30 Years of Rotary at Kew Gardens

22^nd October, I attend a black tie event at the prestigious Fulwell Golf Club and the DG tagged along. The occasion was the 30^th anniversary of Kew Gardens Rotary Club receiving its charter.  The club boasts the current  President of Rotary in Britain and Ireland (RIBI) Peter King as one of its members, and Peter was not  only accompanied by his charming wife Di, but also his daughter, who was born at the time the club was having its inaugural meeting. So she is the same age as the Rotary Club, a true Charter baby. It was good that there were 3 founder members of the club present tonight, including Peter King and DGNN Jim Onions.

                                Fulwell Golf Club

I am becoming used to mixing with Rotary big wigs, and this evening was no exception. At the champagne reception on arrival I chatted to Peter King, immediate past RIBI President Nan McCreadie, past District Governors Ron Daniels and Mike Thorn, future District Governors Frank West and Jim Onions, last year’s conference chair Alan Lewis and his lovely wife Mollie, and the Presidents of several local clubs. It was also nice to catch up with my great friend the IPC Helena Daniels, who kindly shared with me her photos of the Conference earlier this month  (what a good invention Dropbox is). All the while we were entertained by the Jake Fryer duo, who entertained us with their jazz music at the DG handover at Halliford School in July. They sounded just as good indoors.

                            Birthday balloon for Kew Gardens

When the time came to take our seats, I was gratified to find I was on the top table, with Kew Gardens President John Fletcher, the charming Mayoress of Richmond Councillor Jane Boulton and her husband David, local businessman Colin Squire, chairman of the Squires Garden Centre chain (and also a member of Twickenham club) and Charles Baroudi, Assistant Governor for  the Richmond area and of course the DG. What a group of top people – there wasn’t even room for Peter King.

                         John Fletcher welcomes guests

John Fletcher explained how difficult it was to get into Fulwell Golf Club, and it was only because one of the club members was also a member of the golf club, that the venue could be used. The mayor’s consort, who has lived nearby all his life, surprised me when he said this was the first time he had ever been to Fulwell Golf Club. The mayoress, who we had met a few weeks ago at the Richmond Hill Hotel, explained what a busy job it is, being mayor. Today, for instance, she was in her 4^th change of clothes! However, she wasn’t complaining, it was quite clear that she was enjoying every minute of her year, which is equally true of the DG.

                             Mayoress Jane Boulton with consort David

The dinner was worthy of the occasion, with a superb chicken liver terrine, followed by an enormous piece of beef with roast potatoes and veg. Now I am an aficionado of roast potatoes, and I am not easily pleased, but I must say that these were excellent. Not only that, but the waitress came out with extras, which I shared with Charles. After the main course we had a choice between apple pie or cheese and biscuits. I had great difficulty in choosing, so I took Charles’s lead and had them both.

                          Peter King talks about the history of the club

After dinner, we were entertained by a talk from Colin Squire about the history of the Squires Garden Centre business, which was founded by his father DJ Squire in the 1930s, and now has some 15 Garden Centres  and rose, herbaceous and bedding plant nurseries spread across West London and Surrey, employing 700 people. DJ Squire  was made redundant in 1935 from his job as groundsman at the Police Orphanage in Twickenham, but with a young family to support, he needed to find work. So he literally got on his bicycle and set up business as a jobbing gardener in the Twickenham area, doing landscaping and working in private gardens. Over the years the business grew, and grew. We heard how, in the war years, his nurseries were completely given over to vegetable growing. 

Eventually in 1964, they started their first garden centre in Twickenham, which remains today, and gradually more were opened, in Shepperton, Badshot Lea and many others. Not surprisingly, horticultural retail has become the most important part of the business.

                            An entertaining talk from Colin Squire

Colin told us some amusing anecdotes about his time in the business, including some problems they had with Father Christmas. At one time it was traditional for the local Fire Station to provide transport for Santa as he arrived at his grotto in the Garden Centre. One year, however, there was a ‘shout’ and the firemen had to rush off to deal with a fire. As Colin said, it was not only disappointing for the children waiting, that Santa was an hour late, but imagine what a surprise it was to the householder, who had Father Christmas turn up to put out his fire. On another occasion, at Shepperton, he thought it would be a good idea if Santa arrived by helicopter. It was apparently a windy day, and it was a bumpy ride for Santa, who had never been in a helicopter before. As crowds waited for the aircraft to land, Santa got out, and was promptly sick!

                         The DG with Colin Squire

Following Colin's talk, the  DG had a part to play in the proceedings, as she presented a framed 30^th anniversary certificate to President John Fletcher. Then Jane Boulton, the mayoress,  proposed a toast to the the Kew Gardens club, who were congratulated by everyone present, and after a few more mercifully short speeches, the evening drew to a close. It had been very enjoyable, and the sort of prestigious event that I think someone of my status should be attending more often.

                            The Mayoress is very complimentary about Rotary

                        The DG presents certificate to John Fletcher