materials will be provided free for you to use. As it will be a busy evening there will not be a charity table. These meetings are always very social, so even if you don’t want to ‘dabble’ you are welcome to come and meet friends.

The weekend of 19/20 September sees the staging of the National Competitions in Gloucester Cathedral. I know Linda O’Toole, one of our members has entered so we wish her every success. Three of our members received awards in the Area Virtual Competition with Nicky Olden 1st, Celia Thompson 2nd and Joan Palmer Commended. Congratulations to all and thank you for representing our Club.

Area Fun Day is on Tuesday 28 October at the Marford Memorial Hall, Wheathampstead. I am attaching the letter with all the details. Gill McGregor will be showing different techniques, there will be a practical session and other activities to take part in.

Area Club Day is on 23 September – Club officers are invited so we are sending representatives to listen and contribute. One topic will be NAFAS finances and also exchanging ideas to promote our clubs.

Flitwick Church Flower Festival on 4 and 5 October is being organised by some of our members on a theme of 
​ ‘All Things Bright and Beautiful’.  I am sure it will be worth a visit.
​
I look forward to seeing you at the Dabble Evening or at our club meeting in November

With my best wishes

*****************************************************

Home Counties Area of NAFAS

Education Fun Day
‘FUN WITH FOLIAGE’

An informative and action-packed day
including competition work, foam-free designs.


Wednesday 28 October from 10am – 4 pm
To be held at Marford Memorial Hall, Marford Road, Wheathampstead AL4 8AY
(There is easy access and parking)


There will be a variety of activities throughout the day to inform and inspire you
and have fun working with others

Gill McGregor will be demonstrating Leaf Manipulation

Tickets £20 – includes all drinks.   Please bring a packed lunch and a mug!

All members are very welcome,
as well as an opportunity for all teachers and judges to refresh their skills.

Tickets may be ordered from Celia Thompson,  Area Treasurer
​

*****************************************************

​Summer is here with time to relax in the garden, except at times it is too hot. I seem to spend lot of time watering and checking that I haven’t lost any precious plants due to this dry weather.  We don’t have a Club meeting in August but the Committee always meet for Afternoon Tea in a garden. We met last week in Gillian’s lovely garden and the temperature was perfect. It gave us chance to chat, as well as discussing plans for the future.

​Next Month on 4th September we have Clare Allen coming to show us ‘Stepping into Autumn’.   Clare hasn’t been to us since 2016, so it'll be good to see her again.  The Charity Table is doing very well this year and in September the theme will be Gloves, Scarves and Umbrellas – ready for Autumn!

On 4th October we will be having one of our popular Dabble Evenings, when you will have the opportunity to try several different crafts and activities – all flower related and all the materials will be provided. You just need to bring a pair of scissors. These evenings are always very social so even if you don’t want to ‘have a go’ please come and support those who are and enjoy watching!
​
In November and December we have two other demonstrators who are new to our Club but I have seen ‘on my travels’. 

Next year is a special year for our Club as it is our Golden Anniversary and we will be celebrating in June
​ with a dinner for all members and an illustrated talk on jewellery by a goldsmith from Norwich. 50 years and still going from strength to strength!
​
September and October is the time for Flower Festivals and local Horticultural Shows. Look out for the posters and banners as it is always a chance to get ideas and admire other arrangers' creations.

In July I explained to members that we have been informed by NAFAS that they intend to increase the Affiliation Fees next year and that there has been very active objections, letters and phone calls to Headquarters and the Board of Trustees. It appears that they have now taken note and have called a special meeting for Area Representatives in September to discuss this.  At last they seem to be getting the message that they need to support members and clubs as we are the foundation of the organisation.  We will have to wait and see but I can assure you that Clophill and District Flower Club will always give you good value and a lively Club.

​I hope to see you in September.  Enjoy the sunshine.

I have just remembered that I haven’t sent you a newsletter for May and now it is now the first week of June. The garden has taken a lot of time in the past month and now it is all planted for the summer with flowers and vegetables and now it has to be watered and the weeds keep growing!

Our Open Meeting on 5th May with Emily Broomhead was very successful. She was amusing, easy to watch and her flowers and designs were amazing. The stage was filled with fantastic arrangements and I am sure everyone thoroughly enjoyed the evening. We had a lot of visitors and an audience of 94.The raffle, sales table and the Charity stall were all well supported. In fact the cosmetics and lotions made £89 for MND Association
​
The Plant Stall at the Church fete also did well and I would like to thank all who donated plants and to Jan, Val, Kate, Chris and Beryl who organised and ran the stall all afternoon. We made £120 for our Charity fund.

Last Thursday, 5th June, we had another special demonstration. This time it was Doug Howard from our Club, who has been an Area Demonstrator for 35 years and has now decided to retire. We are extremely lucky to have him on our Committee and that he has chosen to do his last demonstration to us. It was an amazing evening and he went out ‘in a blaze of glory ‘ with an abundance of flowers arranged in his distinctive style.  His Special Retirement title was  ’A Man for all Seasons’.

The theme for the Charity Table was Games and Puzzles. Last Friday I attended the funeral of Julie Wiles, one of our members who recently died of MND and who was so grateful that we are raising money again this year to support people with this dreadful disease. She was such a brave and dignified lady, always positive and glamorous

On 3 July we look forward to welcoming back to the Club:  Gill MacGregor with her title 'The Floral Jewels of July'

Don’t forget the Area Virtual Competition – Aspects of Summer’. This is an opportunity to do an arrangement in your own time, take a photograph of it and submit it to Sue Calver,  Area Media Team. Details were with my last Newsletter.

Our Area President is holding a President’s Day in her beautiful garden in Kings Langley on Wednesday 9th July. There will be two sessions – Morning Coffee and Pastries from 1030am – 12 noon and Afternoon Tea from 2pm – 4pm. Proceeds are for her Flower Festival in October in aid of the Peace Hospice in Watford. 

​With my best wishes 
​
Carolyn
Clophill & District Flower Club

I hope you had a lovely Easter and enjoyed the sunshine – until Easter Monday!! I always think this is an exciting time in the garden as everything is coming to life and you notice things you had forgotten about and plan for more things to come.
 
Our last meeting 3rd April when we had Arnaud Metairie was a really super evening. He is such a talented designer and is also very entertaining.  There was lots of praise for him and I am sure Joan will put him on the list to book again.
​
Next week on 1st May is our Open Meeting with a special demonstration ‘ A Splash of Colour’ by Emily Broomhead from Salisbury.  This will also be a super evening. There are still tickets available  - £6 for members and £12 for visitors. Please contact Gillian Hill if you need a ticket or one for a friend.  The Charity table theme is Lotions, Creams and Cosmetics.

​10th May is the Clophill Church and Village Fete and we always have a plant stall to support our charity fund. We would like to have donations of plants, seedlings, cutting or anything for the garden you can spare. You can bring them to the Club,  take them to a Committee Member or bring them on the day to St Mary’s Church. Thank you.

Area Member’s Day is on 29th April at the Marford Memorial Hall, Wheathampstead when the speaker in the morning is Simone Squire and the National Demonstrator is Alison Penno with ‘Floral Idols’. There will be a buffet lunch and tickets are £25. This should be an excellent day and the venue is easy to get to and the parking is good.

I am attaching details of the Area Virtual Competition – Aspects of Summer’.     This is an opportunity to do an arrangement your own time, take a photograph of it and submit it to Sue Calver , Area Media Team.

At our March Meeting we presented the local MND Association with our donation of £700.   We asked Catherine Wiles, the daughter-in -law of Julie who is really suffering from this dreadful disease. The money will be used to support the victims and carers in different ways, I have received a letter of thanks from Julie’s son Richard that he asked to be passed on to you all and it is printed at the end of this newsletter.

I am delighted to say we the Club have adopted the same charity for 2025. 
Last weekend some of our members helped with wedding flowers at Maulden and Shuttleworth House. It was a very pretty event with mixed Spring flowers. The money we earned will go into the charity fund. 
**The theme for the April Charity Stall is:   Pots, Plants and Planters.

Our next meeting is on 3rd April when we have Arnaud Metairie demonstrating ‘Floral Fantasy’.  He is an excellent and very amusing demonstrator and one you shouldn’t miss. We would also like to have a display of Easter arrangements to share ideas and to inspire everyone to have a go! Please bring an arrangement, however large or small, to create an attractive display. 

 ​Looking ahead: 
On 5th April is the Houghton Conquest Horticultural Show and there is still time to put your entry form in for the Floral Art Classes.

1st May is our Open Meeting with a special demonstration ‘ A Splash of Colour’ by Emily Broomhead from Salisbury.
I have seen her several times and she is one of the top designers and has been selected to demonstrate at the National show in Gloucester in September.  Tickets are £6 for members and will be available at next week's meeting, from Gillian Hill or via the contact tab on this site.

10th May is the Clophill Church and Village Fete and we always have a plant stall to support our charity fund. We would like to have donations of plants, seedlings, cutting or anything for the garden you can spare. You can bring them to the Club,  take them to a Committee Member or bring them on the day to St Mary’s Church. Thank you.
​
Area Member’s Day is on 29th April at the Marford Memorial Hall, Wheathampstead when the speaker in the morning is Simone Squire and the National Demonstrator is Alison Penno with ‘Floral Idols’. There will be a buffet lunch and tickets are £25. This should be an excellent day and the venue is easy to get to and the parking is good.

See you all soon.                      With my best wishes,
Carolyn        
 Chairman of Clophill & District Flower Club
​
​******************************************************************************

​Letter from Richard Wiles
                              Presentation to the MND Association at our March Meeting to Rita Beaumont by Catherine Wiles          


​Dear Carolyn,
I'm with my mother now - as you may be aware, she has taken a turn for the worst and has had a tough couple of weeks. 

She wanted me to tell you that she was so grateful for the donation of £700 for MNDA - she is so appreciative that you chose a cause that is will benefit people in a similar condition to her. 

Betty had first pick of the flowers after having the first raffle number to be picked out, and donated them to Mum.  She was so happy with them - whoever made them did a great job. 

My lovely wife Cath also made mum cry today when Jan Bird replayed her speech - it was really lovely and  I found the words couldn’t have been chosen better.

Please can you forward the above to all at Clophill Flower Club, along with her love and thanks.
And the same from me, too.  

Sincerely,
Richard

At last, the Spring is showing signs of coming with lots of buds and Spring bulbs appearing in our gardens. When I walked in the woods near Shefford there were carpets of snowdrops and catkins on the trees and the sun was even shining!
​
We had a very good audience at our last Club meeting and I think everyone enjoyed the demonstration by Rachael Borenkova. She was well organised, her designs were varied and there were 14 raffle prizes, so many ladies went home with some lovely flowers. 


​At the meeting I announced that the Club had raised £700 for the local Motor Neurone Disease Association (MNDA) and that a cheque will be presented to a representative from the MNDA at our next meeting.   I have invited the family of one of our members who is suffering from this dreadful illness to come to the meeting too.

On 6th March we have Theresa Rodrigues coming to entertain us with ‘Anything Goes’ – not the song, but the title of her demonstration!

If you didn’t manage to come in February you will have the opportunity to vote for the charity for 2025, but we are having a another collection of items for Baby Basics at this meeting. Baby Basics is a local charity that supports disadvantaged new mothers with vital equipment and clothes. We would like donations of new or second-hand items, both large and small . They always appreciate hand knitted items.

Also, please remember to bring a mug for your tea/coffee for your refreshments at the meeting.

Area Member’s Day is on 29th April at the Marford Memorial Hall, Wheathampstead when the speaker in the morning is Simone Squire and the National Demonstrator is Alison Penno with ‘Floral Idols’. There will be a buffet lunch and tickets are £25. This should be an excellent day and the venue is easy to get to and the parking is good.
​
Club Subscriptions can still be paid at our March and April meetings, either by cash, cheque or BACS.  We have an excellent programme for this year giving you great value for money.

        See you soon.  With my best wishes,
Carolyn         

Wishing you a very healthy and peaceful New Year full of fun, friendship and flowers.
I hope you had a lovely Christmas with friends and family.  It seems a while ago as all our decorations have come down and the house looks quite bare. I must go out a buy some tulips and bring the hope of Spring.
​
We had an excellent Christmas demonstration by Lucy Ellis and I hope you enjoyed the evening if you were able to be there.  Lucy said what a really friendly and lively Club we are and how much she enjoyed visiting us.

We now look forward to our 2025 programme that Joan has booked for us. It is full of super demonstrations by some familiar demonstrators and some exciting new ones. One highlight will be in June when our own Doug Howard gives his Special Retirement Evening with ‘A Man for All Seasons’. Doug has been an area demonstrator for many years and has decided to ‘hang up his scissors’ with his last flourish!!

The first meeting of the year is on Thursday 9 January when we hold our Annual General Meeting.  This is a social meeting when we review the past year and our successes and then plan for 2025.  We always like to have suggestions from members on how to improve the Club so we welcome anyone who would like to come.

​The Treasurer will present the accounts and we will hear how much our charity stall has made for our 2024 charity:  Motor Neurone Disease association. We plan for it to go to the local branch as one of our members is really suffering with this horrible disease. Thank you to all who have supported us and to Julie and Jean who have organised the stall throughout the year.  We would like nominations for charities for 2025, so please let us know if you have a suggestion and we will ask members to vote at our February meeting.  Julie says the theme for the Charity stall is Unwanted Christmas Presents – make sure the person who gave it to you isn’t with you!!

On 6 February we have Rachael Borenkova – ‘Let’s go to the Flower Shop’.  Rachael is new to our club but has been highly recommended. 
​
Subscriptions are due again.  It is £45 – the same a last year – you can pay by Bank Transfer, cheque or cash. 
​As agreed previously, the committee will be prepared to accept the subscription in staged payments over three months if this is helpful for members.  

See you soon,
With my best wishes,
Carolyn
Chairman of Clophill & District Flower Club

This week I returned from a super holiday with John on a road trip all around the North of Scotland. The scenery and landscapes were beautiful and we had lots of walks on silver beaches, along gushing rivers and through woods that were full of Autumn colours.  It was very relaxing - just what I needed!

Last Wednesday it was the Area Education Fun Day that eight of our members attended. It was a fun day with a demonstration by Gill McGregor on foam- free mechanics, talks and practical activities on many aspects of designing without foam and competitions. There was a competition class that was judges by the Area judges and also the attendees. Doug Howard came 1st; Linda O’Toole came second and Lesley Sturdy came 3rd.   I was very proud of them all!

Our next meeting is Thursday 7th November when we have Barbara Collins, one of our favourite demonstrators, with ‘Floral Moments’.  As we are now into Autumn it would be great if members brought a seasonal arrangement to create a display to inspire everyone with lots of different ideas, with the title ‘Autumn Glory’.  Please have a go!!  Our charity table will be ‘Anything Christmas’. 

Our Christmas Demonstration is on 5th December. Unfortunately, Katherine Kear is unable to come as she is having an operation on her hand so we have been lucky to book Lucy Ellis, another National Demonstrator from Wiltshire, who will be coming instead with ’The Colours of Christmas’.   I am sure it will be a super demonstration and the tickets are the same price and will be available at next week or from Gillian. There will be our usual delicious mince pies made by Joan and a glass of mulled wine.
​
The Area AGM/lunch/Demonstration is on Wednesday 13th November. It will be held at the Marford Memorial Hall, Wheathampstead from 10.30am.  This will be my last event as Area Chairman, as I hand over to Anne McPherson. I have really enjoyed the past 2 years and have made a lot of new friends in ‘the flower world’ of NAFAS.  There will be a buffet lunch and a demonstration by Margaret Rumens ‘Betwixt and Between’.  Tickets are £25, available from Celia Thompson.

The Flower Arranger magazine.  If you would like to order the NAFAS magazine that is always full of ideas, designs and news Kate will be taking orders/subscriptions next Thursday.  As a member of NAFAS, you can have it at a discounted price of £16.50 for 4 seasonal issues.
​
See you soon,         

​With my best wishes,
Carolyn        
 Chairman of Clophill & District Flower Club

There is easy access and parking.

Doors open 10am, AGM at 11 followed by a delicious buffet lunch. 
There will  be a seating plan and we will be seated at decorated tables. 

In the afternoon there will be a demonstration by National Demonstrator
Margaret Rumens 
entitled  ​"Betwixt and Between"

Stalls to browse and tea/coffee and drinks available throughout the day.

Tickets £25 available through the Club or from Celia Thompson our Area Treasurer
**Please apply no later than 31 October**