Broadmayne Church Flower Guild

Until 1974, flowers in St Martin’s Church depended on the same faithful ladies all the year through. If one of them was ill or away on holiday it was quite difficult to find someone to do her flowers – especially when it came to putting flowers on a pedestal! With the arrival of the Rev Rodney Hughes and a few new members of the congregation, Mrs Ros Fearfield was asked by the Misses Cross, who organised flower lists, if a Church Flower Committee could be formed. Nine ladies and three gentlemen including the Rector attended the inaugural meeting. Of these, five are still members. The aim of this Committee was to continue to beautify the church and encourage more of the congregation to help. Brass cleaning, storage for containers and oasis, rotas and, not least, fund-raising were all discussed.

By having coffee mornings, jumble sales, bring-and-buy mornings, and flower festivals there was soon money in the coffers and we were able to supply oasis, and replace the 2" chicken-wire (which had previously been used to put garlands around the pillars). We replaced the little fish-paste jars, which were strung together to hang around the font to hold little posies, with a wrought-iron ring to place on top of the font. Various other wrought-iron containers were acquired to make life easier. The difficulty was not to offend anyone by asking if they would like to put flowers somewhere else in the church after they had put flowers in one particular place for so many years. Miss Ruth Saunders, who had decorated the font for quite a while, was very jocular after being asked if she would like to decorate the lectern for a change and eagerly accepted her new ‘challenge’! And so it was with all the ladies who had been so loyal for so many years. On September 7th 1976 the committee met and a motion was passed that the Flower Committee becomes known as Broadmayne Church Flower Guild. From then on there was no looking back. The Church youth groups helped at Festivals. The ladies of Bridport Gundry Netting, who worked in the Church Hall, asked if they could put flowers in a window with some of their netting, other people asked if they could put flowers somewhere in the Church to commemorate a birthday, wedding anniversary or loss of someone dear to them. All were welcomed and the window next to the pulpit was named the Commemorative Window. Posies were taken to the bereaved, the sick, lonely and to welcome new babies. For the Queen’s Jubilee in 1977 the Guild planted a tree – an ornamental birch – in the churchyard. The fund raising was so well supported by the village that donations were made to the church for repairs to the north window, a vestry tap, a new notice board, a dustbin, refurbishing the vestry with cupboards and, of course, boxes of oasis are regularly replenished. Donations of considerable amounts were made to the hospices, Trimar and the Joseph Weld Trust. Later we were able to supply the Christmas tree, have the Christmas stable beautifully thatched, supply a very long light lead with the necessary fittings to illuminate the crib, also have new figures made for the stable and the Easter garden. At the time of writing, Miss Ruth Saunders, Mesdames Christine Bradshaw, Ruth Goldsack, Pat Gore and Diana Clark (who became our ‘Artistic Designer and Director of Flower Festivals’) are still putting flowers in church since that first meeting in 1974. The Guild is still reaching out so that their talent can continue to encourage others to beautify our place of worship into the next millenium, creating each flower arrangement in praise and prayer.

Ruth Goldsack Chairman

St. Martin's Church, Broadmayne
St Martin's Circle
Scramblers and climbers
Explorers
Pathfinders