About Us

Current Committee

The current committee members are as follows:

• President vacant
• Chairman Mary Boorman - 01424 774102
• Treasurer & Membership Secretary Alan Humphrey - 01424 774102
• Show Secretary Oliver Boorman-Humphrey
• Honey Bee Representative Phil Laimbeer

Committee members are elected at our AGM in October each year. Members are encouraged to participate in the society by attending the AGM and voting.

Membership & Subscriptions

Anyone is welcome to join the society and participate in our events!

Our annual membership fee is only £5 and is valid from 1 Oct - 31 Sept. Please contact our Membership Secretary (Alan) using our contact form for more information on how to join.

Message from our Chairman

Welcome to our Website!

As a society, we aim to promote gardening and the growing of flowers, vegetables and plants, alongside it's associated handicrafts and cookery, photography and floral arts. The society was formed back in 1972 by a few local growers in the village of Crowhurst to share knowledge and provide a platform for friendly competition! Today, we continue their traditions by holding three flower shows each year - one in spring (March), summer (as part of the Village Fayre in August) and autumn (September). We hold our AGM, followed by a talk each October and several other fundraising and social events.

As Chairman, I am very keen to promote the growing of flowers and plants to encourage wildlife in our gardens and local green spaces. The society now has a honey-bee representative and, in the autumn show, local bee-keepers can now exhibit their produce. I am also keen to encourage children to join in and be involved with our shows and events for which we have a children's representative who liaises with local children's groups, school, playgroup and other societies in the village which includes the Brownies and Cubs. Overall, we aim to be a part of the local community and interlink with all other local groups to share knowledge and have fun!

I was brought up in Battle and spent most of my time in our large garden as a child with my dear dad and mum. I learnt a lot from them and I used to love the smell of the tomatoes in a warm greenhouse which dad grew every year. We always had fresh flowers in the house that mum loved and that dad had grown and freshly picked vegetables that he grew, that we ate daily. His father (my grandad) had honey bees in the same garden and we had several hives in the orchard. I was reared on honey and love it! I am fascinated by the marvels of these amazing insects and watched my dad taking many swarms over the years.

We always welcome new members to the society. As a member, you are entitled to reduced ticket prices at our lectures and social events. Our flower shows are open to all - you don't have to be a member to have a go at exhibiting!

Happy Gardening!

Mary Boorman
Chairman, C&DHS

Messages from our Committee Members

I lived in Crowhurst for the greater part of my life From the age of 8 when I went to school at the local primary when there were only 2 classrooms and we had Miss Newman as Head Teacher.

My Father worked at Pinehill in Crowhurst until he retired. He was the gardener and my mum was the housekeeper there. Both were members of the horticultural society and this encouraged both myself and Mary to also be involved with the society over the last 20 years or so.

As Treasurer and Membership Secretary my role is primarily to upkeep records of our funds in and out of the society and to obtain annual membership fees from our members and hopefully keep our monies in the black in the bank and building society!

This involves also paying out for that we owe in hiring the halls for shows and events etc and for paying show winnings etc. Keeping the books in good order along the way and preparing them for annual checking by our auditor.

In recent years, we were able to fund the purchase of new Gopack tables which we need for the Summer shows and can be hired out now to raise further funds. That was a fine example as to why we need on going fundraising events and to keep the society afloat.

Alan Humphrey
Treasurer & Membership Secretary, C&DHS