Who would have thought that it was the suggestion of a group of venerable gentlemen that heralded the formation of the oldest society in Raglan?
In 1902 the group of community-minded farmers and businessmen who had been instrumental in organising the early A&P Shows, became the first committee of “The Raglan Horticultural and Industrial Society”. It is going strong 120 years later.
(Mrs) Grace Fry (née Galvan) is one of the longest standing members of the Society. She still lives in Raglan, and so was able to regale us with some wonderful stories of the hundreds of trips taken by members since the 1980s. Grace was organiser-in-chief for 16 years of her 34-year membership. Day trips to gardens and towns of interest were a monthly occurrence. Grace recalls the first one she organised to an area well South of Kawhia. So eager was she to plan a full programme that they ended up negotiating the roads home in the dark and she thought she “might get the sack.”
But it was the journeys further afield that remain foremost in Grace’s mind. She would single-handedly organise events, and a 40-seater bus which she had no trouble filling. She then sought out interesting but affordable accommodation, which allowed the travellers to spend their funds on the many attractions available in each area. These included rides on the HMS Earnslaw, jet boat rides, and a day trip on the ferry from Wellington, to explore gardens and wineries in Picton and Blenheim.
It seemed that these trips provided more than an opportunity to trawl many beautiful gardens of significance. They allowed the group to explore so many parts of the country they might never have visited, as part of a group of fun-loving friends who shared many common interests. Grace was a trusted and efficient tour leader, but not even she could predict that the Waiheke bus would land up in a ditch, resulting in the travellers sitting on a dusty verge for some hours, awaiting a replacement! Then, the accommodation providers had forgotten to advise they were closed for renovations! The visitors camped out in various caravans and half-built rooms. This didn’t seem to have dampened their enjoyment of that trip.
Wherever they travelled, the kindness of the people they met always heartened them. Grace recalls with fondness the reception they had from the girls at Turakina College at Marton, when pupils and staff not only gave them lunch but laid on a whole programme of entertainment.
During their Rotorua trip, they had to entertain their hosts, and aptly named The Flowerpots, sang “Raindrops keep falling on my head.”
Accommodation at a ski lodge on Tongariro looked dodgy but the resident cooks treated them like royalty and fed them well.
Grace hung up her tour guide’s hat in 2004 but the trips continued , and many of them are beautifully documented in albums full of colourful photos and souvenirs –treasured memories of camaraderie and learning.
Membership of the Society has always been good and it was one of the best-supported organisations in the community. In the 70s and 80s, membership exceeded 100 with more than 70 people at meetings. In the 90s a collaboration with The Community Arts Council resulted in a combined exhibition called Petals and Paint.
Today the Society runs the popular Spring garden tour of local gardens (scheduled for 19 November this year). On the third Tuesday of the month, 1pm, at the Union Church Hall in Stewart Street meetings include specialist speakers, a forum for gardening conversations, and a sales and plants table.
Through November and into early December Raglan & Districts Museum will display some of this inspiring group’s memorabilia and trophies.
