Andrew Lloyd, NAFAS Chairman of Three Counties & South Wales, was our demonstrator at our open evening on November 5 for ‘A Floral Sparkler’ which was a sell-out!

Our members were very surprised at Andrew's ‘simple ideas’. His arrangements were of course much larger than usual!

Andrew took us on a floral tour of the 70s and 80s plus seasonal arrangements, using different containers and accessories. He also gave us floral tips to follow.

Andrew's arrangements, as always, were truly wonderful and striking. Members think doing the church flowers will never be the same again!

He brought his own professionalism and charm to the evening making it a very enjoyable occasion.

Richard Hirons of Woodrow Nurseries, Chaddesley Corbett, presented ‘Living Christmas Gifts & Winter Colour’ at our December Club Evening.

He brought beautiful vibrant coloured plants and shrubs to aid his talk and to sell.

Richard created a patio basket giving us tips on how to place the plants and in what compost.

He also advised us that many plants die from overwatering and that drainage is very important for houseplants as well as for patio containers.

A question/answer time proved beneficial. Everyone enjoyed the evening amidst a lovely decorated hall and had seasonal refreshments.

On Saturday Decembe 5 our Club visited Margaret Thomas, NAFAS Demonstrator at her Design Studio in Marden, Herefordshire.

A lovely lunch was had on arrival, followed by Margaret's floral demonstration.

She used ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ as her theme and twirled us around the ballroom by her delightful creations, the finale enhanced with some delightful dance music.

Some of our members were the lucky ones to win arrangements in the raffle. A lovely cup of tea/coffee ended the visit with jewellery and handbags on sale.

This was a great day out.

We wish all our members and visitors a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year and look forward to seeing you on February 4 2010.

Our Club is held at The Baptist Church, Four Ways, Corngreaves Road, Cradley Heath B64 6BL.