1955 to 1965; the first 10 years
The South Holland Growers’ Club celebrates its 50th anniversary this year (2005). It all came about from a meeting of interested growers and the Ministry of Agriculture of the day (NAAS) who were in a position to support discussion groups.
The first ever meeting took place at Wool Hall, Wykeham, on the outskirts of Spalding, at 7.30pm 28th of March 1955. We still have the hand written minutes of all the meetings in our club archives.
Present were the following-
Mr. D. Brook (as Chairman)
Mr. H. Howard, (Grower)
Mr. A. Allen, (LSA Fulney)
Mr. H. Stevenson, (Grower)
Mr. A. Moore, (District Advisory Officer)
Mr. J. O. Page, (County Horticultural Officer)
Miss E. D. Usherwood. (District Advisory Officer)
It was decided to hold 12 meetings over the period of October to March with possible summer outings to places of interest. An annual subscription was fixed at 5 shillings to cover room hire etc.
Two venues were selected although neither has survived as long as the club. The original venues to be use alternately were The Greyhound in Spalding and The Talbot Hotel in Holbeach, with meetings held on every other Friday evening at 7.30pm. The minutes state that meetings will terminate promptly at 9.30pm.
The rent for The Talbot was set at 15 shillings and for the Greyhound at 1 Guinea (£1.05p) but would be ‘reviewed according to the prowess of the group in the bar’!
A programme of meeting was arranged and included many subjects still discussed today -
Glass house hygiene
Marketing of flowers
Bulb troubles
Glass house experiments
Cut flower production
Any questions forum
Bulb storage problems
Subjects that seem to have faded from recent programmes included –
Tomato experiments
Dutch light crops
The outing for the year was to the Hertford Institute of Agriculture.
At the meeting held on 6th Sept. 1955 the discussion group constitution was formalised and the group title was chosen as ‘The South Holland Growers’ Club’.
The first two meetings, where all these decisions were accepted, were held on 6th and 21st October 1955, the only alteration being the subscription which was raise to 7/6p. Attendance was regularly between 35 and 60 members per evening in the first season which is still about the same now.
The first AGM was held at The Talbot Hotel, Holbeach on 3rd December 1955 following a talk on ‘Tomato Experiments’ by Mr. A. C. Owes (Director of the Experimental Husbandry Farms at Terrington St. Clements and Kirton). Over 60 of the 89 members attended. Mr. W. Coppin (NAAS Kirton) was thanked for assisting as Secretary.
The Club soon settled into a routine of committee meetings to decide the winter programme and the summer visits with the following members acting as the committee-
Mr. R. G. M. Heath (chairman)
Mr. P. Moerman
Mr. N. S. Cropley
Mr. J. C. Nell
Mr. J. O. Page (secretary and treasurer)
Mr. A. Moore
Mr. E. B. Skinner
Mrs. E. D. Turquand (nee Usherwood)
By the 1956 AGM the committee places were keenly sought with an election having to take place. The new committee comprised of –
Mr. R. G. M. Heath (chairman)
Mr. E. B. Skinner (vice chairman)
Major Holland
Mr. P. A. Moerman
Mr. J. C. Nell
Mr. H. Stevenson
Mr. L. Braybrooks
Mr. M. Walkers
By January 1956 new records were being made with an attendance of 85 members to hear Mr. A. H. Lugg, Horticultural Superintendent of the Herts. Institute of Agriculture speak on outdoor cut flowers.
1956 was also the first year the club held an Annual Dinner at the Swan Street Hall, Spalding to which 107 members and guest attended.
The annual dinners became a regular and well supported event with venues as diverse as the Women’s Institute Hall, Holbeach, The Masonic Hall and the Corn Exchange.
Summer outings were becoming more adventurous with a 3 day tour of the south of England in 1958 with visits to Frampton’s Chrysanths at Chichester and the RHS at Wisley included in the itinerary.
In 1958 the committee was approached by members of the Tulip Time committee asking for support for a carnival parade. Mr. Heath was on both committees and gave the Tulip Time point of view. It was decided to offer £5 to help decorate a vehicle. The parade has since developed into the Spalding Flower Parade held on the first weekend in May each year. The floats now cost considerably more!
At the start of the 60s the committee had changed little consisting of –
Major Holland, L. Braybrooks, M. Walkers, H. Root, J O Page, D E Horton, A. Moore, J H Howard, Mrs. Turquand, W. Coppin, R G M Heath, J. Nell and H. Stevenson.
Mr. Fred Sharpe, the new District Advisory Officer was co-opted onto the committee at the end of 1959.
In June 1960 the club organised the first overseas trip with a 4 day coach trip to Holland to visit various nurseries there. Some of the trips from the 60s are recorded on 8mm film and have recently been transferred on to VHS video.
The 60s also saw the early discussions about forming a ‘Bulb Exchange’. By December 1961 the new Bulb Exchange had 120 members.
The club went on in a similar vein throughout the 60s with a solid membership and dedicated committee. Many names from the early membership and committee are still visible today with another generation supporting the continued survival of the South Holland Growers’ Club into the 21st century.
Geoff Hoare
