THE AGM of the Minchinhampton Gardening Club was held on Monday, January 18. There was an excellent attendance of some 60 members, who listened to the club's annual reports of an excellent year with many interesting outside speakers, two outings, two social events and a very successful Annual Show. Membership of the club has now risen to 100. Thanks were given to the show organisers, Terry and Christine Sharpe, for the excellent organisation, and to all who helped over the year. John Bingle was again voted to remain as chairman, Ian Hartley became secretary, and the other committee members were joined by three new volunteers.

The club was fortunate to have a very special speaker after the conclusion of the AGM business – Dr Philip Morley of Wight Salads, a member of the British Tomato Growers' Association, travelled a long way to give us a presentation and talk on the Great British Tomato, with slides showing the extremely complicated processes involved in producing not the tomato with the greatest yield, but more importantly, the tomato with the best flavour. The Tomato Growers were made aware of the Minchinhampton Gardening Club in April of last year, when one of our members, Hilary Kemmett, had a letter published in the Daily Telegraph, bemoaning the fact that supermarket tomatoes had no flavour whatsoever. This led to a flurry of letters in the paper, both agreeing and suggesting remedies, including the valuable advice not to keep tomatoes in the fridge. Then to her surprise, Hilary had a phone call from Julie Woollie of the British Tomato Growers Association, asking if they might send her a box of home-grown tomatoes to prove that the Great British Tomato had a most delicious flavour. Of course, Hilary agreed and soon a large box arrived. The tomatoes – of many different sizes, shapes and colours – were not only most delicious, but they were also beautiful. The tomatoes were shared with some of the club members, and following on from this, we asked if a representative from the Association could come to speak to us - hence the visit of Dr Morley. He crammed in as much information as was possible in the short time available: the scientific basis of the many experiments to produce new varieties, to improve the soil, to use green energy to heat the greenhouses, and showed slides of the huge tomato vines, the extensive glass houses on the Isle of Wight and in Kent, and – not least - the panel of independent Tomato Tasters, who give their unbiased opinion on flavour. Many members then had the opportunity to ask questions before Dr Morley had to set off on a three-hour drive to his next appointment.

The meeting finished with a superb buffet supper, wine and fruit juices, prepared by committee members. The next meeting will be held in Minchinhampton School Hall at 7.30pm on February 15, when the talk will be on Bees and Bee Keeping.