BOUGHTON VILLAGE NEWS

Open Gardens Day June 9th 2016 It’s probably impossible to thank everyone who was at all involved, as I’m sure there were many behind the scenes in the various ‘teams’ whose names I never knew. We were so fortunate to have a fine and dry day - as I write this, the rain is pouring down again, but I DON’T CARE!! The catering team were brilliant. Everything was beautifully arranged and the lunches were excellent. I also had a very tasty piece of cake in the marquee at the end of the day, and another visit to the alpacas as they are so lovely. I think everyone fell for the black one and he knew it!! They’ve been sheared, and the fur looks ribbed, like the raked gravel in a Japanese garden. There were ten gardens open in the end, with one willing participant forced to drop out because of illness. We send our very best wishes for a full recovery. The gardens range widely in size and style, reflecting the different people who make up our community. Everyone had worked really hard to get them into some sort of shape—my brown bin was literally crammed with goosegrass/cleavers, the bane of my life - and there were still plenty of flowers to come. Spring is best in my garden, but I seem to have been accumulating roses, so there is colour to come.

For the first time, this year we had a display of classic cars and bikes. Many thanks to the owners for putting their precious toys on show and allowing others to share. More than a hundred people came to the village and enjoyed the atmosphere and the fruits of all the hard work and publicity. I can’t thank everyone enough, as this is the main fundraiser for the church. Although the building serves as the village centre, the Diocese of Ely requires a large amount of money to keep it going and to provide a priest. The PCC and the small congregation couldn’t manage this without all the help from the village on days like this. We’ve just had our quinquennial inspection, which has thrown up more requirements, so OGD is very important to us. We raised nearly £1, 500 and we are very grateful to everyone who took part in any way. Pam Wakeling