Terri Beer, PGA President, presents a prize for the best table decoration in a cup and saucer to Elaine Shawcross.
John and Carol presenting a cheque for £1000 to Louise Barnes from Eldertree
Next Meeting
On Thursday 4th December we have our Christmas social evening which is open only to members who have booked-in and have paid their £3.
We get underway at 7.30 – doors will be open from7.00pm. Please remember to bring:
· A pen or pencil
· Drinks of your preference (soft or something stronger) – bring your own glasses. Snacks if you are feeling peckish!
· Feel free to bring your own hats and Christmas Jumpers etc
· An entry for the competition – “A table decoration arranged in a cup or mug” Prize for the best entry.
· Any contributions for the January coffee bar – Sandwich material, tombola prizes, and bric-a-brac. (Lloyd will have collection boxes available).
There will be an enhanced raffle on this festive occasion and tickets will be just a £1 a strip. We also have a special draw (no charge) for the well-filled Christmas Hamper. A pasty and a mince (or apple) pie will be served along with tea and coffee. As usual Al Wallers will be providing the music.
We will be making a presentation during the evening to Elder Tree, our chosen charity for 2025.
January Coffee Bar
Plympton Gardeners are running the Coffee Bar w/c Monday 5th January. We could do with some more volunteers to help make the week run smoothly Can you help? (Perhaps preparing food, washing-up or selling tombola and tickets and bric-a-brac, if serving customers is not your thing!). Even one hour can help. Opening times are Monday – Friday, 10.00am – 2.00pm with preparation starting at 9.00am. Donations of home-made cakes will be gladly accepted. Please contact Lloyd if you can help in any way, either at Thursday’s meeting or by ringing/texting Lloyd 07579 767124
Please Note
There is no meeting in January.
Christmas wreaths
Our dedicated band of volunteers will, once again, be preparing and selling fresh wreaths at the Community Council Christmas Fair which takes place at Harewood on Saturday 6th December (10.00 am – 1.00pm). Wreaths are £10 each and can be pre-ordered from Carol 07598 954276
Community Council Fair Saturday 6th December
AGM & Feb Meeting Thursday 5th February
Chaplins Discount
We are sorry to announce that Chaplins will no longer be giving 10% discount to PGA members.
Spring Show
All classes have now been agreed and an electronic version of the schedule is now available – contact Phil Warren 07892 623991, or Carol Penhallurick 07598 954276 for a copy. The schedule will also be published on the web site in due course.
We wish all members a very Happy Christmas and a Peaceful and Healthy New Year
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NEXT MEETING THURSDAY 6TH NOVEMBER
This month’s speaker is Sue Minter and her topic is “Floral Celebrations”. There will be free tea and coffee, raffle, informal competition, sales/swap/donations table. The meeting commences at 7.30 and doors open at 7.00pm.
COFFEE BAR w/c 10th November
We are running the Community Council Coffee Bar in Harewood House. This is a good fund raiser for the Association but also allows us to contribute a sizeable sum to our chosen charity, which is Elder Tree for 2025. Please, if you can, bring along any donations for the Tombola table or any Bric-a-Brac. We would also be very grateful for any items that we can use to make sandwiches etc. Additionally, offers of help during the week will be much appreciated. Please see/contact Lloyd if you can assist.
We are also hosting the first Coffee Bar in the new year w/c 5th January. Lloyd is looking for a few more people to assist during this week and for donations (as above).
MEMBERSHIP
Thanks to the generosity of our members and hard-working committee, in terms of time and donations of plants and tombola/coffee bar items etc., the Association finances are in healthy position. Therefore, we are pleased to say that annual subscriptions will remain at £5pa.
Membership renewal is due on the 1st January annually. However, in order, to save a rush in the new year, for those members who chose to do so, fees can be paid at the November meeting – there is no obligation to pay before the end of the year but it does make it less frantic at February’s meeting if some members have already renewed. Bear in mind that there is no meeting in January. We now have a card reader so members can pay by debit or credit card. Because of the hefty bank charges we incur on the processing of cash and cheques, we would strongly ask members to avoid using those options if, at all possible. Those who wish can pay by bank transfer:
Sort Code 30-94-58
Account No. 00930198
PROGRAMME FOR 2026
See below for a list of dates and speakers for 2026
SPRING SHOW
We are aiming to have the Spring Show Schedule available early in the new year. Classes in the Daffodil, General Flowers and Garden produce sections will remain the same as 2025. If you would like an electronic Draft copy of the proposed classes please contact Phil Warren – 07892 623991. We would appreciate everyone’s help by supporting and promoting the show in whatever way you can.
CHRISTMAS MEETING
On Thursday 4th December we will be holding our usual Christmas social evening. This is usually an enjoyable evening comprising, games, quizzes, music, competitions and the usual raffle plus a hamper prize (separate from the main raffle). There will be light refreshments and nibbles provided.
Bring your own drinks – soft or something stronger if you prefer. The cost for the event is £3 and is restricted to members (only those people who were members as at the end of October are eligible to attend). If you have not yet paid your £3, please do so at the November meeting or if you can’t attend that evening, please contact Phil Warren to arrange payment. It is important that we know numbers in advance of the evening for catering purposes.
CHRISTMAS WREATHS
Our dedicated band of volunteers will, once again, be selling fresh wreaths at the Community Council Christmas Fair which takes place at Harewood on Saturday 6th December. Wreaths are £10 each and can be pre-ordered from Carol.
CHARITY FOR 2026
There were few nominations received but those that were, opted for the British Heart Foundation
Contact numbers
Carol 07598 954276
Lloyd 07579 767124
Phil 07892 623991
Dates
PGA November Meeting Thursday 6th November
Coffee Bar w/c 10th November
PGA December Meeting Thursday 4th December
Community Council Fair Saturday 6th December
PGA January Meeting No Meeting
Coffee Bar w/c 5th January 2026
PGA AGM & Feb Meeting Thursday 5th February
Phil took the first prize in the 'Heaviest Onion Competition' with an entry weighing 1,122 grams.
October News
Next Meeting THURSDAY 2nd OCTOBER at 7.30
Doors open at 7.00pm. We welcome Jacquie Felix as our Guest Speaker with a talk entitled “a Westcountry Girl of Colour” – sounds intriguing! As usual free tea and coffee, raffle, monthly informal competition and also this month the “Weigh-In” for the heaviest onion competition.
If, back in the Spring, you took home an onion seedling to grow-on and nurture, please bring it along on Thursday to be weighed. Don’t try and spruce it up – leave it as it is. Roots and foliage still attached but no earth or compost and certainly no lead weights!
NEXT COFFEE BAR – W/C 10TH NOVEMBER
Once again, we are running the Community Council Coffee Bar in Harewood House. This is a good fundraiser for the association but also allows us to contribute a sizeable sum to our chosen charity, which is Elder Tree for 2025. Please, if you can, bring along any donations for the Tombola table or any Bric-a-Brac. We would also be very grateful for any items that we can use to make sandwiches etc. Additionally, offers of help during the week will be much appreciated. Please see Lloyd if you can assist.
CHRISTMAS
The Christmas meeting will be on Thursday 4th December. Come along and enjoy an evening of quizzes, games, music, competitions and raffles including a lovely hamper prize. This is a members only evening – the cost is £3 per person payable in advance at Thursday’s meeting or at the November meeting. We will be serving a simple supper of pasty and mince pie. Bring your own nibbles and drinks (soft or something stronger if you prefer). The competition this year is a “table decoration in a cup or mug.”
Our band of volunteers will be making Christmas wreaths again and this is an early call for any dried flowers, teasel or poppy heads etc. you may be able to donate. Please bring whatever you may have to the November or December meeting.
THE PLYMPTON QUIZ
This annual quiz is hosted by the Plympton Civic Society and takes place on Friday 10th October. Contact Nicky Chinner (29 Moorland Drive, Plympton PL7 1QY) for more details or to register your team. Teams of 4 (£8 per team) payment can be made on the evening. Or email plymptoncivicsociety@gmail.com.
BITS AND PIECES
· We would welcome your suggestions for which charity we will support in 2026. Send your suggestions to Carol Penhallurick 01752 336057; email carpen1948@aol.com
· The Community Council Christmas Fair will be held on Saturday 6th December 2025
· PGA membership will remain at £5 for 2026
· Lorraine Lethbridge wants to dispose of a water butt and some large terracotta plant pots.
Contact Lorraine on 01752 330382 if you would like more details.
· First Coffee Bar in the new year is w/c 5th January 2026
· Remember – there is no regular meeting January 2026. Our AGM takes place in February.
September News
Next Meeting THURSDAY 4th SEPTEMBER
The talk this month is “Creating a planted display” by Stella Exley. Stella is one of our regular contributors and her talks are always well received. As usual a 7.30pm start – doors open at 7.00. Free tea and coffee during the break, informal competition, sales/swap table, raffle and the Daffodil bulb distribution for the competition – see below. Coffee bar and bric-a-brac donations can be brought along to the meeting – see below.
Daffodil Competition
For any of our new members the competition works as follows. People who wish to take part are given a plant pot, a supply of compost and daffodil bulbs. Plant up the bulbs and grow them on during the winter ready for them to be judged in the Spring. There is no charge to enter; there are 60 pots available. Everyone has the same chance as the pots, compost and daffodils bulbs are the same for everyone.
Coffee Bar Update
Thank you to everyone who helped and contributed to our coffee bar in July. We made a very
impressive £688.26p, which was our second highest total ever. This money helps support the wider
gardener association activities and allows us to make a donation to our charity. It is also an excellent
way for PGA to interact with the wider community.
We have two coffee bars coming up in quite quick succession. Monday 10 th November sees the last
one of the year for us and we then kick off 2026 on Monday 5 th January. At our next meetings on 4th
September, 2nd October and 6th November, I will be bringing the sheets for you to sign up to help run
the coffee bars and/or to provide cakes and bakes. I’ll also have a couple of boxes for Tombola and
Bric a Brac donations and for coffee bar supplies such as tea, coffee, tuna, biscuits etc.
Our second week long coffee bar in 2026 will be from Monday 12 th October so there will be more of
a gap next year.
If anyone has any questions or wishes to help, please contact me at lloydhills10@gmail.com or at any
of our meetings.
Regards
Lloyd Hills
Message from the PGA President
I would personally like to thank all the volunteers who pulled together an amazing Annual Show on Saturday 16th. It was lovely to see so many exhibits and so beautifully displayed for our visitors to enjoy.
I’m hoping this will inspire others to join Plympton Gardeners and grow excellent produce to cook and eat. The Domestic Science section was well presented, and we have some talented cooks and bakers.
The children’s contributions are always lovely to see, and they did very well.
The photographic entries were outstanding and again uncovering some amazing talent in our community.
My thanks also go to the lovely buffet lunch that was provided, thank you.
Sadly, I couldn’t be at the lunch as my husband was unwell.
What a fitting tribute to Paul who we all miss. His detailed preparation contributed greatly to ensuring the show went ahead. Just a few hiccups on the day, but we will learn from them and suggestions that were offered.
Thank you all again,
Kind regards
Terri
Plymouth Honey Show
The Plymouth Branch of the Devon Beekeepers Association is holding a celebratory 40th Birthday event at Harewood House on the 27th September. (see below) Plympton Gardeners will have a stall at the event where we will be selling some plants and also using the opportunity to raise our profile. We would be grateful for any plant donations that members can make. Please bring them along on the day or to the meeting on Thursday.
Future Shows
The committee are making preparations for next year’s shows to ensure that we continue the excellent work of Paul Hutchings and other show secretaries over the past 75 years. More details will follow over the coming months.
A message from PGA Chairman, John Gilding
My thanks to all who made Saturday's show such a success. We are extremely grateful to all who played a part in making it a day to remember - this includes members, exhibitors, friends and relatives. There were a few hiccups along the way but by a great team effort we pulled it off. Paul Hutchings would have been very proud.
Some of the prize winners at the 76th Annual Show receiving their awards from the PGA President Terri Beer, the Plympton Stannator Cathy Loft, the Plympton Youth Ambassador Grace Nicholls and the PGA Chairman John Gilding.
PGA members enjoyed a lovely day in the sunshine at Forde Abbey. Thanks go to Phil for organising such a great day out.
This Beautiful wreath containing vegetables was a fitting tribute to our late Show Secretary, Paul Hutchings, at his funeral today.