The very first meeting of the Peacehaven Horticultural and Poultry Society took place on Friday May 12th 1922. All residents (ladies included) were cordially invited to attend.
This meeting was held at the Rosemary’ Tea Lounge, very grand surroundings!
It was greeted with much enthusiasm and has been going strong ever since.
The constitution from this first committee
was set out as follows :
- To organise some scheme for co-operative buying, distribution, transport and marketing.
- To promote lectures, demonstrations and discussions.
- To become affiliated with the Agricultural Organisation Society.
- To establish an information bureau for mutual help and for the information and guidance of beginners.
- To hold an Annual Flower and Vegetable Show.
1923 bought about the second Annual Flower show as seen in The Peacehaven Post showing (from left to right ) an exhibit from The Peacehaven Nurseries, Miss Councillor A.E. Hall who opened the show, racer eager to be off, prize cabbage, the show committee and helpers, Peacehaven blooms, the magnificent prize winning Silver Persian cat, dishes of prize winning vegetables and the opening ceremony.
Although the show looked on a grand scale the actual classes were less but more diverse than today, with six hens eggs, ladies competitions of nail knocking, and tying a tie. Rug making and leather – work played their part. Gents competitions included hat trimming and threading beads. There was also best kept garden, best rabbit, cockerel, hen, duck, pigeons and cat. And you could enjoy this fantastic day out for the price of 4d for adults and 1d for children. A lot of these pursuits and crafts have since died out.
Sports and brass bands gave a festive air to the occasion.
The 3rd Annual show saw more entries of rabbit keeping with expert spinners of rabbit wool a highlight as shown by a Mrs Everett. 1928 got involved with the poultry classes with clues what to look for in the best entry for Rhode Island Reds. A deep rich cherry red even colour, bright yellow legs, black tail with a green sheen. Light Sussex, White Leghorns and Wyandottes were other breeds shown. It suggests that you scrub legs and dampen them down with a wet cloth, hackle to tail. Polish and pet them to win!
Always well supported as these pre 1940 show posters of the Fur, Feather and Horticultural Societies of Peacehaven and Telscombe show, they reflect the extent and pride to which residents produced their vegetables, eggs and poultry to show in the towns Annual Horticultural Shows.
In past times the club regularly had more than one show a year, in spring it was daffodils and tulips. Early summer was the turn of the Roses, with the main event in August. Table top displays (mini shows) at meetings also had people bringing out their prize possessions each month.
The year of the Queen’s Jubilee saw the presentation of a rose tree to each member of the society in way of celebration.
In later years the society have bought, planted and maintained the roundabout at the bottom of Sutton Avenue for 2-3 years until we were no longer able to due to Health and Safety issues. Somewhere we all travelled around and shared the pleasure in I’m sure.
Now we are involved with events such as Peacehaven & Telscombe Summer Fayre and Peacehaven Open Gardens
The ethos of the club’s main aim was to encourage younger people to grow vegetables and flowers at that time and is still in place today.