Convenience boosts sales of hanging baskets

Growing and production of hanging baskets has seen a 75 per cent boost at the Golden Acres garden centre group – probably due to their convenience and instant colour injection.
   The group grows its own bedding plants to make into hanging baskets - and this year will produce more than 5,000 baskets for sale in its five centres in Dorset, Hampshire, Wiltshire and Warwickshire.
   It also supplies its hanging baskets for sale at other garden centres throughout the south.
   Group plant area co-ordinator Emma Green (pictured) said: “It takes a lot less water and time to maintain hanging baskets than garden beds, so for convenience – and because of the rising cost of water – many environmentally-aware people are focussing their efforts on baskets this year.
   “And most people buy them pre-made, as complete baskets are better value for money than buying the components and making them up.”
   This year’s production at focusses on using two or three colours – with red, white and blue being particular favorites – rather than traditional multi-coloured baskets.
   Emma said: “For many people, using colour themes in the garden is becoming as important as using them in their homes.
   “We still produce traditional wire and moss baskets, but most of our production is with rattan and plastic baskets, for their value.”
www.golden-acres-nursery.co.uk     Picture by Phil Dowding

And now for another 75!

It’s all happening at Child of Hope's slum-based school… although it couldn’t make room for the expected intake of children in February because the school’s next floor wasn’t ready, staff have come up with a solution to take in another 75 children – hot-desking!
   So some of the school's classrooms now do double shifts, and while the existing children still attending school until lunch, the new pupils arrive at 1.30pm for their lessons.
   Well… 1.30pm is the start time, but those kids are so keen to start, they are hanging off the school gates from around 12 noon. They love it.
   It means very little extra in the way of running costs, as staff are already paid for the whole day.
   That takes the total number of pupils to 280, with around half (148) now sponsored. The new floor should be finished by December or January, which will allow the UK-based charity to educate a further 50 children.

www.childofhopeuganda.org

Dahlia resurgence at Golden Acres

Dahlia sales are booming at Golden Acres Garden Centre in Landford – and staff say there is a resurgence of interest in the old-fashioned plant.
   The centre’s Judi Watkins said: “Dahlias flower all summer, they last for years, are very colourful and low-cost – all of which make them great value for money!
   “Sales at the centre are around 32 per cent higher than the last few years and it’s great to see the historic plant regaining its popularity. There's probably no plant that gives the gardener a more spectacular reward than the Dahlia.”
   Golden Acres grows its own Dahlias at its group nursery, where the huge colour variety makes a spectacular sight in the glasshouse.
   Dahlias are flexible for use in summer borders, in patio containers or as cut flowers, often flowering until the first frosts.
   Judi added: “They make gardening easy and most gardeners rarely grow just one. They range from the miniatures, just a few inches tall, to the huge-flowered, big glossy-leaved plants that grow up to five feet and bloom with flowers 10 or 12 inches across.
   “And they are tolerant of a wide range of soil types and situations.”
www.golden-acres-nursery.co.uk     Picture by Phil Dowding

Groveley Detection supplies ultrasonic gas leak detectors to Pembroke Refinery

Pembroke Refinery

Hazard detection specialist Groveley Detection has supplied and commissioned six of its GDU-Incus ultrasonic pressurised gas leak detectors to Chevron’s former Pembroke Refinery, now owned by Valero.

   The units will monitor potential leaks on a natural gas pipeline, covering a metering skid, pig catch area and pressure let down station.

   Groveley Detection’s managing director Robert Bennet said: “After market analysis by our client, the GDU-Incus was selected as the best for the application – one reason being that the product is built in the UK.”

    The hemispherical airborne leak detector has the ability to ‘hear’ deadly gas leaks even in the harshest of weather. It has a -55°C to +85°C operating temperature range for functionality in the most extreme environments, extended area coverage and features include self-testing and cleaning. 

   Groveley’s site engineers carried out a full mapping and system functional verification as part of the commissioning procedure.

   The Pembroke Refinery is located on the Pembrokeshire coast in Wales. Opened in 1964, it was first owned by the Regent Oil Company and is one of the largest, most complex refineries in Western Europe.

www.groveley.com

Golden day for classic cars on July 8

The annual judging event of classic cars owned by the Test Valley Motor Enthusiasts takes place on July 8 at Golden Acres Garden Centre, Landford – and visitors to the centre are invited to take part in the judging!

   Organisors expect around 60 vehicles, which will be judged by club members in four categories – saloons, sports cars, motorcycles and miscellaneous (including stationary engines, tractors and commercial vehicles).

   Visitors can vote for another category – the car or motorcycle they would most like to take home – and results will be announced during the event.

   The cars will arrive from 1.30pm and judging starts at 3pm.

www.golden-acres-nursery.co.uk

www.romseynet.org.uk/motorgroup/index.html

UK business could help Child of Hope finish its slum school

In a recent speech, UK Prime Minister David Cameron suggested that business has a moral responsibility to society. He rightly applauded some of the great businesses which he believes are showing moral leadership, and gently urged the business community to be more transparent and honest about this. He said that corporate social responsibility has made great strides in recent years.

So, Dorset-based charity Child of Hope – which has buildt a quality school in the heart of Uganda's desperately poor Namatala slum, and is currently expanding it – invites corporate leaders to help them make a huge difference to another 400 slum children and their families by completing its school. Call its office in confidence on (01202) 605082.
www.childofhopeuganda.org

Charity auction raised £2,000 for slum kids in Africa

A charity auction and dinner – for Dorset-based charity Child of Hope – raised just over £2,000 to help complete a school for slum children in the heart of the Namatala slum district in Uganda.

   Guest auctioneer was sports journalist Darren Lewis of the Daily Mirror, Sky Sports and GMTV.

   Lots included a pair of Gareth Bale’s football boots, a Tottenham Hotspur FC football shirt signed by Jermaine Defoe, a VIP day for four at Newbury Races and a Bournemouth beach hut for a week.

   Details of the school’s progress can be found on website www.childofhopeuganda.org       
   Picture by Ben Lawrence

Child of Hope: Looking to the future

Dorset-based charity Child of Hope wants to help more and more of the slum kids of Namatala in Uganda. So it presses on to finish building its school to take the maximum of 600 children (from the current 200) in around four years.

   In the meantime… the kids in Namatala that are lucky enough to come to its school have changed… now when they talk of growing up, instead of a soul-destroying future scavenging food on the rubbish tip, they say they want to be a teacher, a doctor, a lawyer or a nurse. They have lifted their eyes, and you can see life and hope in them.

   The charity is taking a long-term view. The Child of Hope primary school is built to last decades; it’s not a flimsy structure that could collapse within three to four years. As some do. And the local community is taking notice. They know the charity isn't blowing hot then cold, here now, gone next year.

   So looking ahead to 2016 when it hopes to have completed the current school… then they want to build a secondary school – as there isn’t one in the region good enough to match the quality of education they are giving these children. They will have just 12 children of secondary age in four years, so they can start quite small, gradually increasing (as they are doing now) to take 200 secondary pupils within the following four years. 
Picture by Moses Okotel
www.childofhopeuganda.org

Golden Acres helps West Parley village go greener with more trees

West Parley village is going greener – by planting more trees around its streets.

   Local garden centre Golden Acres contributed by donating five trees and more have been given by residents in memory of loved ones – in all 16 new young trees are growing around the village.

   Member of the parish council and volunteer co-ordinator Alan MacDonald said: “We are keen on the benefits of more trees and consultation with the residents confirmed what we felt.

   “It’s not just our visible areas along roads, we also own and are currently revitalising Parley Wood with a large team of volunteer residents.”

   In fact, the parish council boasts a whopping 120 volunteers from among its 3,600 residents – and they regularly clear litter from the roads, maintain flower displays, distribute leaflets, and clear hedges and pavements.

   West Parley Parish Council is a new council that came in on a landslide election in May 2011.

   Chairman Richard Heaslip said: “This village is actually one of the oldest in the area, but now its survival depends on establishing its identity, or it could just be seen as part of Ferndown and Bournemouth. 

   “We’re in the Doomsday Book, we have a Saxon Church and Iron Age hill fort – it’s a lovely rural area but you don’t see much of it just driving through. So increased numbers of trees are helping create the identity we want.”

www.golden-acres-nursery.co.uk

www.westparley-pc.gov.uk

Picture by Phil Dowding

Premier league sports memorabilia feature at charity auction

Sports journalist Darren Lewis

RINGWOOD: A pair of Gareth Bale’s football boots, a Tottenham Hotspur FC football shirt signed by Jermaine Defoe, and a Bournemouth beach hut for a week, all feature at a charity auction and dinner on Saturday, April 21.

   The event at the St Leonard’s Hotel will be hosted by top sports journalist Darren Lewis of the Daily Mirror, Sky Sports and GMTV.

   It is organised by Dorset charity Child of Hope, which is building a school for slum children in the heart of the Namatala slum district in Uganda.

   Tickets cost £20 per person, which includes a three-course meal. Full list of lots, details and online ticket sales are on website www.childofhopeuganda.org, or contact Child of Hope on 01202 605082.

Charity auction of sports memorabilia... and more

Dorset-based slum kids charity Child of Hope is holding a charity auction and fundraising dinner – with some amazing lots from premier football clubs and a great mix including other sporting memorabilia and tickets. Fancy a beach hut on a Bournemouth beach for a week?
   The event will help raise thousands of pounds towards the completion of its school in the Namatala slum district of Mbale, Uganda – which will make a huge difference to the lives of hundreds of children who currently have very little hope for any kind of education and employment.
   The event – near Ringwood, Hampshire, will be hosted by top sports journalist Darren Lewis. A football writer for the Daily Mirror for ten years, Darren is a regular on the Premier League, Champions League and International Beat… plus Sky Sports News as well as radio stations TalkSPORT and Five Live, and occasional appearances on GMTV and CCN. He is named among the 50 most influential black people in the game, along with England captain Rio Ferdinand, Sol Campbell and Chris Kamara.

For more information, click here. 

Date: April 21, 6.30pm for 7pm 3-course dinner 

Venue: St Leonard's Hotel, Ferndown, Dorset, BH24 2NP 

Cost: £20 per person. For online ticket sales, click here

Now… could you pass this information on to someone you know who might be interested in one or more of those lots - or simply getting to meet Darren lewis? Bit cheeky... we know, but it is for some of the poorest children in Africa...

TV’s Julian Richards unveils epic timeline at St Michael’s School, Colehill

Archaeologist and TV/radio presenter Julian Richards – from TV series ‘Meet The Ancestors’ – unveiled an epic timeline that has been specially produced for St Michael’s Middle School at Colehill.

   The timeline consists of 12 panels depicting significant events and people during the 2,000 year period from Christ to the present day.    They cover a corridor wall 17 metres long and two metres high.

   It was designed and produced by illustrator Amanda Waite, who lives in Colehill, and whose two daughters attend the school.

   Head teacher Paul Nation said: “This is a creative and unique project that has enabled children to work together, research and discuss the most important moments of the last 2000 years.  

   “For everyone to see their ideas and sketches crafted into a superbly creative timeline has been an unforgettable experience.”

   The project took Amanda seven months over a two year period to research, obtain copyright permissions and produce as vector images on computer using a stylus pen and tablet. The final panels are printed on vinyl and wrapped on panels fixed to the wall.

   She said: “Before I began, we invited school pupils to take part in a competition to come up with concepts and ideas for the panels. Their ideas were amazing and many were incorporated.

   “My favourite part is a concept from one of the children’s three top entries – poppies growing out of the gun turret of a World War 1 tank.

   “It’s a powerful tool to impact and inspire children for learning. It covers all areas – history, arts, mathematics, inventions, politics, religion and English.

    Paul Nation said: “I want to thank our active Parents Association for their financial support, and I am especially grateful to Amanda for her creativity and commitment to what has become a two-year labour of love.”

   Amanda Waite is a professional illustrator who has produced work for advertising and design agencies. Her current project is her first children’s book.

   Julian Richards will return to St Michael’s soon as part of his work with schools, engaging children to help them discover the history and heritage of their land. 

   And he will be will be back on TV soon with a new series on BBC 4 called Meet the Ancestors – Revisited.

----------------------------
Pictures by Phil Dowding. For alternative images, click here

For further details:  

• Paul Nation, St Michael's School  (01202) 883 433

• Amanda Waite  07538 349 748

stmichaelscolehill.dorset.sch.uk

amandawaite.com

www.archaemedia.net (Julian Richards)

Weber BBQ Experience Roadshow rolls into John Browns Garden Centre

Barbecue manufacturer Weber will take its BBQ Experience Roadshow to John Browns garden centre in Three Legged Cross on Easter Saturday.

   Chef Dan Cooper – who has cooked up feasts for celebrities including Lily Allen and Alex James – will demonstrate delicious barbecued dishes and show visitors how to perfect Weber’s ‘roast’, ‘grill’ and ‘bake’ techniques.  

   The roadshow features a specially-equipped 1970s chrome Airstream Land Yacht, recently found in the USA and shipped to Somerset to be refurbished and re-fitted.

   Centre manager Jeremy Green said: “As well as demonstrations there will be plenty of opportunities to sample the delicious, freshly-barbecued food – and take away some recipe cards to try some exciting new creations at home. And it’s all free!”

   The latest gas and charcoal Weber barbecues will be on show, along with cookware accessories, and there will be offers on all Weber products throughout the bank holiday weekend.

   The roadshow will fire up from 11.30am to 2.30pm on Saturday April 7.

www.golden-acres-nursery.co.uk     www.weberexperience.co.uk

Howard is new plant area manager at Cadnam Garden Centre

Howard Ley has been appointed plant area manager at Cadnam Garden Centre, part of the Golden Acres group.

   His career began after qualifying with City & Guilds 1, 2 & 3 in Horticulture at Dartington Horticultural College, when he joined a local garden centre.

   More recently he was horticultural manager with a large garden centre group in the south west.

   His favourite plants are bedding and herbaceous because of their vibrant colours - he has a fairly small courtyard garden where he grows them in containers.

   Howard said: “Even though I’ve previously always lived in Devon, I’ve known Cadnam Garden Centre for years because my wife’s parents live in nearby Totton. It’s a great centre to move to because customer service is high on its priorities.”

www.golden-acres-nursery.co.uk  
Picture by Phil Dowding

Golden Acres: nursery expands online

Dorset nursery group Golden Acres has launched a specific trade website to enable its commercial customers to quickly choose plants for delivery around the south.

   For the first time, the nursery’s entire range of plants can viewed individually and an availability list downloaded for faster telephone ordering.

   The free online service will suit customers such as shops, garden centres, gardeners, landscapers, farm shops, pubs and local authorities.

   The site – www.goldenacrestrade.co.uk – will also shortly publish the nursery’s offers and promotions.

Picture by Phil Dowding