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HOSPICE NEWS
Volunteers John and Sandra
Before I knew it, Jocelyn was up with a spring to collect first prize, which was a certificate, awarded by The Master of the Worshipful Company of Gardeners – a good start. She came back grinning.
Next category was Small Gardens.
I wasn’t sure how – having taken the Gold award for Large Garden five minutes earlier, but Jocelyn goes up again to win a Silver medal for that. And Best Containers and Pots was also given to St Joseph’s. So, three awards in, it was time for the big one, the overall winner category.
The tension was building as all the entries were standing up ready to collect it – if their name was called out. It was like a penalty shoot-out.
Stiff competition and years of work and pride at stake. As I say, I hoped to tell you we won something this year to bookend the 2005 glory days, when we won a medal at Chelsea flower show for our courtyard garden. We then topped the year off by winning the big trophy for best gardens at that year’s Guildhall awards ceremony
(To be honest, we have won different
Volunteers Nancy and Lee
things at Guildhall between then and now and displayed another garden at Chelsea Flower Show). I didn’t want to tell you we didn’t do as well this year. And then, ‘The overall winner...’ announced Jim. ‘Ladies and gentlemen, for the best garden this year – St Joseph’s Hospice.’ Jocelyn was up again for the fourth time. The applause is verging on a standing ovation. It couldn’t have been better. Jocelyn is grinning again as St Joseph’s regain the Hospice Gardens Plate, awarded by Mrs Sue Medway, director of Chelsea Physic Garden and the quality is as high as it was in 2005. Ceremony over, we
all went for nibbles and hobnobbing in the crypt. We swapped contact details with people, planned visits to our competitors gardens, and told everyone about the great work the Hospice does and how wonderfully fortunate we are to work at such a great place.
Until next year.
Peace be with you.
Darren
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