Totton & District Gardeners' Society
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THE HISTORY OF THE SOCIETY

Totton and District Gardeners’ Society was founded in 1954 allegedly as the result of a   conversation between the late Bill Ireland and the late Cyril Haysom. Bill was a well known and respected Totton resident and at that time was involved with the organisation of the Horticultural Show which formed part of the then annual Eling Fair. From 1954 the show was organised by the Society until Eling Fair ceased in 1970.

The Society originally met in St. Mary’s Hall, where it ran an Autumn Show. Later, when the Totton & District Three Score Club was built, the Society moved there and has continued to hold monthly meetings and shows at that location until the present time. After the demise of the Eling Fair, the Society started a Summer Show and some years later elevated the evening Spring Show to full day status. All three shows are open shows and continue to attract exhibitors from a wide area. For many years the Committee met at Bill and Rose Ireland’s house, a familiar sight along the north side of the A35, Totton By-Pass, but now occupied by the premises of Linden Homes.

The Society organises a variety of social events including day trips and long weekend visits to places of horticultural interest. The Society is affiliated to the Royal Horticultural Society, the Daffodil Society and the Hampshire Federation of Horticultural Societies and has for many years entered a quiz team in the Federation’s quiz competition and continues to do so to this day.

Our current President, Mrs Vera Blundell, is the daughter of the Society’s first President, the late Cyril Haysom. The second President was Vera’s late husband, Harold, something of a record maybe; all Presidents serving during the Society’s existence have been from the same family.

The Society continues to flourish and the monthly meetings regularly attract attendances in excess of 80 members and visitors. The Committee and Sub-committees are made up of enthusiastic members who work hard to make sure that the TDGS remains a thriving horticultural society, long may it continue.

Principal Officers since the Society was formed have been:

PRESIDENTS                                                                               CHAIRPERSONS
Mr C Haysom                   1954 - 1963                   Mr R Broomfield                          1954 - 1974
Mr H Blundell                   1964 - 1993                   Mr J Edsall                                  1975 - 1987
Mrs V Blundell                  1994 - Present               Miss D D Parrott                          1988 - 1990
                                                                          Mr J D Raffle                               1991 - 1993
H O N O R A R Y S E C R E T A R I E S                 Mr R A Wright                             1994 - 1996
Mr W E Ireland                  1954 – 1976                 Mr P L Joyner                              1997 - 2020
Mr J D Raffle                     1977 – 1989
Mr D J Fisher                     1990 – 1994                   HONORARY TREASURERS
Mr R J Grier                      1995 – 2002                  Mr R W Batley                             1954 - 1960
Mr R A Wright                   2003 – 2005                  Mr Millard                                   1961 - 1970
Mrs M Bryant                     2006 – 2009                 Mr R Aslet                                   1971 - 2001
Mr C Scally                        2010 – 2013                 Mrs F Sutton                                2002 - Present
Mr D Fulker                       2014 - Present
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