A postcard arrived in November 2014 from the Royal Horticultural Society inviting Breckland Flower and Garden Club to exhibit at the Chelsea Flower Show in 2015.
After discussion, the chairman and vice chairman decided to say yes to entering the flower arranging competition thinking that they would not get through or be accepted. Forms had to be completed giving details of previous work and personal accomplishments.
A reply by email was received in February with an invitation to exhibit. It would mean working through the night, starting at 10pm on the Wednesday and working up until 6am on the Thursday morning. The title was to be ‘Heritage' and just two people could do the staging.
Thinking caps were put on as there were so many details to decide, especially on what subject to portray. The club’s committee were told that the club would be entering but the actual title was kept secret. Equipment was borrowed from members and the arrangement was tried out in the vice-chairman’s sun room but then dismantled each time in case some one called at the house.
When the week came there were flowers to collect from the wholesaler, containers to be prepared and the car to be car loaded before setting off at 7pm for the drive down to London. Work started at midnight and once all was finished there was time for a quick look round at all the other exhibits being worked on. The standard was very high but the completed exhibit turned out as expected and the arrangers were very pleased with it. Then it was 4.15am and time for the return back to Norfolk, arriving home at 7.30am, ready to go off to bed.
At 11.30am the results were on the RHS website and the arrangement, which was all green and white and portrayed the centenary of the Women’s Institute, had been awarded a Silver.
After of a lot of exhibiting on behalf of the club (which is 33 years old this year) this was a dream come true for Joy Tunmore, founder member and Vice Chairman, and Christine Hewson, the present Chairman.
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