In previous editions of Village News we have shared the first eight chapters of our book on the History of the Horti. We now continue the story based on the reminisces of some of those who have been involved in recent times; Gill McDonald, Serena Williams, Chris Hodges and Ernestine and Oliver Matthews.
The Fun Factor
More than a Gardening Club
The recollections of those who were part of the Horti in the 1990s reveal that it became even more of a social club in which it was fun to be involved. There was a good mix of people and, in contrast to the early days, there was roughly a 50/50 split of men and women who all joined in together.
Serena confirmed that she is no longer on the Committee but has very pleasant memories of the times when she was. She commented:
‘Contrary to the culture of the time, everyone was equal. The women would drink pints with the men and take their share of lifting hay bales when preparing for the show; while the men did the cleaning and washing up. At meetings there were good debates with many strong characters who challenged each other; they often had polar opposite views and meetings would sometimes be loud and passionate. But afterwards we would all adjourn to the bar to drink our pints and enjoy each other’s company.’
There was also a good balance of larger than life characters like Stephen Darville and Rick Williams and those whom Serena describes as ‘worker bees’ who kept a low profile and got things done. She was happy to be in that kind of role herself, working on artwork for the Panto and helping to develop the show programmes and posters, all of which helped to raise the profile of these events..
It also helped that Simon Sturt, landlord of the Queens Head during its glorious ‘Curry Club’ days, was on the Committee and very much involved in many activities. He also encouraged the Committee to meet in the Queens Head bar and it was not unusual for other drinkers to join in the debates. However eventually the noise within the pub made the meetings more difficult to control and the move was made to the Village Hall.
‘We lost something when that happened’ was Serena’s comment.
Fun Highlights
At several points during our discussions, participants diverted from the questions we had agreed to share anecdotes of times which produced much fun and enjoyment, though sometimes with an element of risk. These are the highlights:
Making Hay
One of the big challenges at the Village Show has always been to secure and transport enough hay bales to the Rec. There were two anecdotes here; Chris travelling too fast round a corner in his Land Rover and losing the total load off the trailer. The road through Gubblecote was blocked while the bales were recovered.
Another time the bales were being formed by a combine harvester with a Land Rover and trailer following behind to collect them . It was a windy day and the hay was blowing all round when one member – who shall be nameless – decided it was time to have a smoke! Immediate intervention by her colleagues was just in time to prevent a disaster.
Midnight Party
Chris recalls working late on the night before the show – not an unusual occurrence – and then, on the way home, meeting a crowd of other Horti workers on the road. A few drinks were shared, it was a warm night so they decided to have a spontaneous party out there in the middle of the road at midnight!
Burning Issues
Rick Williams was a larger than life character, well known in the village, and a major contributor to Horti activities. He also brought much fun to the Horti and is sadly missed. He was a tree surgeon and was as fearless as you need to be for that profession. He was helping with fireworks at the Bonfire Party one year and afterwards decided to get rid of some fireworks that he assumed were spent. He was wrong about that and fireworks started banging and flying in all directions, towards his fellow helpers. Chris remembers Gillie Mann being caught in the firing line and finally being pulled away to safety.
Scary moments
There was a time when the show included parades with carnival floats pulled by borrowed farm tractors which everyone enjoyed driving. This was in the 1990s when safety was not as high on the priority list as now but somehow everyone survived. The clearest memory was of Stephen Darville racing round the Rec pulling a trailer with children clinging on but enjoying every moment. The tractor rides were discontinued after 2001; the picture is from the 1992 show.
Another example of safety concerns was the transport of the stalls for the Village Show, which were for many years borrowed from Tring Market. Oliver recalls Rick Williams organising the hairy journey from Tring on a truck with an enormous spread across the road; it encouraged Oliver to lead the creation of the Horti’s own stalls, display boards and tables which are still in use today.
Panto Drama
We have already mentioned the contribution of Elizabeth Eyvindsson to the production of the pantomime. She was also the centre of an incident when performing in a role requiring headwear that severely restricted her vision. This caused her to fall off the stage while delivering her lines. Horti members now look back and see the funny side but also remember that she had to go to hospital afterwards. It says something about her commitment that she played her part until the end; it was typical of the motivation of those involved – the show had to go on!
The Two Daves
For many years David Kelland (starting 2001) and David Jenkinson (starting 2008) together rose to the challenge of producing the moving stage effects. A memorable event was when an arrow was fired by Robin Hood. Rather than flying up into the artificial cloud up in the wings, it suddenly dipped towards the floor. However it then remarkably moved upwards, regained its flight path and hit the target!
From the Horti and the Tring History Group
