Members of the Woodford and District Flower Arranging Group will be celebrating their platinum anniversary at Wanstead House next month. Margot Cooper reflects on seven decades of floral artistry
Some 70 years ago, a group of women met weekly at Woodford County High School and the Odeon, South Woodford, inspired by the flower arranger Julia Clements to create beautiful floral designs for their homes.
These local gatherings developed into the Woodford and District Flower Arranging Group, meeting monthly, entertaining working wives and demonstrating how to create pleasing arrangements in vases, jugs, bowls and any other suitable containers they had in their homes, usually using wire netting or pinholders to hold flowers in place.
In 1959, the many flower clubs and societies across the country joined together to form the National Association of Flower Arrangers (NAFAS). The Association is divided into 21 areas, our local one being London and Overseas. This gives us the benefit of links with flower arrangers worldwide. The club became so popular that there was a waiting list of over 100!
As time passed, the club became an established part of the local community. Members planned and participated in many church festivals and charitable events and welcomed visitors and members to the monthly demonstrations of floral art, as we continue to do today. During the 1980s and 1990s, competitive events were held to showcase members’ skills. These continued, often with other local clubs, until around 2002.
Our members contributed to the late Queen’s Diamond Jubilee event ‘London Pride’ in Valentines Park. We have also had the privilege of arranging flowers for a variety of prestigious events in stately homes, garden festivals and cathedrals countrywide, a highlight being Westminster and Southwark cathedrals (which we work with to this day).
Our world has changed dramatically in the last 70 years and this is reflected in our membership numbers, but at our monthly demonstrations (now held at Wanstead Library on the third Monday of every month), many different cultures join together with a shared love of flowers for an evening of harmony and friendship. Visitors are always welcome.
The club also has strong links with Wanstead House Community Association, where classes and workshops are held for those wishing to learn in an educational environment. We will also be holding our 70th-anniversary celebrations here with a lunch followed by a demonstration by international floral designer Derek Armstrong.
The group’s next meeting will take place at Wanstead Library on 19 August at 7pm. The anniversary event will be held at Wanstead House on 13 September (12.30pm; tickets: £30). Email jan.law42@outlook.com
