Wereham Village Inaugural Open Gardens Event

Ten houses, ten gardens, ten cups of tea

On Sunday 8th June 2003, Wereham held it's inaugural Open gardens event. No less than 10 (ten) houses offered their precious plots for inspection, with remarkable success. The weather, although dithering before noon, managed to offer a delightful backcloth, at least until the thunderstorm struck around 5.30pm

Inevitably, we were the first to arrive! But we were met with tremendous good humour and a slight sigh of relief that someone had turned up. In the event, no fewer than 150 people attended the event, raising the grand total of £355 for the St Margaret's Church Restoration fund.

Our abiding memories of the day are the sheer delight that Village members expressed in sharing their gardens with us their visitors. We were delighted to visit the quaintly named Chile House (a relative died in Chile at the time of its construction), Flintstone Cottage whose current owners had been in place for less than six months and the quite delightfully name Bright Cottage with its miniscule, but exquisite, garden. We were delighted with Inglebright and Scillonia Cottage and saw model railway layouts at Park House and marvelled at the wonderful designs of the multi-faceted gardens at White Willows where we obeyed instructions to pass quietly by the blackbird nest. We were also made so welcome at Orchard House in Flegg Green; what a delightful garden really too large for such a gentle couple.

We had our own two senior citizens from London in tow; they were enthralled at all the gardens we visited and were totally amazed at the hospitality they received and the wide range of floral designs. But at the end of a delightful afternoon, their overriding memories were of the people they met. They were overcome by their welcome in each garden and the genuine interest expressed by one and all. Readers should enter the date of the next Wereham Open Gardens in their diary as soon as it is published. But I bet we will still be the first ones there; we just can't wait for another dose of Wereham hospitality.

Ray Thompson