Special Invite To Forum Members - 2019

GARDEN OPEN

In aid of

GROVE COTTAGE
(Bishops Stortford MENCAP charity)

ON THE LAST BANK HOLIDAY WEEKEND IN MAY - 25TH & 26TH

OPEN TIMES
SATURDAY 10 a.m. – 4.30 p.m.
SUNDAY 2 p.m. – 5 p.m.

Building on the previous years' very successful openings (the charity once again received more than £5,000)

Mr And Mrs Shiney invite you to enjoy a walk around their garden
and relax over some delicious homemade cakes and a cup of tea or coffee
There will be the usual large amount of plants for sale

A book stall with many almost new best sellers

Non-stop Entertainment

On Saturday
we have
Jess Daugirda - Singer - Urdang Academy
Sarah M - singer
Adrienne and Malcolm (singers and guitar)
Ukes of Hazard Ukulele Band

On Sunday
we have
The Bishops Stortford Ukulele Band

ENTRY DONATION £2 - TEA WITH CAKE £2.50
Pimms

PLANT SALE

BOOK STALL - RAFFLE

HANDMADE GLASS PLATES, DISHES
JEWELLERY
KNITTED ITEMS
Head Massage, Reflexology, Thai Foot Massage
pre-bookable by appointment



As usual I shall be giving a private tour to GC members (that haven't already had enough of it) at about 11.30 on Saturday and you are then welcome to join Mrs Shiney and myself for a sandwich and a cuppa. If you are unable to make it for that time then you will still be most welcome any other time - but you may miss meeting the other members.

We are half way between junctions 7 and 8 on the M11 (15 minutes from both) and 15-20 minute from Hertford and Chelmsford. For those of you flying in to Stansted we are 15 minutes from there as well.

PM me for detailed driving instructions
and, if you shall be staying in the area overnight, links to accommodation.

This is the link to a preview I put on GC many years ago although the garden has changed quite a bit since then
Sneak Preview of shiney's Open Day

A link to the charity's website
Mencap - Grove Cottage

See some of our members that turned up in 2014
Start at page 16 of the link below
Special Invite To Forum Members - 2014

and 2015 - photos start on page 12
Special Invite To Forum Members - 2015

and 2016 - photos start on page 8
Special Invite To Forum Members - 2016

and here is 2017
Special Invite To Forum Members - 2017

And 2018 - photos start on page 13
including a video that roders took of some of the excellent entertainment
Special Invite To Forum Members - 2018

A lot of the members that turn up on the Saturday join us for a curry at a local restaurant in the evening. Everyone's welcome but I need to know numbers for the restaurant.​

 

Have a good holiday.

We get about 500 turning up over the weekend.

 

We book the tables for 7 p.m. so some people are away around 9 to 9.30. Some stop to continue chatting. It depends on how close they live.

 

It would be great to see you.

Some members that come a long way book in B&B. Armandii always came for two nights. He used to pop in Friday afternoon and have a chat and some tea and helped a bit with setting up the plant stall. On the Saturday we provide sandwiches for the GC contingent (apart from the tea, home made cakes and cream teas for sale), then Indian at night and those that have stayed in B&B Saturday night usually pop in on Sunday morning for a cuppa before going home with some more sandwiches - left from Saturday.

Well behaved dogs are welcome


But I'm not sure that they're all that impressed with the event.

 

Will do

 

I will be there ! Maybe for the curry too - depends on whether Mrs JWK wants to come and also if I share a lift with @Fat Controller

 

Thanks John @JWK . It will be good to see you again. I only need to know final figures about the curry a couple of weeks before - to be fair to the restaurant. Although I'm sure they can cope with last minute additions.

 

Great news . Will you be bringing the other half? How about joining us for the Indian?

I've had a quick look back, about the weather, over previous years and it is generally good. 2010 it drizzled for an hour, last year when we had just opened it looked as though it was going to pour down but the sun came out about 11 a.m. and then got hot. All the other years it has been sunny but a few have been chilly although sunny.