THE BRADFORD FLOWER CLUB

MINUTES OF THE CLUB MEETING HELD ON MONDAY 15 OCTOBER 2012

AT HAWORTH ROAD METHODIST CHURCH

1      In Attendance – there were 68 members, 1 guest and 3 new members in attendance. 

2       Club Notices

In the absence of our Chair on holiday, Gwyneth Priestley offered a warm welcome to members, guests and those attending for the first time. Thanks were passed on from our Chair to Gwyneth for chairing the meeting tonight.  Gwyneth asked members to let any member of the Committee know if anyone is ill so that we can send a card.  The following announcements were made:

• Members were asked to turn off their mobile phones.
• Entries for the photo competition were to be handed in at the meeting tonight.
• The September Club Minutes were on the notice board and would be signed by our Chair at the November meeting.
• Anyone with mechanics from Norma Dobney’s demonstration in September to let Gwyneth have them tonight.
• Diaries and Calendars could ordered from Jean tonight.
• Workshop – because of a clash with Area AGM, the date for the workshop had been moved to 1 December.  This would be held at Haworth Road Methodist Church from 10am to 3.30pm and the cost is £10 – members to bring their lunch and tea and coffee would be provided.  Joyce Longthorn would be leading the workshop.  Joyce spent a few minutes explaining how the workshop will be run:  Members would be given a ‘Christmas Title’ and then would bring their own mechanics and flowers to interpret their theme.  Joyce would also demonstrate some themes.  Members were asked to put their names on the list on the notice board table.

 

• November Meeting – this would be our Guest Evening and members were asked to let Vivienne Midgley or any committee member know if they would be bringing a guest as tickets would not be on sale this year.  The cost per guest would be £5.  The Clubs Patron the Lady Mayoress and our Area Chair, Sheila Rodgers would be attending. The demonstrator being Eileen Barraclough.

       There would also be a cake and toiletries stall with proceeds going to the Lady Mayoress’ charity.  Members were asked to support the event by donating cakes or toiletries with cakes containing nuts being labelled and cakes priced, if possible.

• The following invites had been received to Christmas Demonstrations:
• Steeton Club’s Christmas Demonstration at Skipton Town Hall on Thursday 22 November at 7.30pm.  The         Demonstrator would be Carole Kean with her title ‘Christmas Clutter’ (Carole demonstrated at Torquay in 2011). 
• Ann Marie Kendrich’s demonstration for Harrogate Flower Club on 20October and entitled ‘What & Now’.  On 8 November Janet Hayton would be demonstrating with her title ‘Autumn and Christmas’.  Both these would be at Christchurch Hall on the Stray at 7.30pm.
• Ilkley Flower Club were holding a workshop at St Mary’s Parish Church on Saturday 20 October from 10am to 4pm – cost £15.
• Yorkshire Flower Club was holding a Christmas demonstration on 7 November.

 

3      National and Area News:

 

• Members’ Day would held on 7 October at the Joseph Rowntree School, New Earswick. 
• NAFAS AGM would be held in London on 24 October and the Area AGM is on 17 November at Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, Wakefield.  The AGM would followed by a lunch and demonstration by Jan Faulkner with her title ‘Christmas is Coming’.  Tickets for the lunch and demonstration being £14.

4      Demonstrator – Gwyneth welcomed our Demonstrators – Christine Hutchinson and Susie Marsh with their title ‘Mix and Match’. Christine and Susie gave us a splendid evening with wonderful flowers and foliage.  They explained the processes of construction and conditioning of plant material as they demonstrated which was very informative.

• For their first arrangement, the demonstrators each did a horizontal arrangement simultaneously, using black cordyline, fatsia japonica, choisia,for foliage and placing liatris, Coolwater pink roses, and vibrant green Anastasia Chrisanthemum flowers across the arrangement.  To our delight, at the end these were turned into an upright position and looked amazing as they were placed one at each corner of the stage.
• Christine did the next arrangement entitled ‘World Wide Web’.  The mechanics of this were constructed out of a web of wire covered in wool and then placed in a mushroom shape with sticks covered in jute in an upright position.  Large sphagnum moss balls were placed on the foam with midelino sticks joined from the top curving to the centre and then down to the bottom.  Three orange gerbera were placed in test tubes flowing down from the top to make a stunning bright arrangement.
• Each demonstrator next made a hand tied bouquet using orange Amarilis, curled aspidistra leaves, palm and fatsia leaves.  These were encased in purple cellophane and tied with wool.
• Christine next demonstrated a theme from New Zealand using mechanics made from folded magazines to make a pot-like structure.  Susie made a smaller one to complement this.  Height was created with formium leaves skeletenised fatsia japonica and grey senecio.  An avalanche of white roses flowed down with liatris giving a strong line of purple.
• The ladies next made arrangements in two baskets which Christine had made at a basket workshop using small foliage leaves, and interweaving orange peppers, orange chrysanthemums, Chinese lanterns and golden rod to make lovely autumnal baskets.
• Susie demonstrated the last arrangement which was her test piece for her Demonstrator’s exam.  The arrangement was staged in a large boat shaped pot with a magnificent sail made from cornus and willow.  Decking was created with aspidistra leaves with juniper at the stern creating a sea-like movement.  Beautiful white Avalanche roses were hung in test tubes along the curving line of the top of the sail with white Tom Pierce roses rising in height from the deck to follow the curve of the sail.  Large white lilies were placed on the base as decking.  At the same time Christine created a flat arrangement to represent the sea with greys, greens and using the same flowers as Susie. 

Sandra Woodhouse gave the vote of thanks.

5      Flower Dip

       The following ladies received flowers in the flower dip:

       1      P Thompson
       2      Shahida Mansoor
       3      Marjorie Slinger
       4      Kathleen Swindon
       5      E Byers
       6      I Relton
       7      M Lees
       8      Joyce Bonham
       9      C J Winder
      10     Sandra Woodhouse
      11     J Atkinson

6      Chair thanked everyone for attending and an invitation was given for tea and biscuits. 

7       Next Meeting – Our next meeting would be on the 19 November when our demonstrator would be Eileen Barraclough with her title ‘Spirit of Christmas’. Chair wished everyone goodnight and a safe journey home