Social & Special Interest Groups
BURLEY GARDENERS ASSOCIATION
Burley Gardeners' Association meet several times throughout the year for illustrated talks and demonstrations on a wide range of gardening topics. We have one organised visit to a local garden in the summer. We also hold plant sales and publish the Sprouting Times – the newsletter of the Association.
Each year on the last Sunday in August the Association holds the Burley Show at the Queens Hall. Entry is open to all residents of Burley and Burley Woodhead. The Show consists of classes in flowers, vegetables, fruit, home produce, crafts and wine. There are also open classes for children. The Show is unique in the area for also having displays of crafts and interests in the locality. The Association also organises Burley in Bloom, which is a competition for businesses in the village who display hanging baskets and containers to improve the look of the village.
Chairman
Angus MacIntosh – 862750
Committee Treasurer
Brenda Shepherd – 863191
Secretary
Dorothy Bayliss – 862542
Membership Secretary
Suzanne Stracey 07796 455083
Publicity Secretary
Sue Vint Burley 864515
Committee Members
D. Allison, J. Bruce, K. Collins, N. Harris, R. Howson, K. Turner, H. Wise, A. Marsh
2007 Report
2007 Results
HISTORY
In the nineteenth century Burley was a busy mill village and the local mill–owners encouraged their workers to grow fruit and vegetables.
In 1858 the first Burley Show was held, hoping that by competition, the quality of the workers' produce would improve. Shows were held for at least the next seventy years, but then stopped in the 1920's.
Various attempts were made to revive the Show but they were not successful until 1982, when the Friends of the Round House, a committee set up by Burley Community Council, put on a Show in the Grange. A Show has been held annually in August since that time, known since 1984 as Burley Show. The Show, increasing in size each year, moved in 1985 to a marquee adjacent to the Round House, then to the Burley Middle School in 1995.
In 1996 it was agreed to become independent from the Community Council and change the name from the Flower Show Committee to Burley Gardeners' Association. The Association now has many members and still continues to grow.
The Association now has several meetings each year on a wide range of gardening topics, with the highlight of the year being the Burley Show. In the year 2000 the Show moved again to the Queens Hall.
Membership
Membership runs February to February
£3 for families, or £1.50 individual.
Benefits include:
Free entry to meetings with talks and demonstrations, usually 5 or 6 throughout the year
Free admission to Burley Show in the afternoon
Four editions of Sprouting Times (BGA Newsletter) delivered to your door
Programme of events
Advance notice of trips to local gardens