TORBAY Amateur Radio Society is keen to encourage new faces to the hobby and welcomes visitors and potential new members to weekly meetings.
The club boasts more than 120 members, most of whom attend the meetings regularly.
On the last meeting of each month, members are entertained by a speaker and have been since the club started in 1947, goodness knows how many topics have been discussed since then.
The club also runs regular courses with a dozen participants recently gaining their radio licenses.
In March, the group held a presentation night when lucky members were awarded recognition for club activities, ranging from distances worked and number of stations on all the various amateur radio bands, also the awards for the construction items judged from the January meeting. This was followed by a very nice buffet.
The society will be running a foundation course in the not-too-distant future, so if you are interested in getting your foot on the first rung of amateur radio then please come along to a meeting.
The meetings are held every Friday from 7.30pm at the Teignbridge scout headquarters in Wolborough Street, Newton Abbot.
Alternatively, call Mike Garry on 01803 528801 during office hours or visit www.tars.org.uk
AT the final meeting of the spring season of the Torquay and District Horticultural Society on April 4, Brian Carlson gave a presentation entitled 'Fuchsias and Pelargonium' which was full of information and tips for the 90-plus members and visitors present.
Brian commenced by giving a practical demonstration of taking cuttings and plant propagation, whilst emphasising the different requirements of fuchsias and pelargoniums. He went on to talk about pests and diseases and the action to be taken to deal with them.
Brian concluded by projecting a series of pictures of specimen fuchsias and pelargoniums from various shows.
The outdoor cut flowers section of the regular competition was won by Jenny.
The next meeting of the Society will be at the start of the autumn season on Wednesday, September 12, at the Livermead House Hotel at 7.30pm. The speaker will be Peter Cantrill whose subject will be 'Unusual Perennials'.
During the summer period there will be coach trips, car visits to local gardens and the annual show on Saturday, June 30, at St Matthias' Church Hall, Wellswood, at 2pm.
For more information on the society or for show schedules, please ring Pat Wingfield on 01803 294171 or go to http://ths.btck.co.uk
THE March meeting of Salcombe and Malborough Flower Club was opened by chairman Joan Parkes.
She welcomed members and visitors, then welcomed and introduced Elaine Reynolds, a florist from Delabole. Her theme was 'A Love of All Things Floral'.
Elaine started with a 'spring display'. She used a large wide rimmed vase placed in a round oasis base in which purple helleborus, cream camellias, pink carnations and eucalyptus were arranged.
She then arranged viburnum, eucalyptus, purple verona, pink carnations, purple irises, cream lizianthus, pink tulips and beautiful large cream roses in the vase, finishing with a large pink orchid placed in the centre. A lovely arrangement to start off with.
She followed on with modern arrangements. Then using two large round metal bowls in which she arranged phormium leaves, pussy willow, pink proteas, yellow sunflowers and gerberas and red carnations with China grass threaded through.
For Elaine's 'finale' she used a tall metal stand.
The foliage was foxtail fern, palm leaves, liatris used for the background to which she arranged pink and purple gerberas, cream roses, blue irises, white tulips and beautiful red lilies finishing with steel grasses threaded through.
Daphne gave the vote of thanks for this inspiring demonstration. The arrangements were then raffled off to the lucky winners.
The next meeting is on May 3 when Angela Rose, a demonstration from Par, will give a demonstration of 'Flowers for Pleasure'.
Meetings are held on the first Thursday of each month at Malborough Village Hall at 7.30pm. Visitors welcome.
