The last wet day of this very wet September saw 24 brave souls join the coach to Wakehurst.
Because we realised in August that we would not be able to fill our usual 57-seater coach, we ordered a 29-seater coach from Starline in Chichester. Mark, our driver, soon proved that he knew his way round Hayling and looked after us well.
We arrived at Wakehurst just before 11 a.m. with the rain – which had been forecast to stop at 10.30 – still falling. Most of us lingered in the coffee shop at the entrance and (with the rain still falling), many of us then ventured outside just long enough to reach fresh shelter in the Millennium Seed Bank.
The rain finally stopped after one o’clock, and we were then able to walk outside in more comfort, and admire the mature trees and horticultural displays in the Wakehurst grounds. However, the sun failed to appear and a gusty wind got up, making the indoor delights of lunch, afternoon tea and shopping for plants and gardening implements appear a more attractive proposition for many of us.
The Visits team is now looking forward to planning for 2025, with the next excursion pencilled in for March/April 2025.
Visits team
Sue Vincent has agreed to join the existing team of Catherine Britton and Jan and Richard North. We will meet next in November 2024, to start work on a schedule for 2025. If there is a venue you would like us to visit, do let us know!