Over this period cost cutting measures were required in order to stabilize the Society’s finances and return it to profit. However, at the same time the shows were improved and other innovations introduced. The Society developed into one that is easily recognizable today and new Committee members were appointed who will be familiar to some long-standing members.
Key Developments and Events
1984
- The Minutes of the January meeting showed a small loss, following on from a loss the previous year. It was decided to replace the costly Lottery Licence with a raffle at the Annual Show instead. Other cost cutting measures proposed included looking at raising subs and at ways to help offset the cost of the marquee and the Silver Band.
- At the AGM the new Show Secretary, Doreen Ellis, announced improvements to the Show as the schedule would include a Novices’ section and new show vases would be invested in to add to the presentation of the exhibits. Also, other associations would be invited to help create a village event. Subs would be increased to £1.50 and £2.00 for a single or family membership.
- It was subsequently agreed that more trophies should be available to make exhibiting more attractive.
- It was also decided that there should be a new Open Show of Roses and Sweet Peas which would be held the first week in July.
- It was agreed that the addition of stalls by other local activities had worked well and was good advertising
1985
- However, the Accounts still showed a working loss of £147 for 1984 so more measures were needed to improve the Society’s finances.
- The Committee also discussed co-opting another member who would be responsible for collecting subs with the assistance of helpers and for distributing notices to members.
- At the AGM it was announced that a Show sub-committee was to be set up.
- It was also confirmed that it was too expensive to continue with the Ellesborough Silver Band.
- The new Summer Show was deemed a great success and included a display of hundreds of sweet peas by the area secretary of the National Sweet Pea Society.
- A new development was the launch of a newsletter entitled “Over the Garden Wall”, produced by Roy Coughrey. It was written by Thelma Coughrey who was promptly co-opted onto the Committee as PR Officer.
- Proposals for improvements to the Annual Show continued to be made. The Dahlia class was to be held as an Open Class and other classes could be added to the Open section. It was also proposed that the dahlia classes should be expanded. The Show was to be advertised in the Bucks Herald and posters put up to promote it.
- Proposals were also put forward to develop the Summer Show. Sponsors were required for more trophies.
- The Summer Show was deemed a great success and it was proposed that more classes should be added.
- It was decided to hold the Spring and Summer Shows on a Sunday as there was likely to be more support.
1986
- By 1986 the cost cutting measures and improvements to the Shows meant that the Accounts were in a better position, A big saving had been made by holding the Shows in Stewart Hall in 1985 instead of hiring an expensive marquee. This had been a great success with the very high quality exhibits impressing the judges.
- However, at the AGM it was noted that although the general financial position was fairly encouraging there were cash flow issues. Subs were raised to £2 and £3 in order to ease the cashflow situation and reduce the need to draw on reserves. The cost of hiring the hall was £10 per night plus the cost of the speaker and the Society was making a loss. Roy Coughrey took over as Show Secretary while Doreen Ellis became the new Membership Secretary.
- A very successful Spring Show was held with money raising schemes including a raffle, plant sale, teas and donations.
- It was agreed all the Shows should have classes for novices and Doreen Ellis offered to provide a trophy.
- It was decided not to hold meetings in January and August.
- Publicity was to be increased for the Autumn Show with more road signs and advertising in the 3 local papers and Radio Oxford. Advertising slips were also included in local papers.
- The Autumn Show was a big success and it was felt this was largely due to increased advertising.
- By this time, the newsletters were seen as an important means of promoting events and communicating generally with members.
- However, the Trading service had been at a bit of a loss and it was suggested this should be ended once stocks had been depleted.
1987
- The Committee continued to look at various ways of improving the Shows and increasing publicity.
- It was agreed boxed ads would to be placed in all the local papers and all Kimble residents would be notified via the village Stores. Publicity notices would be distributed via the Little Kimble post office and the Ellesborough milkman.
- At the AGM a number of successes and innovations were announced:
- the new Treasurer, Joe Ratlidge, reported a profit due to a very successful Plant and Jumble Sale. The Shows were now showing a profit with entries up by 33%, even excluding over 50 entries from local schoolchildren in the Summer show. The introduction of a Produce table at the Shows had contributed to their financial viability.
- Further improvements to the Shows included plans to introduce Domestic classes to the Spring Show together with a cup. There would also be a wider variety of classes in the Summer and Autumn Shows with a novice class in the Floral Art section in all 3 shows and a Novice Trophy at the end of the year.
- Another new introduction was to be a Year Book with full details of the three shows, monthly meetings, officers etc. The expenses would be largely covered by ads from local businesses. Advertisers included local businesses such as Briants, Jacqueline Anne – Florist and Nurseryman, Meadowbrook Farm Shop and associated organisations like Suttons Seeds.
- However, it was also noted that there was a lot of unsold Trading Stock.
- The society now had a balance of £134.79 and consequently it was decided tea and biscuits at the monthly meeting should no longer be charged for.
- Floral Art continued to be very popular and Enid Alford agreed to tutor some evening classes in the summer to help members with interpretation for showing in the Floral Art Classes.
- Other activities included an outings to Exbury Gardens and speakers on such topical subjects as freezing and preparing vegetables for exhibition at shows
- The Committee decided that the key fund raiser should be a Plant Sale which concentrated only on Plants as these sold best. It was also to be moved to Ellesborough Hall the next year.
- In addition to the ongoing vacancy for a Secretary it was agreed that more Committee members were needed to help spread the growing workload, to make up a total of 7 members including the 4 Officers.
You can read more about these events and the key people involved in Mervyn Rees’s The Gardening Societies of the Kimbles and Ellesborough 1860-1996