Report of April Meeting of Ashton Hayes and Tarvin Flower club

Louise jones from New Brighton, was our demonstrator with the title "Inspired by----"

We were certainly inspired by all the jobs and activities that she has done over the years. She has worked in Local Government, working in the Mersey Tunnel and on the Ferries, as well as working for the Prison Service and the Salvation Army. These were all at a level of responsibility. She now works in a supermarket as well as being a mystery shopper, a cosmetics salesperson, a film extra and doing her flower work. In her spare time she runs a Rainbow group. Her latest challenge is to go to Gambia with a collection from her Church for the children. If these children do not have their own paper and pens they cannot go to school so these will be some of the items she will take in 2018.

Whilst telling us all this she completed 6 designs with flowers. Her inspiration came when she watched her 1st flower demonstration on November 12th 1990. She finally took her demonstrator's test last year at the same time as her sister, who also passed.

The inspiration for her individual designs mainly came from her containers.
The 1st design of sunflowers was in a terracotta pot. Design 2 was in wood and contained cones and leaves preserved in glycerine, which produces shades of brown, as well as mainly orange flowers. The 3rd arrangement was in a glass vase in similar shades but number 4 was a mass of aspidistra leaves with unusual purple mottled carnations which produced a lovely effect. For design 5 Louise had painstakingly covered a container with lime green wool and used phormium leaves and yellow flowers. The final display was contained in a tall wire container with twigs inside. The flowers were deep red roses and purple lisianthus with palm leaves and fatsia for foliage.

The evening finished with our usual tea/coffee and a chat with friends.