As we look forward to sharing ideas with many of you about our work and future aims and ambitions at our Afternoon Tea & Chat later this month, the Spring newsletter is an opportunity to welcome three new trustees. We also look ahead to the 2025 programme of activities and events and include full accounts of exciting projects and research.
The Surrey Garden Trust Summer Party at West Horsley Place on a sunny August afternoon was a highlight of the summer amongst a busy programme of garden visits. Fascinating insights are included in this newsletter along side accounts of work and projects bringing delight behind the scenes.
Fantastic news from our Schools Committee of another extraordinary take up of our Schools Awards and cheery accounts from our Spring garden visits have promoted a May Update Newsletter. There is also news of upcoming events and visits and full details of the special Gilpin Celebration.
Our Spring newsletter is full of dates for the diary as we plan the year ahead. We are also treated to a fascinating history of an unsung landscape in Dorking and we have a timely reminder of the important work that goes on behind the scenes as we fulfil our role in the planning process.
From the Chair
With sunny Autumn days upon us, we look forward to the upcoming Jellicoe lecture series and Surrey Unforgettable Gardens lecture series, both in the calendar for October. The glorious colours will be on show for the garden visit to Ramster Gardens and a fascinating piece reminds us of the delights of Winkworth Arboretum.
Behind the Scenes of the Kennedy Memorial at Runnymede
by Annabel Downs, CMLI FSGD (Landscape Institute Archivist 1995 - 2009)
We hope to be reconvening in 2021at RHS Wisley for our Geoffrey Jellicoe Study Day, when Annabel Downs will be one of our eminent guest speakers sharing her important research into Jellicoe’s Kennedy Memorial at Runnymede. Her work has recently been instrumental in the addition of the iconic Surrey landscape of the Kennedy Memorial to the Historic England, Register of Parks and Gardens.
Chair’s Note
When I addressed you through my Chair’s Report and in person at the AGM in December, with enthusiastic talk of our exciting plans for 2020, little could we have contemplated what this year would actually bring. With my editorial hat on for the newsletter I am sure you will appreciate that this has been a difficult one to put together and I hope you will forgive the delay in bringing it to you.
We look forward to welcoming many of you to our AGM on 14 December 2019 followed by a lecture and Christmas buffet lunch.
Once again, we will be at The Old Barn Hall, Great Bookham, KT23 3PQ and proceedings start at 11.30 am.
Our guest speaker is the hugely respected garden historian, Michael Symes, who will be talking to us on ‘The Allure of the English Landscape Garden’, the subject matter of his new book, The English Landscape Garden: A Survey, copies of which will be available to buy.
