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Shirley Istead, as Chair of the Club, with
Lesley Forehead, then the Show Secretary. |
It is with very great sadness that we report the passing of Shirley Istead, who left us on 28th July 2016. Shirley was a driving force for Hurst Green Gardening Club for a great many years, being involved in running the shows for twenty-five years before taking over as Chair in 2001. Shirley was foremost in encouraging the change in name of the Club from Holland and District Horticultural Society to Hurst Green Gardening Club, feeling that the latter name was more appealing to most of the gardeners in the area, and highlighting the more friendly and approachable nature of our Club as a whole.
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| Istead Stores in Mill Lane |
Most members will remember that Shirley and her husband Bill ran their shop, Istead Stores in Mill Lane, for many years; most of us probably shopped there at one time or another. They had a large L-shaped garden behind the stores, and her husband grew many vegetables, supplying the local pubs as well as the shop itself. She was a great jam, marmalade and chutney maker, which was a great "home building" hobby for their family of three sons, and in time their sons' own families too.
When running the shows, Shirley and the Committee used to auction off the spare vegetables at the end of the day, raising funds for the Club, which also used to be great fun. She also encouraged her own family - and especially her grandchildren - to participate in entering, which we would also heartily endorse current members to do to keep the shows running into the future.
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| Shirley - organising and Barbeque-ing! |
Longer serving members of the Club will also remember Shirley (and Bill) organising and running the Summer Social for many years, which in those days used to take the form of a Barbeque. We all owe her a huge debt of gratitude for her role in molding the Club that we know and support today.
Our condolences go to her family. She was fondly admired, and will be greatly missed.
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Shirley, and vegetables, in younger days ...
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| ... and with her family... |
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| ... and finally, casting her eye over the Autumn show. |
