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President:  Tony Harper, 4 Darvills Meadow, Holmer Green, 01494 718180

Secretaries:  Terry and Val Owen, 4 Clementi Avenue, Holmer Green, 01494 256678

CHRISTMAS GREETINGS

FROM OUR PRESIDENT

Another year has passed by so quickly. Even the younger generation agrees about this, so it’s not the fact that we are getting older; it seems to be the same for everybody.

The weather this year was again wet and cold with some warm patches, but not necessarily in the right order for good growing conditions. Despite that, our members managed to produce a good selection of vegetables, flowers, and domestic products for our shows, with some of our newer members exhibiting for the first time and winning trophies. It was good, too, to see more children entering their painted stones, gingerbread people and gardens on a plate. Both shows were a great success so well done to all who took part. We are expecting even better in 2025, and I’d like to thank Michael King and James Cadle, the main organisers of the shows.

A big thank-you too to Bob Dunning, 99 years old in December, and John Parslow in his mid-Nineties, two of the oldest VPA members who invited us to hold our party at their garden in Beamond End to celebrate our 80th year. The weather was perfect on the day and was enjoyed by all.

As we get together with our families and friends to enjoy the festive season let’s hope that peace will prevail in these perilous times. It’s very sad to see people’s lives being destroyed and we should count our lucky stars for what we have at this moment in time. And on that note I will wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy and Healthy New Year.

Tony Harper

REPORT OF THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Our AGM took place on Thursday 21st November and here are the main points from the meeting:

Minutes of 2023 AGM:

The minutes of the last AGM, held on 16th November 2023, were approved by the members present and signed by the Chairman, James Cadle.

Membership:

Membership currently totals 156 households, including 22 new for 2024. This compares with the final total of 159 in 2023.

Trading Store:

The Store had made a trading surplus in 2024 but the need to replace the electrical distribution board had resulted in a loss of £188.66.

Shows and Competitions:

Two shows were held, on 6th April and 7th September. The number of entries was up compared with 2023 and it was good to have more junior entries.

Outings:

Only one outing had been possible in 2024, to the RHS Wisley, but David Avery also organised a visit to a garden in Coleshill.

Talks:

A full talks programme had been delivered this year, although the October one turned out to be a fun quiz organised by Brian Fisher. Attendances remained lower than before the pandemic.

Newsletters:

Three newsletters had been published so far in 2024, with one more planned for December.

Catering:

It had not been possible to organise a Harvest Home Lunch in 2024. The position of Catering Manager remained unfilled on the VPA Committee.

Finance:

The Trading Store had produced a surplus of £1,170 in 2024.

But a charge of £850 for a new distribution board plus utility charges, charges for the Zettle card reader and insurance resulted in an overall loss of £1,208 in 2024.

The Association’s funds as at 30th September 2024 amounted to £13,899.

Plans for 2025 include:

Membership:

Members will again be asked to pay subscriptions from January 2025 and the rate will remain at £6 per household.

Trading Store:

The Store will open for business on Sunday 5th January 2025. The rota of helpers will be distributed shortly.

Shows and Competitions:

The Spring Show will be held on Saturday 5th April 2025 and the Annual Show on Saturday 6th September 2025. Both will be at the Holmer Green Village Centre and show schedules will be available at the Trading Store at the end of January.

Outings:

Whether any outings, other than a trip to the RHS Garden Hyde Hall, take place in 2025 depends on someone coming forward to fill the role of Outings Organiser on the VPA Committee (see below).

Talks:

Linda Meatyard has planned a programme of talks in 2025 and information appears later in this newsletter and on the website (www.hgvpa.club).  

Newsletters:

Four or five newsletters will be published in 2025.

Catering:

At present, and in the light of the lack of a Catering Manager, it looks unlikely that the Harvest Home lunch will be resumed in 2025, but the Committee keeps this under review.

Committee elections

The following were elected to form the 2025 VPA Committee:

President: Tony Harper (president@hgvpa.club) 01494 718180

Chairman: James Cadle (chair@hgvpa.club) 07889 732291

Secretaries: Terry and Val Owen (secretary@hgvpa.club) 01494 256678

Treasurer: Jeannette Robertson (treasurer@hgvpa.club) 07833 474801

Membership Secretary: Richard Chantler (membership@hgvpa.club) 01494 864643

Show Secretary: Michael King (shows@hgvpa.club) 01494 715229

Trading Store Manager: Richard Chantler (store@hgvpa.club) 01494 864643

Talks Organiser: Linda Meatyard (talks@hgvpa.club) 01494 715805

Newsletter Editor: James Cadle (newsletter@hgvpa.club) 07889 732291

Outings Organiser: Vacancy

Catering Manager: Vacancy

Horticultural Adviser: Brian Fisher (guru@hgvpa.club) 01494 711896

David and Jan Cook stood down as Treasurers, and David Avery also stood down from the Committee. All were thanked for their service to the VPA and presented with National Garden Gift Tokens.

 The full AGM report (and those for earlier years) is available on the ‘AGM’ page of the VPA website.

SUBSCRIPTION RENEWAL

Subscriptions will become payable from 1st January 2025. The rate remains at £6 per household.

You can pay at the Trading Store on Sunday mornings from 5th January using cash, cheque or debit/credit card. Or, better still, you can make an online payment to the bank account below and then collect your membership card from the Store:

Bank sort code: 60-11-01

Account number: 15516148

Account name: Holmer Green Village Produce Association

Please quote your name and your membership number as a reference.

NEWS FROM THE TRADING STORE

The Trading Store opens for business again on Sunday 5th January 2025.

We now take payment using debit and credit cards as well as cash and even, if you insist, cheques.

The Dobies catalogues (and their 50% seed offer) were available at the AGM but, if you didn’t get one, there is a link to it, and the discount code, on the ‘News’ page of our website: www.hgvpa.club.

Potatoes will be in stock from mid-January.

We look forward to serving you in 2024.

Richard Chantler

Trading Store Manager

TALKS FOR 2025

Linda Meatyard has now booked speakers for the whole of 2025 (thanks Linda!) so here are the details for your diary (all dates are Thursdays). Talks and the AGM start at 7:45pm at the Church Centre in Featherbed Lane.

• 16th January: Wonders of the Wildwood, Stuart King
• 20th February: African Mammals, David Dennis
• 20th March: Wallis Simpson and the Duke of Windsor, Richard Anderson
• 17th April: History of Great British Parks, Paul Rabbitts
• 15th May: Great Railways: Paddington and Euston, Mike Grundy
• 19th June: The Journey from Bush to Cup, Giles Oakley
• 17th July: Volcanoes and Dragons, John Tyler
• 21st August: Potatoes, Phytophthora and Poverty, Sandy Primrose
• 18th September: Wycombe, Willie Read
• 16th October: Swan Support, Wendy Hermon
• 20th November: Annual General Meeting 2025

GARDENING ADVICE

Don’t forget that another benefit of VPA membership is access to free gardening advice from our Horticultural Adviser, Brian Fisher. Brian is eminently qualified here as a holder of the Master of Horticulture Award from the Royal Horticultural Society. You can contact Brian by phone (01494 711896) or email (guru@hgvpa.club).