The sun shone all weekend for visitors to the six very differing gardens open to visitors in the small parish of Hardwicke over the weekend of 13/14 June: Clock Mill, Cottage Farm, The Cottage, Faraway, Highfield and Hardwicke Green.

For the owners of the gardens who had worked so hard to bring them up to show standard it was a rich reward to see friends and strangers alike enjoying the fruits of their labours, strolling between shrubs and flower borders, examining watery wildlife in ponds, admiring lush rows of vegetables, exchanging ideas and tips with fellow gardening enthusiasts and sitting on terraces enjoying afternoon tea against a backdrop of the beautiful Herefordshire countryside. The two day event brought people from as far away as Llandovery and Telford, Builth and Brecon, as well as many based more locally.  175 people visited the gardens and £1,250 was raised for Cancer Research and Hardwicke Church.  On arrival at any one of the gardens, visitors bought a map with the six gardens marked and they were able to visit them in any order over the two days.  One couple, Mark and Janet Robinson from Hay-on-Wye, actually walked the 12 kilometres between all the gardens including an ascent of Little Mountain.  It took them 4½ hours to visit the gardens and a brisk 3 hours to walk between them.

Thanks are due to everyone who helped to make this not only a successful fundraising event, but also a wonderful day of true community, welcome, hospitality and friendship.

Forthcoming events at Hardwicke include a Classical Music Recital on Saturday, 25 July to be given by Elizabeth Neville, ‘cello, member of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and Paul Sweeting, harp and piano, organist at Llyswen.  On Saturday, 22 August Hardwicke holds it annual Summer Fete with Flower Festival coinciding with a three day event to mark the 150^th anniversary of the publication of ‘Celestial Objects for Common Telescopes’ by Thomas William Webb, Vicar of Hardwicke from 1856 to 1885.  This landmark book opened up the night skies for the increasing band of enthusiastic amateur astronomers of the time.  There will be an exhibition in the church, a lecture and a Star Party when telescope owners will set up their equipment for party-goers to explore the heavens.

Further details of these events on 01497 831051/01497 820488 for Concert and Fete and 01497 821348 for the Thomas Webb Celebration.