November 2022
Our new garden building is really starting to take shape now the roof is finished and scaffolding taken down. The external finish of Cambridge brick, flint panels and plaster reflects the building styles in the vicinity. There is still much to do, with window-frames and glazing, flooring, electrics, insulation and heating to install. We hope you like the look of the new building. We do! The main gate will be open again (hoorah!), provided there is no structural work going on, so please enter the garden there rather than the side gate.
We were very pleased with the turnout for our Spooky Saturday Hallowe’en event at the end of October. It was great to see so many happy – and scary! – faces and indeed many new ones. Thank you to everyone who attended and for joining in the spirit of the event, and to the many helpers and volunteers. All the activities proved very popular, especially the Spooky trail, face-painting and pumpkin-carving. Special thanks are due to Gita, Suresh and Ann for setting up the Spooky trail, to Audrey and Renate for supervising the face-painting, to Andy for his inventive soups and to Chris Baker and her team for scooping out fifty pumpkins – not the nicest of tasks on a cool damp morning! Looking forward to next year’s event already.
At the time of writing – on Armistice Day – the poppy display in the front garden of the Challis House looks stunning. We are very pleased to support the Royal British Legion on this important occasion in the nation’s annual calendar. Well done to everyone involved in creating this beautiful exposition. This annual remembrance is a poignant reminder of the horrors of war, given what’s going on elsewhere in the world right now. Lest we forget….
This unseasonably mild weather – up to ten degrees warmer than average in November! – has meant prolonged autumn flowering. Asters, dahlias, penstemons and even begonias and geraniums are still blooming well, adding lots of colour to the herbaceous borders and window boxes. We normally plant out winter and spring bedding now but we are reluctant to uproot such colourful plants. The flush of annuals weeds is keeping us very busy, as we aim to clean up the beds prior to applying leaf mould and garden compost. If the dry summers and moist, mild winters continue, we will have to radically review what and where to plant in the garden. These are indeed strange times we live in.
It is very difficult to predict how the garden will progress in the coming months. If the mild weather continues, we may be in for a very early spring, with carpets of snowdrops, aconites, crocuses and daffodils to look forward to. Whatever the weather, it is well worth taking a stroll along the winter/spring border to enjoy the colours and fragrances of winter-flowering shrubs, especially Mahonia spp., shrub honeysuckles, Viburnums, Christmas box (Sarcococca confusa) and witch hazels (Hamamelis spp.). Multi-coloured dogwoods (Cornus spp.) are at their best in the new year, showing their red, green and yellow stems to best effect, and set off the underplanted hellebores and spring bulbs. Lots to admire.
All the wooden garden furniture and donated benches have been put into storage for the winter, including the stunning circular bench that Pearl Mann recently gifted in memory of her husband Paul. Both have given a lot of time and expert local knowledge to the Challis Trust from its inception, both in the garden and museum. We are immensely grateful for their contribution to establishing this wonderful asset for the village.
As ever, there are plenty of gifts and goodies to view in the garden. Our bees have been busy this year, making lots of lovely mixed floral summer honey. We processed some of the bumper apple crop to make 150 bottles of apple juice; thanks again to one and all for donating their surplus apples. Our log stores are full if you need to top up for the winter. All this plus our own Challis tea towels, cards and plants are available for a donation. You need look no further for some interesting local gifts for the Christmas season.
A reminder that the garden remains open throughout the winter on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday mornings, and Sunday afternoons. Please refer to the opening times in the Directory. We look forward to seeing you there.
Please note also that the Challis House is open every Tuesday morning from 10am to noon to view the Queen’s Jubilee Exhibition and the museum itself. The next exhibition will be about Sawston streets named after local people. If you have any information, records or photos about these people and the streets, please get in touch with us.
Finally, the Mary Challis Trust would like to express sincere condolences to the family and friends of Judy Saunders on her untimely and sudden passing. Judy was a long-term friend and supporter of the trust, along with the Wool’n’Tea craft group, which she ran for many years, holding regular meetings here. She always entered the Horticultural Show with a range of wonderful creations, and surpassed herself in recent years by winning ‘Best in Show’ for the last three years in succession – a remarkable achievement from a remarkable lady. She will be sorely missed by everyone who knew her.
Mike Redshaw
Read MoreSeptember 2022
The much-anticipated rain in early September, after the interminably long dry summer, threatened to spoil the annual Horticultural Show and Fete but fortunately the weather was fine on the day. It was very pleasing to see a good number of entries again this year, considering the difficult growing season. The main marquee was very colourful with good displays of fruit and vegetables, flowers, cakes, preserves and handicrafts. The children’s classes were well represented, with some wonderful creations. Well done to everyone who entered. We are very keen to continue to hold this traditional show and acknowledge the support of Sawston residents. It will be held again on Saturday 2nd September 2023.
This year’s trophies were presented by our Patron, the High Sheriff of Cambridgeshire, Jennifer Crompton:
- Trustees Trophy (most points in fruit and vegetable classes): Mrs K Wells
- Garden News Trophy (best exhibit in fruit and vegetable section): Mrs K Wells
- Frank Matthews Trophy (best exhibit in domestic classes): Helena Marsh
- Mary Challis Trophy (best floral exhibit): Rodney Peck
- WI Trophy (best handicraft exhibit): Judy Saunders
- Sue Reeve Trophy (best exhibit in 8–12 age group): Sophie Macfarlane
- John Falkner Trophy (best exhibit in 7-and-under age): Jessica Kent
- Chair’s Trophy (family with most points in show): Mr & Mrs Wells
- Norman Carver Trophy (best exhibit in Show): Judy Saunders
Congratulations to all the winners. Mrs K Wells swept the board in the fruit and vegetable section, winning both trophies, and the Wells family also recorded the highest number of points in the show. Very well done to them. Judy Saunders deserves special mention for again winning the best handicraft exhibit and the best in show – for the third year running – proving she’s no one-hit wonder! Our congratulations also go to Sophie Macfarlane and Jessica Kent for again producing the best exhibits in the 8–12 years and 7-and-under age groups.
Some of our regular stallholders were unable to attend the show so we were very pleased to welcome some newcomers: Tina Bone (fine arts), Liz Taylor (The Silver Bird jewellery) and local artist Fran Godwood. Many thanks to Sawston Steel Band for providing live music through the afternoon and to the many organisations and individuals who attended the show, including the Royal British Legion, Wool’n’Tea handicrafts, Pippa’s Cards, Morsbags, Timebank and Eleanor Clapp (who brought her spinning wheel). Andy Jackson’s produce auction always attracts a lot of attention and provided some good entertainment to round off the afternoon.
Work has resumed on our new garden building following final approval from the local planning department. A rainwater soakaway has been installed and construction of the roof is in progress. The immediate aim is to get the building watertight before winter sets in and then continue with interior works. Once the roof is on, scaffolding can be removed and we should be able to reuse the main gate again to enter the garden.
Visitors to the Horticultural Show will have noticed the new block-paving path leading to the main gate. This has been installed to improve access for disabled visitors, mobility scooters and pushchairs. Sawston Fun Run made a generous contribution to the cost of this work, which we gratefully acknowledge.
The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Exhibition in Challis House proved very popular and was consequently extended to the end of September. The purple bunting at the front of the house was removed out of respect to the Queen. The exhibition won’t be taken down immediately so can still be viewed, for the foreseeable future, during normal museum opening times 10 am to 12 noon on Tuesdays.
The last event of the season is our popular Spooky Saturday Hallowe’en event on Saturday 29th October from 10am to noon. We look forward to seeing you there.
The dry summer has taken its toll in the garden. Many herbaceous perennials and annual bedding plants did not thrive, leaving empty spaces in the main beds. These will be replaced by dividing large clumps and infilling where necessary. The lawns have recovered remarkably quickly following recent heavy rainfall and we will have to resume mowing. Plant highlights in September are undoubtedly the Marvel of Peru (or four o’clock plant), Mirabilis jalapa and the Crinum or swamp lily Crinum moorei that welcomes you as you enter the Garden. Mirabilis jalapa grows along the main path from house, with multi-coloured tubular flowers that open early morning and late afternoon. Do have a close look at this when you pass. It readily self-seeds from its large black seeds that germinate in the spring and can also over-winter in milder conditions due to its deep swollen roots. A good doer, as Monty Don would say. We have seed available if you want to try some in your own gardens – just ask!
Dahlias and penstemons will continue to flower up to the first frosts, with asters, sedums and cyclamens going through to November. There is always plenty to look at. Although many leaves have dried up and dropped early due to the dry conditions, most trees should still develop good autumn colours.
Despite the lack of rain, our apples have produced bumper crops, especially Cox’s, Worcester Pearmain, Discovery and Bramleys. We aim to produce some apple juice this year. If you have any surplus apples, please consider donating them for juicing.
Mike Redshaw
Published in the October–November 2022 Sawston Scene
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July 2022
June and July proved to be a very busy period for the Challis Trust, starting with the Queen’s Jubilee Exhibition at the beginning of the month, which has proved to be very popular. To date, more than four hundred visitors have enjoyed the exhibition in the Challis House, with a lot of enthusiastic and constructive feedback. If there is sufficient ongoing interest, we may extend the exhibition into August. Thanks to everyone involved in setting this up and to the many people who paid us a visit.
On the first Sunday in July, the Challis Garden joined five other gardens in the village to open for the National Garden Scheme (NGS). The weather was kind and some hundred and eighty people toured the gardens. It was very pleasing to see two new gardens this year, including a late entrant in Wynemares at the bottom of Common Lane, adding to the mix. The event raised a very satisfactory £1,330 for the ngs, which relies entirely on donations from garden visits for its income. These funds are distributed to a number of important caring and nursing charities, including Marie Curie, Macmillan Cancer Support, Hospice UK, Carers Trust, The Queen’s Nursing Institute and Parkinson’s UK. The ngs raises over £3 million annually and has already recorded over £2 million so far this year, so may be in for a record sum, which is great news. The Challis Trust are very pleased to support this charity.
We are always looking for new gardens for the Sawston Village group. If any Sawston gardeners are inspired to join us, please contact Mike Redshaw at mjredshaw@hotmail.co.uk. New gardens can join at any time, but to have your garden listed in the ngs annual ‘yellow’ handbook for 2023, you need to complete registration by the end of August.
We were delighted to host the Half Cut Theatre group again on 9th and 10th July, for the end of their summer tour of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing. It was a very enjoyable and professional production, from a talented young group. They entertained about four hundred people with three performances over the weekend in glorious summer weather – perhaps a bit too hot for some! The Pimms stand was very busy. We look forward to them returning next year with another ‘half-cut’ Shakespeare offering.
Another event to look forward to is a concert by Newmarket Town Band on Sunday 7th August from 2.30pm to 4.30pm. Gates open as usual at 2pm. Refreshments will be served by the Royal British Legion, who are sponsoring this event. This is the first time we have had a town band performing in the garden: we hope you enjoy the music and the weather behaves itself. Please bring your own chairs, if possible. Picnics welcome.
The Trust has decided to continue combining our annual fete with the Horticultural Show in September, rather than running separate events. There is a wide range of classes to enter – whether you bake, grow your own fruit and veg, arrange flowers, make preserves, knit, stitch, sew, paint or take photos – there is something for everyone. We are particularly keen to see more entries from children: there are five classes in two age groups – seven years and under and eight to twelve years old. The show takes place on Saturday 3rd September, with staging from 9am to 10.45am, judging at 11am, open from 2am to 4.30pm. Entry is £1 per adult. The schedule for the show, including the list of classes and entry forms, will be available from the Challis Garden and dispensers at the two allotment sites, or online at www.challistrust.org.uk. Please return entry slips to the Challis Garden or online by Thursday 1st September – late entries will not be accepted. Don’t forget our popular auction of produce, immediately after the trophy presentations. Do bring plenty of cash as we can’t yet accept card payments!
Our garden plants are looking somewhat stressed at present, due to the long dry spell and exceptionally high temperatures in mid-July. The conditions mean less mowing and weeding but lots of watering. Fortunately we have a borehole on site and can water freely. If current trends continue in the future, we will have to consider installing an irrigation system.
Our garden volunteers and museum stewards, along with the trustees, have worked very hard to maintain the garden to a high standard, stage a very professional exhibition, run events and host visiting groups. Sincere thanks to everyone involved in making the Challis House and Garden such an asset to the village. That said, we could always use more help; if you are interested in volunteering with us, there are opportunities for garden volunteers, Sunday stewards, archivists, event helpers, museum stewards, caterers and cleaners. Do come along for a chat to see how you could help.
The Challis Trust is due to receive a donation of £1,000 from Sawston Fun Run, which we gratefully acknowledge, as a contribution to improving disabled access into the garden. Mike Redshaw
Read MoreMay 2022
It was wonderful to see so many people attending our first event of the year, the Children’s Easter Activities Morning on 16th April. Graced by some good spring weather and lots of happy children, it was a joy to be there. Great, too, to see so many new families joining in. All the activities were well attended, especially face-painting, decorating flowerpots and the nature trail. Thank you to everyone who came and to the many volunteers for helping out. Special thanks for those who contributed to the Ukraine appeal by painting pebbles in the national colours: your donations raised £41 for the DEC Ukraine fund. The pebbles have been arranged as a spiral in the garden – do have a look to see if you can find yours.
There are a number of events coming up in the next period. In June, we are mounting an exhibition in the Challis House as part of the village celebrations for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee from Thursday 2nd to Sunday 5th. This celebrates the life and reign of our queen, featuring her coronation and previous jubilees, as well as those of Queen Victoria and King George V. Royal visits to Sawston and Sawstonians who have met the queen or have received royal honours are also featured. A number of MBEs, OBEs and knighthoods have been bestowed on Sawstonians – come and learn more about them. The exhibition is open from 10am to 12 noon on 2nd to 4th June and from 2pm to 4pm on 5th June. After the Platinum Jubilee holiday, the exhibition will continue every Tuesday and Saturday from 10am to 12 noon throughout June. The garden will also be open when the exhibition is running.
In July, the Challis Garden will open along with four other Sawston gardens in support of the National Garden Scheme. This village group opening is on Sunday 3rd July from 1pm to 5pm. Homemade tea and cakes will be served in the Challis Garden from 1.30pm to 4pm. More details are given on page 7 of this issue.
We are delighted to welcome back Half Cut Theatre to the garden on the weekend of 9th and 10th July for three performances of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing. Following their entertaining – if not hilarious – visits last year with Twelfth Night and Treasure Island, this is likely to be very popular. Do book early – see page 27 for details. The gates open an hour before each performance, so there’s time to socialise and picnic beforehand. Please bring your own seats. Cold drinks will be available in the garden.
Spring seemed to arrive early this year, spurred on by early warm weather. However, the exceptionally dry conditions in April and early May set back early growth and some plants suffered from some late frosts. Fortunately, the fruit blossom appears to have escaped any damage and has set well. We look forward to some good fruit crops this autumn. Our vegetable plot is looking good now, with beans, peas, potatoes, garlic, beetroot, carrots and leeks well established. Barring any cold weather, more sensitive crops (tomatoes, courgettes, salads, runner beans) will be planted out in late May.
The garden team have been busy raising bedding plants, now being hardened off in cold frames before planting out in the herbaceous beds, including begonias, geraniums, echium, cosmos, zinnia, salvias and rudbeckia. Most hardy perennials are developing well, though our dahlias appear to be rather late this year. The rainfall in mid-May should help them to catch up. We are very occupied now keeping up with weeding, mowing, strimming, watering and manuring. It’s a busy time of the year, requiring lots of labour. Fortunately, we have a lot of enthusiastic volunteers – but there is always room for more. If you are interested in joining our gardening team, please come along for a chat.
Early build-up of caterpillars is causing some damage. Spindle trees are infested with ‘webbing’ caterpillars of the spindle ermine moth. These are controlled by hand-picking and squishing – definitely not for the squeamish! A few of our box bushes are being attacked by box moth caterpillars, a new invasive species in the UK. Control measures include power-spraying to literally knock the caterpillars off the branches and spraying with a biological insecticide, a bacteria that infects the caterpillars – a better option than using chemicals. Hopefully, this will keep the problem under control.
Observant passers-by will have noticed that we have applied mulch to the front garden on the High Street. We have used strulch, a mineralised straw mulch much lauded in the gardening journals. This helps to suppress weeds, retains moisture and gradually releases minerals to the soil, as well as being a natural deterrent to slugs and snails. We haven’t used it before, but it sounds good: let’s see how it performs. We hope you have enjoyed the displays of daffodils and tulips in the front garden that will improve with time. The colours chosen for this planting compliments the laburnum, which is in full flower at the time of writing.
Mike Redshaw
Read MorePlatinum Jubilee Exhibition
We are delighted to announce the first post-Covid exhibition at the Challis Museum. It will be held in early June (opening dates in the next edition of Sawston Scene and on the noticeboard outside the house). We are mounting an exhibition which will celebrate the life and reign of the Queen, featuring:
- her life and reign
- her Prime Ministers
- her previous jubilees
- royal visits to Sawston
- Sawstonians who have met the Queen or have received Royal honours
- Sawston Coronation celebrations
- Sawstonians celebrating the Silver Jubilee
- Jubilees of Queen Victoria and King George V
- How Sawston has changed during the Queen’s reign
We have delved into our archives for documents, publications and items and following our appeal in the last edition of Sawston Scene, and have received several kind offers to loan or donate royal artefacts. If you have any items you would be prepared to loan us for the exhibition, please contact chair@challistrust.org.uk
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