Herald - Issue 423

Page 52 • The HERALD • 12th May 2022 v SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL SPECIALISTS v Fred Hurst 023 8084 2191 or 07761 467217 • Grass Cutting • Garden Clearance • Hedge Cutting • Fallen Trees Cleared • Mini Digger Hire with Operator • Property Clearance • Small Demolition • Tractor Flail Cutting FULLY INSURED v FREE QUOTATIONS All aspects of Gardening carried out by reliable gardener a Grass Cutting a Hedge Cutting a Border Maintenance, Pruning, Weeding a Treating of Fencing/Trellis/Outbuildings a Pressure Washing of Patios/Decking The Potty Gardener Contact Kev on 07585 115569 or 023 8084 8638 Telephone Richard 023 8084 9637 | Grass Cutting | Edges Trimmed | Hedge Trimming | PRESSURE WASHING OF DECKS, PATIOS & DRIVES | FENCE & SHEDS PAINTED QuickSmart Garden Services Professional & Reliable | DOWN THE GARDEN PATH | On Tuesday 12th April the Black eld Gardening Club held their monthly meeting at St Francis Church, Langley. is month the presentation, given by local historian Colin Van Ge n, centred on Calshot - A Place in Time. Colin is a gi ed presenter, and presented a brief history of Calshot from Roman times, through to the modern day. Calshot was mentioned in the Saxon Chronicles, because it was recognised as a pivotal position for trade and protection of the Solent area. It was one of the castles built to protect the deep water channels accessing Southamptonwater. Some of the stones to build the circular castle came from Beaulieu Abbey a er the dissolution of the monasteries by King Henry VIII. Colin explained that the castle was constantly ‘reinvented’ depending on the political situation, sometimes guns were removed, and other times, more heavier calibre armaments were added. Repairs were put in place at the time of the Napoleonic wars. Queen Elizabeth I ordered repairs using wood from the New Forest. A er the Napoleonic wars, coastguard cottages were also built to house the necessary sta . e ships that passed the moated castle were sometimes hit by extortion from the guardians of the castle who removed goods for themselves. During the threats of Spanish invasion the castle was re-armed. e castle was used as a protection against smugglers and piracy as a lot of contraband was smuggled from the Isle of Wight. From the roof of the castle there is a fantastic view all round. Just o of Calshot spit Eaglehurst is situated. Marconi sent his rst messages and experiments were carried out in Lutterals tower. In 1913 Calshot became the Royal Naval Flying Station, and in 1925 two slipways and 5 hangars and support buildings were constructed. ere was a narrow gauge railway along the spit until the end of WW2. High speed vessels were developed at Calshot, and 5 of these were sent to Dunkirk. In 1913 Churchill made his rst ight from Calshot. In our modern, more peaceful times, the Calshot Tower has been used to monitor the J class racing yachts. Currently some of the hangars have been converted into a world class sporting facility, with a velodrome, climbing walls, dry ski slopes and many other activities. is is just a short precis from the fascinating talk that Colin gave us - Thank you Colin . Next meeting of Blackfield Gardening Club is Tuesday 14th June for ‘Some Unusual Perennials’ by Bryan Maddens at St Francis Church, Langley, at 7.30pm. All visitors welcome (£2). All enquiries to club secretary Patricia Hedley-Goddard on: 023 8024 3795. BLACKFIELD GARDENING CLUB by Patricia Hedley-Goddard Blackfield Flower Club Sue Swaby from the Isle of Wight was welcomed to the Club for the April meeting. Sue has demonstrated to the Club before so it was a pleasure to see her again with a demonstration entitled ‘New Beginnings’. e rst design represented her change of career in order to go to college and study oristry/ ower arranging. Eleagnus and viburnam were placed in a large round basket to provide the outline for the design. Apricot carnations and cerise spray carnations were added and then to give a di erent ower shape, bright pink stems of veronica were inserted together with stems of bright green blupernum. A second smaller matching basket completed this design. Wedding work was interpreted in the next design. An attractive patterned galvanised container was used. Foliage was added including eleagnus and leather leaf fern. Tall pink antirrhinums and owing stems of cerise clematis were inserted plus some bright green blupernum. A move to the Isle of Wight and Sue’s garden was depicted in this horizontal design. Various types of foliage had been inserted including eonymous, choisya, hebe, eleagnus and pittisporum together with some curled aspistra leaves. Cream lilies, yellow roses, yellow chrysanthemums, bright pink small chrysanthemums and some yellow gypsophila were added. e arrangement was placed on a two-tiered wooden chair and a second smaller arrangement completed this design. A very pretty low oblong silver dish was used for this design to interpret Sue’s involvement with arranging owers in Osborne House, very near to where she lives in East Cowes. Palm leaves, grisellinia, pittisporum and eonymous provided the outline before adding large white roses, white alstromeria and white spray carnations; a few sprigs of green hypericum berries were also added. Sue and her husband became the proud owners of a dog. So the last design featured several dog food cans covered in hessian and joined together in tiers to provide containers for water. Small pieces of foliage were inserted to provide support for the beautiful spring owers which included pink hyacinths, pink tulips, da odils, white tulips and some grape hyacinths. Small Easter eggs on sticks were added to complete this design. A most enjoyable a ernoon. Meetings take place on the second Tuesday of the month at 2pm at the Royal British Legion Club, Exbury Road, Black eld, SO45 1XD. Visitors welcome, please contact Jan Gordon on 023 8084 4835 for more details. Sue Swaby