History of SAHGA
16th November 1978- The inaugural meeting. The name of the association and the annual subscription of 50p, with 25p for OAPs was agreed. The Secretary of the Reading Horticultural Federation, Mr. Bowcher, had assisted Mr Beckingham in drawing up a draft constitution.
It was agreed by those present that Bill Beckinham would be Chairman and Chris Young Acting Secretary. The Treasurer and Buying Officer was Jeff Wallace and Local Officers were G Draper, A Holloway, F Harvell and E Stokes.
8th February 1979 - The first public meeting was held with 70 members present. They agreed to affiliation with Reading Horticultural Federation and to the Shinfield Association.
11th February 1979 - Jeff Wallace (Treasurer and Central Buying Officer) circulated a paper with information on seed potatoes obtainable via the Reading Horticultural Federation. 12 varieties were on offer (Arran Pilot, Ulster Chieftain, Home Guard, Catriona, Pentland Javelin, Foremost, Irish Peace, Desiree, Majestic, Pentland Dell, Pentland Crown, King Edward) in bags of 6, 12.5 and 25 kilogrammes, with 6 kg bags varying between £0.99 and £1.81 (average £1.33 for 6 kg - £4.67 average for 25 kg).
1st March 1979 - The first minuted committee meeting was held at Mays Farm, Ryeish Green with six persons present. Membership was reported to be over 80.
March 1979 - The news sheet records affiliation to the Royal Horticultural Society and details of compost and fertilizers obtainable via Reading Horticultural Federation.
8th March 1979 - The Constitution adopted after discussion at a meeting held at the Community Centre, School Green.
April 1979 - The first outside meeting was held at 20 Oatlands Road (grace de Jess Lawes), and included a demonstration of fruit tree pruning by Adrian Woods
19th April 1979 – Adrian Woods followed up with further instruction and demonstration (including grafting) at a meeting at the Community Centre.
4th August 1979 - The first Summer Show was held at the Community Centre.
September 1979 - meetings resumed on 20th.
The autumn newssheet contained details of discounts available from Ken Cottee & Sons, Hyde End Nurseries, Balcombe Nurseries, Cooks Silver Street and Reading Horticultural Federation. Order forms for seed potatoes and used growbags from Cutbush Lane greenhouses (University of Reading) were available to members
11th October 1979 - It was agreed to hold raffles at meetings.
10th January 1980 - The first AGM was held at the Community Centre, School Green, There were 42 members present. Expenditure for the year was £1315.73 and income £1730.31.
13th March 1980 - The meeting records thanks given for arranging a Jumble sale that raised £72 with a raffle netting a further £14.
23rd March 1980 – At the committee meeting, John Whitlock agreed to run a plant stall at School Green on 23rd May.
25th October 1980 - There was a Pumpkin competition at Bell & Bottle on with 20 fruit exhibited.
8th January 1981 - 2nd AGM was held. Income £1816.26, expenditure £1537.50
17 September 1981 - The committee agreed to accept a sectional concrete garage donated by Adrian Perlmann to be dismantled and re-erected as a Trading Shed at Millworth Lane allotments. It is still there.
March 1982 . – Meetings moved from the Community Centre to St. Mary’s Church Hall, with shows held at the Scout Hut Hyde End Road.
12th January 1984 – At the AGM it was agreed by a simple majority to raise annual fee to £1.50 (75p for OAPs)
16th June 1984 – The lease was taken on plot 21 (now plot ML26) at Shinfield Allotments for the Trading shed; signed by R Cudmore (Parish Council Clerk) and C Young.
1st July 1984 – The Trading shed was opened for business.
8th January 1987 - At the AGM it was agreed to increase annual membership to £2 (OAPs £1). There were 96 members in 1986.
6th January 1988 At the committee meeting Bill Beckingham was made Life President of SAHGA, with full Honorary Life Membership.
14th January 1988 – At the AGM, Phil Oram was elected Chairman. The meetings moved from St. Mary’s Church Hall to the new Parish Hall, School Green.
12th January 1989 – At the AGM there were 39 members present. John Whitlock was elected Chairman
23rd November 1989 – At the committee meeting the award of Honorary Life Membership agreed. The first two were Stan Higgs and Adrian Woods.
30th October 1990 - At the committee meeting Jeff Wallace resigned as Treasurer and was made an Honorary Life Member.
10th January 1991- At the AGM Christine Purton was elected Treasurer.
9th January 1992 - At the AGM the association ended its affiliation to the Shinfield Association.
14 January 1993 – At the AGM Chris Young was elected Chairman.
27th April 1993 – At the committee meeting Jane Todd became Secretary.
4th October 1993 – At the committee meeting it was agreed that the December meeting would be Flower arranging with a buffet.
13 January7 1994 at the AGM, Peter Bennett was elected Secretary.
11th January 1996 – At the AGM, John Playle elected secretary.
9th January 1997- At the AGM, Helen Pailthorpe joined the committee.
8th January 1998 – At the AGM, John Playle stood down as Secretary and Helen Pailthorpe elected Secretary. Diana Baker was presented with Honorary Life Membership.
13th January 2000 – At the AGM, annual fees were raised to £5 (£2.50 OAPs). It was agreed that, to mark the Millennium, SAHGA would supply 12 large plant tubs to be placed in the front garden of Infant and Nursery School and keep them supplied with suitable bedding plants.
2003 - SAHGA become involved in the 3 Societies Event.
8th January 2004 – At the AGM a proposal to delete annual membership fee but instead to charge £1 per person attending each meeting was agreed. The first £1 will cover annual membership. Income £1867.87 expenditure £ 2172.99
2007 - Arborfield Gardening Association joined 4 Societies Event.
2010 - Shinfield won the Henry Street Quiz.
26th September 2011 - SAHGA host the Henry Street Quiz.
2019 - SAHGA funded trips to RHS Wisley for the Infant and Junior schools.
2020 – The Annual plant stall was cancelled due to Covid. A Virtual stall was set up.
July 2020 – A decision was made to suspend indoor meetings until 2021 due to Covid.
2020 – The 3 Societies Event was cancelled due to the Covid pandemic and there was mutual agreement not to revive once the pandemic ended.
14th January 2021 – Meetings resumed with the AGM.
13th January 2022 – At the AGM, Christine Purton resigned as Treasurer and was awarded Honorary Life Membership. Helen Pailthorpe was elected Treasurer and Jill Grindal as Secretary.
Meeting venues
From the inauguration of SAHGA club, meetings and Shows were held in the Community Centre at School Green, with committee meetings in the private residences of committee members.
In 1982 Shinfield Parish Council announced that the Community Centre was to be demolished and a new Parish Hall built in the same plot of land. SAHGA moved meetings to St. Mary’s Church Hall in March 1982, with the Scout Hut off Hyde End Road for Shows. The Church Hall remained the main meeting venue until December 1987.
In January 1988 n the AGM was held in the new Parish Hall. Meetings and Shows continued in the Parish Hall until early 2019 when works were due to start on the incorporation of the Royal British Legion site with the existing hall to form the School Green Centre.
From 2019 SAHGA has me in the Hall at Shinfield Infant and Nursery School.
Funds
SAHGA was supported by a start-up loan of £100 from Shinfield Parish Council in 1979. The loan was repaid within 12 months.
In the early years of the club extra income was generated by jumble sales held at Spencers Wood Village Hall and raffles at meetings and Shows.
1979 - Annual membership fees were set at £0.50 for working members or £0.25 for retired person.
1984 – Membership was increased to £1.50 and £0.75
1987 - Membership was increased to £2.00 and £1.00.
1989 - Membership was increased to £3.00 and £1.50.
1989 – Bill Beckingham died and bequeathed £250 to SAHGA. The bequest was placed in an interest earning account, together with a further £250 from club funds. The bequest has been used to fund an annual speaker for the Bill Beckingham lecture. Over the years the original investment of £500 has increased to around £1,400.
1991 - Membership was increased to £4.00 and £2.00.
2004 - The annual subscription was scrapped and £1.00 per person per meeting attended was introduced, with the first £1.00 procuring membership for the current year.
From 1983 - Plant stalls were held at School Green. In early years, part of the profit was distributed to local charities. In later years, as speaker fees and hall rental increased it has helped support SAHGA and maintain low membership charges.
September 2021 - the accounts were amalgamated and moved to Nat West.
9th January 2025 - there was over £5,000 in the SAHGA account.