Members' Day 25 October 2025
Sarah Hopps presented in the morning with 'Gardening to Delight the Senses'. After lunch Julia Loudon demonstrated 'A Flight of Floral Fancy'. The swan was a superb interpretation, with no-one in doubt over what it was.
Click on each image below to expand it.
Click on each image below to expand it.
National Show Gloucester 19/20 September 2025
Because of the clash with Newby Hall, the North East Area’s presence at the Gloucester National show was not as strong as the previous one in May 2023 but as well as two members of the Area being part of the Speakers’ team (see the Speakers page here for details) there were four designers who entered the classes: Area Chairman Rita Braithwaite, Susan Fairhurst, Eileen Barraclough and Elaine Bedford. Pictured here are all of the entries. Hover your mouse over each image to get further details, and click on the thumbnail to get a larger version.
Newby Hall (Autumn) Show 2025
Congratulations to Karen Trewartha (Castleford) for Best in Show, Class C (below)
Class A - Autumn Equinox. Hover your mouse over each image to find the name of the designer, click on the image to enlarge it.
Class B - Opulent Autumn. Hover your mouse over each image to find the name of the designer, click on the image to enlarge it.
Class C - Autumn Showers Hover your mouse over each image to find the name of the designer, click on the image to enlarge it.
Area Luncheon 25 June 2025 at Escrick
Pictures from the event (from Amanda Hartley). Click on each image to expand it. Images show the room, the table allocations, the Area Chairman Rita, the Speaker at the event Andrew Key (North Midlands area), the Area President Sheila Drybrough giving the vote of thanks and the event organiser Joan O'Brien.
Harrogate 2025 Spring Show
Babylon
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Board Games
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Cottagecore
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Flowers of Fire
First and Best in Show 2025
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Spring Meadow
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Fragile
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A Taste for Magic
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Tree of Life
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Inside the Issue
Newby Hall 2024 (Harrogate Autumn Show)
Spiral Spheres
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Foraged Delights
Lindsay Smith
Geraldine Carter
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Sarah McGrail
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Driffield Show 2024
Local clubs are invited to create designs to be put on display at each Show and this year was no exception...
Top row: Driffield then Scarborough, bottom row Beverley then Filey.
Thanks to Geraldine Carter for the images.
Top row: Driffield then Scarborough, bottom row Beverley then Filey.
Thanks to Geraldine Carter for the images.
Francine Thomas Workshops 10/11 June 2024
Some thoughts from Sheila Drybrough following the visit from New Zealand of the talented Francine Thomas who wove her magic for the North East Area during her recent visit...
I would like to say a huge Thank You to all who were involved in welcoming Francine and her husband Ash, by attending the demonstration and workshops and for all those who helped in any way to make the event run smoothly. I would also like to say that we are very grateful to those who messages of how much they enjoyed the demonstration and workshops.
Sheila Drybrough
Some images from the hive of creativity that was the Folk Hall in New Earswick when Francine led two days' of inspirational workshops...
I would like to say a huge Thank You to all who were involved in welcoming Francine and her husband Ash, by attending the demonstration and workshops and for all those who helped in any way to make the event run smoothly. I would also like to say that we are very grateful to those who messages of how much they enjoyed the demonstration and workshops.
Sheila Drybrough
Some images from the hive of creativity that was the Folk Hall in New Earswick when Francine led two days' of inspirational workshops...
Francine Thomas Demonstration 8 June 2024
The Area was swept off their collective feet when in memory of Barbara Pinnock, we hosted Francine Thomas from New Zealand who wove her creative magic at the Joseph Rowntree Theatre. Members and guests from all over the United Kingdom (from Sussex to Aberdeen) travelled to York to witness her creativity.
Below are some pictures of the audience - some familiar faces to spot?
Below are some images from the demonstration. Click on each one to expand it.
Harrogate (Newby Hall) Autumn Flower Show 2023
Prizewinners - Class A Rustic Richness
Prizewinners - Class B Dancing Stems
Visitors' Designs at the Workshops
Thanks to Christine Hinchcliffe for sending these images of what was made by visitors to the North East Area Stand at the 2023 Newby Hall Show. Beautiful!
Driffield Show 2023
Each year at Driffield Agricultural Show flower clubs are invited to create exhibition designs (not judged). This year clubs from Driffield, Scarborough, East Riding and Beverley provided these beautiful creations.
Driffield Flower Club
Scarborough Flower Club
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Beverley Flower Club
East Riding Flower Club
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Harrogate (Newby Hall) Autumn Show 2022
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This stunning design shown at Harrogate Autumn Flower Show 2022 at Newby Hall was designed by Anne Davison, Gloria Parker and Pat Bundy from Ossett. They took their inspiration from the Queen's racing colours.
Anne Davison writes: I designed the display with Gloria Parker using Gloria’s tall, wrought iron stand which we had used previously for the Flowers at Oxford festival. By using a second, shorter stand and a small third stand at the base, all fronted by mesh grids woven with the same fabric strips, we were able to achieve a coordinated effect with the height, width and depth we needed. The colours of the fabric were repeated in the flowers, with only a small amount of foliage used so it did not detract from the strong colour scheme. The planned centre pieces of each design were orange-flocked brassicas, but as their condition was already failing, we decided to use some agapanthus seed-heads sprayed red and lightly over sprayed with gold, giving it an added regal touch. The vibrant colours were chosen to give visual impact against the black background. We later discovered that, by happy coincidence, orange and purple were her majesty the Queen’s racing colours! Unfortunately Gloria was not able to stage the exhibit, so Pat Bundy helped me to arrange on the day. We were delighted with the response to the stand and are pleased to have helped advertise NAFAS in this way. Anne Davison |
Jubilee Corsage Competition
To celebrate the Queen's 70 years' reign the Executive organised a competition at the April Area Council to design a corsage. Here are the competition winners and their designs.
First prize - Joyce Hearnshaw. Her prize was collected on her behalf by Anne Ridsdale.
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Second prize - Hazel Bell, Ossett
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Third prize: Caroline Nash, Driffield FC
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Flower Arranging Day 6 May 2022
Below are some images sent of Clubs' getting into the spirit of the 2022 Flower Arranging Day.
Placed in Pomegranate Persian Tea Room by Dorathy Hood, Great Ayton
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Some of the designs created by Filey. There are many more images on Filey's own club page on this website.
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Harrogate Spring Show 2022
It was lovely to be back at Harrogate (in the sun!) for the 2022 Spring Show. Congratulations to the North East Area for their exhibit which won a Gold for an interpretation of The Twenties. Designers: Lynn Barghout, Alex Gracey, Yina Slade and Vanessa Wellock.
Memories of Shibden...
Those of us getting our second dose of "Gentleman Jack" (starring Suranne Jones as the indomitable Ann Lister) may recall that in 2011 the North East Area held a very successful flower festival at Shibden Hall. Below are some of the images taken at the event of the designs. You will probably recognise the coach!
Memorial Service for HRH The Prince Philip 29 March 2022
Seven arranges from all over the UK decorated Westminster Abbey for the occasion of the Memorial Service for Prince Philip, on Tuesday 29 March 2022, in the presence of the Queen and other members of the Royal Family. No North East members were part of the design team, but North East Area member and Trustee, Peter Mathers acted as "gopher". Below are some pictures that Peter took when some of the beautiful designs were being created.
James Burneside (NIGFAS) Quire (left hand)
National President, Michael Bowyer, (Wessex and Jersey), High Altar (left hand)
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David Ryland (North
West) Quire (right hand)
National Chairman Katherine Kear (Three Counties and South Wales) High Altar (right hand)
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Antheia Flower Club.
Unfortunately, on 13th December 2021 Antheia FC closed.
However the club did not close with a whimper but celebrated with a final workshop led by the Club’s President Lucy Richardson on Sunday the 12th December.
12 members attended the event which was mostly funded by the club (a small charge of £10 was needed to cover costs as the balance held by the club did not quite cover it).
A super time was had by the attendees who created these lovely designs shown in the photographs. A glass of fizz and festive mince pies were also enjoyed!
However the club did not close with a whimper but celebrated with a final workshop led by the Club’s President Lucy Richardson on Sunday the 12th December.
12 members attended the event which was mostly funded by the club (a small charge of £10 was needed to cover costs as the balance held by the club did not quite cover it).
A super time was had by the attendees who created these lovely designs shown in the photographs. A glass of fizz and festive mince pies were also enjoyed!
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Chelsea 2021
RHS Chelsea 2021 took a different format this year and was in September. NAFAS had a presence in the Great Pavilion where eight designers, all previous Chelsea gold medal winners, were invited to create an exhibit with a common title "Nature's Sculptures". This was judged by the RHS as a single ensemble design and we won a Gold. Many congratulations from the North East Area to all who took part.
The design at Chelsea.
The Chelsea Gold Medal Award. Pictured with our Area President and NAFAS National Trustee Ann Harding are Nicky Chapman from the BBC and NAFAS Trustee Ellie Meaking (South Midlands area)
The Chelsea designers.
Back row, L-R: Margaret McSheehy (Sussex), Elaine Taylor (NIGFAS), Jane Belcher (BB&O), Steven McDonald (Sussex).
Front row L-R: Wendy Parsons (Sussex), Linda Porrett (Sussex), Ann Kennedy (Sussex and Surrey), Barbara Collier (Surrey and South Midlands)
A panoramic view of the Great Pavilion at Chelsea with the NAFAS design on the extreme right.
Chairman's Challenge 2020/2021
The National Chairman, Katherine Kear threw down the gauntlet to Areas to come up with a monthly design to be informally judged by the Board. Here are the entries submitted by the North East Area. The National Website www.nafas.org.uk/ has the full list of all the designs and the winners each month.
August's entry ("A Picnic on the Beach") was by Valerie Jessop of Northallerton Flower Club. It won first prize! See separate article on the News page.
