In 1975 the Rev Douglas Pearce and the PCC called a public meeting in the village hall in response to a suggestion that the village could do with a Gardening Club. Approximately 30 villagers turned up and after an introduction by Dougie Pearce there was a general debate and Harry Tollett, a well-known gardener of the village, proposed that Harold George and Jim Lidbury should form a committee to start the Club. Harold and Jim tossed a coin and Harry became President and Jim the founding Chairman. The PCC underwrote the club with the proviso that there was a member of the PCC on the committee of the new Garden Club. So Harold George and Jim Lidbury formed a committee and the club was formed.
After the first year the PCC could not put forward a member to sit on the Garden Club committee and again the next year the PCC could not name a member to join the Committee. Jim Lidbury wrote to the PCC and informed them that in order for the Club to operate within the Club rules it would be proposed at the next AGM that the Constitution be altered to remove the need for a PCC member to sit on the committee. This motion was raised and approved and the connection with PCC terminated. The Club continued and flourished to be the Club it is today independently of the Church. After five years Jim retired and Bob Spong from West Hanney took on the Chairmanship.
Meetings probably started at the end of 1975 and were held in the barn at Lydbrook Farm. Later they moved to the Bowling Alley at the Crown Public House in EH (now a private residence). A tree was planted at the corner of Ashfield Close in memory of Harold George by the club when he died.
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