Gwen Fletcher

Hallmark February 1986. A Tribute to Gwendoline Fletcher by Ted Janes

Sadly, over ‘the ‘Christmas period, the death occurred ‘of two people, not residents of the village for some years now, but nevertheless remembered, friends and workers of the village particularly. for the Village Hall, namely Miss Gwendoline Fletcher and Mr. Edward Flintham.

Miss Fletcher (only a few close friends called her Gwen) lived at Vine Cottage, a village hall neighbour for over 30 years, and in all those years I never once heard her seriously complain about the noise or boisterous activity that surrounds a public place, the noise, the missiles in her garden, the gate removed from it's hinges, daffodil heads plucked from her treasured garden, were all taken in her stride, she always took the view that. the hall was there when she bought the place.

She was a member of the hall committee for 25 years, and during the 50's and 60's together with Miss Fagge of Bulla-Burra ‘(how Applegate) and Mrs. Frederick of Mandara I looked upon them very much as the hall's administrative trio. A devoted member of the church and W.I., hobbies of gardening and painting, she was quite a good artist, and responsible for some of the early Hallmark cover drawings.

My own vivid" recollection of Miss Fletcher was of an eternally middle-aged lady walking her dog "Victoria" through the village they were inseparable, to me she was always the same age, so when I learned her age of 94 on death, I was truly amazed.

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The following article was printed in Hallmark by Ted Janes, the editor in 1984 :-

THE 'LACEY GREEN AURICULA'

May years ago Miss Fletcher gave me this lithograph of this curiously attractive green petalled flower, that unfortunately we can only reproduce in black and white.

Time has prevented me researching its origin, but luckily our cover story expert Miles Marshall agreed to have a go! He enlisted the help of Mrs Barbara Chalkley who obtained from the Royal Horticultural Society the address of the Hon. Secretary of the national Auricula and Primula Society, a Mr Wigley, who tells us that the painting originally appeared in a book 'The Auricula' by Rev. C. O. Moreton, 1964. The book says that the variety was raised in 1962 by a noted breeder living in the Cotswolds, F. Buckley, who was well known to to the Rev. Moreton.

Mr. Wigley says it was quite common for breeders to meet and examine each others seedlings and if anything worthwhile turned up, suggestions would be made of a local name, etc. for the new variety. What more likely than the Rev. Moreton, who older readers will remember as Vicar of the Parish from 1929 - 34, suggesting the name of Lacey Green, his old parish, for this very appropriately coloured flower, though he could not positively vouch for the fact.

The flower appears to be extinct as it has not appeared on the Show Bench in the last 20 years, but I wonder, perhaps tucked away in a corner of some 'olde worlde' garden, please watch out this summer.

A few prints of the painting are still available at about £2.50 plus postage, if you are interested we can supply the address.

Get your copy and join us in the search for the 'Lacey Green' Auricula.