AN OPPORTUNITY FOR TADDINGTON VILLAGE : RHS CHATSWORTH FLOWER SHOW 2019
The RHS have asked us whether we would like to do a Well Dressing for their annual flower show in June. They apparently have a stand highlighting the Derbyshire tradition of Well Dressing and ask villages to participate. If there are a number of participants it then becomes a competition with the designs being voted for by the visiting public – the prize is an engraved trophy.
The RHS will pay towards the cost of producing the Well Dressing, but we as a village would be responsible for producing it here and transporting it to the flower show. We would also need to have people on hand every day of the show to maintain the Well Dressing and to talk to people about it and the village etc. There is a minimum size requirement and the middle board of our well dressing would be suitable rather than using all five sections, which would make it both easier to complete and to transport to Chatsworth.
We already have on board an artist who is willing to do the design and four people who would be happy to be on the stand at the show, but we need to know if there are enough people in the village who think this is a good thing for the village and who would be willing and available to help put this all together. The show runs 5-9th June with set up on the 4th and clear up on the 10th, so we would need volunteers for:-
1. People with petalling knowledge, specifically those who can identify which flowers/materials can be used/sourced to make the Well Dressing successful – they would need to be available for the week preceding the show.
2. People who would like to help with the actual petalling, experience not needed – available as above
3. People to clay the board – approx. one week before the show
4. 3-4 People who could transport the well dressing and erect it on site on Monday 3rd or Tuesday 4th June.
5. 3-4 People to dismantle and bring it back on Monday 10th June
6. Somewhere undercover where we could petal for the week preceding the show
Can people let us know what they think, good or bad, and whether they’re able to help – what we don’t want to do is compromise our own Well Dressing Week in August.
As to what it will bring to the village – advertising and more awareness of our own Well Dressing week and promoting our village to the tens of thousands of visitors at the flower show which could hopefully produce more visitors to the village – benefitting everyone as it will make Taddington a more thriving village.
Please send your comments to [email protected] by Friday 5th October. Thank You.