A party is planned in August to celebrate the 65th anniversary of Bere Regis Floral Group.
Flower arranging societies have a long history in Dorset thanks to Mary Pope, a member of the Eldridge Pope Brewery family.
Impressed by the garden clubs of America where she spent time during the Second World War, she came home fired with enthusiasm to form the Dorchester Floral Decoration Society in 1950.
Picture Post Magazine of March 1952 carried the lavishly illustrated feature written by London florist and teacher Constance Spry about a competition held in the Dorchester Corn Exchange.
In 1959, with guidance from the Royal Horticultural Society, Mary Pope went on to start the National Association of Flower Arrangement Societies, NAFAS, and became its founder president.
Flower arranging societies were forming all over Dorset throughout the 50s, and in 1958 a Bere Regis lady called Maureen Anderson formed Bere Regis Floral Group, drawing an enthusiastic membership of around 50 from the surrounding rural area.
The club has flourished through the years and is a member of the Dorset and Guernsey Area of NAFAS, currently one of 17 clubs in the area.
Our present-day club retains the same love of flowers, plants, nature and art that Constance Spry identified in those ladies in the Dorchester corn exchange all those years ago, but how things have moved on with members who compete at national shows like the National Flower Arranging Competitions, Chelsea Flower Show and Malvern Spring Show! The club is not exclusively ladies either – at present two members are men, including the chairman.
The club has an overwhelming atmosphere of friendship and fun. Some members have belonged to the club for over 40 years. There are members who like to compete, some who just like to do flowers for fun, and some who simply like to come along to sit and relax and watch the entertaining and artistic demonstrations done each month by area and national demonstrators. Workshops are also available which are greatly enjoyed and invariably finish with tea and homemade cake.
The club meets on the second Tuesday of each month at 2pm in Winterborne Kingston village hall. If you would like to come along to any meeting, we would love to welcome you. Your first visit is free of charge.
The demonstrator for the meeting on Tuesday, February 14 is Denise Jones from Weymouth, and her title is Spring Has Sprung.
For all information contact chairman Bob Holman on 01305 848262, email bobdiholman@btinternet.com