Anne Jennings
Anne with Mala Williams, Wessex Past President and NAFAS Trustee.
I am enormously sad to break the sad news that Anne Jennings passed away peacefully early this morning after losing her fight with cancer. Anne has been such a stalwart of the area, inspiring, encouraging and supporting members to tackle the judges and speakers tests.
Anne’s steadfast belief in her protégés gave them the confidence to shine. Her commitment to our area was unstinting and I believe we have had some of the best training in the country thanks to Anne.
Anne at our Diamond Anniversary with our current Speakers Rep Bronda Dossett
We will miss her hugely, I had hoped she would be President for me when I became chair of the area but ill health would not let her do it. She will leave an enormous gap in our area.
We are so proud of her work both for our area, but also for NAFAS across the country. Rather than try to list everything she has achieved I am going to let her tell you her story in her own words, with her article from our area magazine published in 2021.
PIP BENSLEY - AREA CHAIRMAN
Early Days
I started ‘putting flowers in the house’ in the early 1950’s. I was not a flower arranger, I was a gardener, but I had a large garden and a large house and took great pleasure in bringing the things I had grown into the house to enjoy. I bought a very small book by Constance Spry ‘How to do the Flowers’. This was how it all started!
We had a lovely little gardener who told me my efforts were good and he encouraged
me to enter the village show. My two entries earned me a first and a second prize and immediately I was ‘hooked’.
I entered all the small shows around with quite a lot of success and then got more ambitious. I entered the Southampton Show which at that time was quite prestigious, and again I won prizes, and also learned much from seeing what others were doing to give me inspiration.
One day when I was dismantling my prize winning exhibit a lady came up to me and said “you should join our club”. I was amazed — did they have clubs for arranging flowers?
So, in 1963 I joined Southampton Floral Decoration Society and for two years sat in the back row fascinated by the demonstrators and teachers who came to our meetings. They were so very different from today’s demonstrators because they did teach, and we who knew very little wanted them to teach us.
Everybody, including the demonstrators, wore hats; we all dressed in our best clothes and they wore ‘pinnies’ and gloves. In my enthusiasm I entered the monthly competitions and got involved in any of the club’s activities.
One day the club chairman, who didn’t drive, asked me to take her to the judge’s day school. I was too shy to say “no” so I took her to a church hall in another part of Southampton, and I thought I might as well go in, rather than sit in
the car.
It was more of a mock test than a day school with two adjudicators officiating. Having grilled us, at the end of the day they announced the names of the people who should take the judges test. There were not many but, strangely enough, I was one of them and the club chairman was not!
On their advice I took the test with about 12 others and only two passed and I was one of them. I was totally amazed to have become an area judge and to have become a part of the newly formed NAFAS.
Anne with veteran flower arranger, Julia Clements, at NAFAS in 2006, celebrating Julia’s 100th birthday
I was really thrilled with my new qualification and rang the lady who organised the test and asked what fee I should charge for judging. FEE, she said, FEE... you don’t ask to be PAID! It is an honour to be ASKED! That took me down a peg or two!
However, I was not deterred and judged for anybody who asked me and worked on improving my knowledge. I went to every day school in the area and also further afield. I went to every show in reasonable distance including the National and Area Shows.
I entered a competition run by, and included in, the Ideal Home Exhibition at Olympia in London and won a first prize, so I decided I was going to enter the NAFAS National Show.
In those days it was held annually at the RHS Halls in London which was rather daunting, but I was determined to do it and I entered a class entitled ‘Alfresco’. It was quite a small exhibit to be staged on a small round table with a lime green cover. It was very hot weather so it was a challenge to get fresh plant material there and keep it fresh.
I managed to park the car and arrived with my box of materials. As soon as I stepped through the door I was captivated. The exhibits being staged there were thrilling, and beyond anything I had ever seen before. I had to tear myself away from gazing at other people at work to stage my exhibit which I did to the best of my ability.
I had to go back to dismantle on a very hot day and took my mother with me so that she could enjoy the show. Determined to be comfortable I wore a cotton frock and sandals — no hat, no high heels! Imagine my amazement when I found a first prize card
on my exhibit. I then had to stay for the prize giving.
The VIP’s were grouped at the top of a stone staircase which the prize winners had to mount to be presented with their prize. They were all dressed as if for Ascot, and there was me in my comfortable gear! The icing on the cake came when my exhibit was pictured in the Gardening magazine where Julia Clements wrote a flower arranging page.
From that time on I entered every National Show for many years and I have a collection of NAFAS spoons which the prize winners received. Three years later in 1974 this was ‘my year’ as unbelievably my entry in the National Show in a class entitled ‘The Castle Banquet. A Sumptuous Array’ won Best in Show at Harrogate. In those days the winner was actually allowed to take the trophy home and for a year I was able to enjoy the magnificent Julia Clements trophy on my dining room table.
That same year I had entered my name to take the National Judges Test, just for the experience, hoping at a later date to enter with more confidence. In those days all National tests were held at Caxton Hall in London.
I arrived to join a group of candidates sat in a corridor outside the test rooms and recognised faces of rather grand and learned ladies such as Daphne Vagg waiting to be tested. I felt very humble!
My turn came to go into the Oral Room and face the four adjudicators. The class was ‘Bonfire Night’ and I judged it at great speed and awarded the prizes. The time keeper said “you have five more minutes!”
I panicked and started to rejudge. Katherine Perkins was the senior adjudicator and told me not to bother as I had said everything, so I slunk out of the room feeling very stupid. Apart from the area chairman, Joyce Dickson, I had not told anybody I was doing this, and I was amazed when I was having a cup of tea in the Army & Navy store after the test to see Joan Reynolds, one of our area officers, coming to join me.
She had just taken the test and we compared notes. All our results were different and that assured me that I still had a lot to learn. A few days later I had a letter to tell me I had passed! I was now a national judge!
Moving On
At the time I passed my National Test the Wessex area did not have a national judge so I was thrilled to be the first. Also, area representatives had to be nationally qualified, and as we had nobody to fill that post we had shared Surrey’s representative Madge Green.
Immediately I had a job — area judges representative. Members of the national judging committee had to be area reps, which made the choice very limited, so quite soon I was asked to join the national committee, and having been a member for two or three years I was nominated vice chairman. I really felt out of my depth but accepted the challenge.
I was due to take over in February 1980. A month before that the first NAFAS residential course was held, organised by Mary Napper. At this gathering it was agreed that everything connected with testing and training of judges should be modernised and upgraded and an official judges manual should be produced with a proper set of criteria and rulings for judges to follow.
Until that time it was very much what the judge liked and didn’t like. The national judging committee was given the job, and “oh help” I was going to be the chairman who had to organise it!
I knew all this was beyond the ability of the judging committee, so I enlisted the help of some of the great ladies of that time — Daphne Vagg, Marion Aaronson, Mary Newnes (Shirville) and the great Jean Taylor. With these and other talented ladies each being given an aspect of judging to research and write about, our new system began to take shape.
We formed a group we called the judges working party — a senior group of judges, adjudicators and instructors. We planned a much more rigorous judges test and eventually the first judges manual was produced.
I am proud to say that even through various revised editions and a change of name — the competitions manual — some of our original wording survives and those who qualify as NAFAS judges both at area and national level are knowledgeable and impartial and reach decisions in a recognised and efficient way.
When all this was completed I went on to chair and organise the first judges refresher course at Sparsholt College, the first of many. On two occasions I found myself at the National Competitions, not as a competitor but as a committee member and I realised what a vast amount of organisation staging these events involved.
The first time was in 1975 when I was newly qualified, but the second time in 1987 I was in charge. Both of these events were staged in Bournemouth which was a very popular venue.
In 1987 we organised a double set of competitions, working through the night to stage the second set of exhibits. Needless to say, we were exhausted at the end of the festival. One of our claims to fame was bringing in Army cadets to do some carrying of heavy items. The competitors were delighted to have some young and strong helpers.
I was now invited to judge all over the country and when I qualified as an adjudicator and instructor this also took me to all areas of NAFAS and beyond. I have worked in every area of our organisation except Northumberland & Durham, although I have met their members in other areas at shows, tests and training days.
At closer places I drove, but to Ireland and Scotland I flew, and friendly people came to collect me.I made lovely friends and still keep in touch with many of them.
Further afield, I paid many visits to AIOFA – the flower arrangers of Southern Ireland. They were a very talented and enthusiastic group who always greeted me with “You are VERY welcome”.
I later went to Bermuda for two weeks to train and test Judges. Sadly, it was not the sunny break I expected. Bermuda in February is cold and wet, but the welcome was very warm. They have just one club but have strong links with the American organisations, whose thinking is rather different but needed to be respected. I later went to judge an international show in Bermuda and judged with an American judge with very strong, and at times controversial views!
Other international experiences were trips to France and Italy. In France I judged my first WAFA show with two French judges who spoke no English. Luckily, I spoke reasonable French and could communicate, but sadly our ideas on judging were far apart!
Neither of these ladies were qualified judges and I confess to ‘pulling rank’ and vetoing some of their ideas. The Best in Show process at this show was very dramatic and Julia Clements as Arbitrator had to be very firm!
Princess Caroline of Monaco was to open the show and had to drive round and round the Tivoli Gardens many times while the International panel of judges disagreed on the choice of the major awards.
I also judged a smaller show at Bourg-en- Bresse near Lyon again with French judges. After agreeing to judge this show I was informed that I was expected to give a demonstration as well. Demonstrating had never been something I wanted to do. I tried it and after two performances decided it was not for me.
Now here I was expected to give a demonstration far from home and in French! As usual I accepted the challenge, worked out a programme on the subject of the Olympics — everything bronze, silver and gold! Pam Lewis made me stands which could be dismantled and packed, and off I went on Eurostar.
I managed to produce an acceptable demonstration in front of the Mayor and VIPs of the town, and was quite pleased that I remembered my script in French. That was really a challenge!
My Italian trip to Milan was another challenge! I was asked to adjudicate and presumed it was a Judges test, but found it was a Demonstrators Test. The other Adjudicators were Belgian and French.
I was expecting to see wonderful creative modern work which had been seen coming from Italy, but I found that this was a very different group whose work took me back to the ’60s. When this group was formed they invited one of the founder members of NAFAS to come and instruct them.
Her words were set in stone and they had never moved forward. They had just reprinted their instruction book and it was a blast from the past. Strict geometric shapes with specified measurements were compulsory.
Even though we all came from different organisations, as adjudicators we were at a loss. The Belgian lady spoke the best Italian so we left her to negotiate. In spite of her efforts we were told at the end of the test that everybody had to pass! The whole event was rather a disaster, but it gave me an opportunity to visit the beautiful city of Milan.
I have judged many area shows, the national show on several occasions,
and also acted as arbitrator when I was chairman of the judging committee. What a privilege this is, to see all this wonderful work in an empty hall, but what a responsibility to judge when there is so much brilliant work on display.
As chairman of the NAFAS judging committee in 1981 I advised on the International rules when WAFA was formed, then went on to judge the WAFA show in Paris and the WAFA show in Glasgow where I was judging with a Japanese Judge (with an interpreter) and an Australian Judge.
The Australian was very quiet and somewhat out of her depth, but the Japanese lady was brilliant and we worked well together in spite of the language difference. I was full of admiration when she excitedly recognised an exhibit in the style of Charles Rennie Mackintosh.
What depth of knowledge that showed! I feel very privileged to have had so much wonderful experience of judging such inspiring work in so many different venues and with so many interesting co-judges.
Mature Years
Speaking, as with judging, happened to me unexpectedly. As I was better known, people asked me to demonstrate. As I mentioned before — demonstrating was not something that attracted me. Flower arranging was for me a quiet and solitary relaxing enjoyment. When I refused the invitations I suggested that I could visit their club and talk about competition work. This seemed to work and I visited lots of clubs to encourage members to compete.
After a while I thought that I should try to be qualified for what I was doing.
At that time the committee that dealt with speaking was the demonstrators and lecturers committee.
Lecturers was a daunting title and the qualification was only at National level.
It didn’t sound encouraging, but off I went to Caxton Hall to be a member of the audience at the next lecturers test. It was a really enjoyable experience and I decided to enter for the next test in 1978.
We were treated very casually and there were few guidelines to help us, no mention was made of visual aids. I arrived with a little bundle of prompt cards and the candidate after me arrived with a taxi full of driftwood! I listened to the other candidates with great fascination and decided I loved listening to speakers.
Again I was amazed to pass and become a national lecturer! All that changed in 1980 when Pam McNicol became national chairman and decreed that lecturers should become speakers and should have their own committee. Jane Neatby from Bristol was made chairman of this new committee and I was one of the three committee members. We had a great deal to do to raise the profile and to promote NAFAS speakers.
Many years later I was asked to join the committee again, as vice-chairman, moving on to chairman. I then chaired a national speakers refresher course at Keele University. This was an exciting project — working with such talented speakers and revealing so much latent talent.
So much has been achieved but there is still so much to do, to persuade NAFAS members to include speakers in their programmes, as well as demonstrators. It has been a long struggle which still goes on, but we now have a network of area speakers throughout the organisation.
Speakers are included in the programme at National Shows, and members days usually include a speaker as well as a demonstrator. As an adjudicator and instructor I have trained and tested many speakers and have enjoyed the wonderful variation that their talks create. Speakers have opened many doors for me and created many interests.
With all this administration I still had to find time to go back to where I started and arrange plant material. I had wonderful opportunities to do this in fantastic and inspiring places.
In 1986 I was lucky enough to be one of the team who decorated Westminster Abbey for the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of York. 40 members of NAFAS from all over the country spent two days carrying out Pam McNicol’s magnificent designs. The floor of the Abbey had to be kept clear for the multitudes of guests to be seated, so everything had to be off the ground.
I was lucky that I only had to work on a 6ft ladder decorating the railings of St. Georges Chapel just inside the West Door, but many of the team were working 30ft up on narrow stone shelves with nothing to hang on to. Janet Smith was one of those unfortunates.
There was a shortage of ‘cherrypickers’ and those on high shelves were transported to their shelf and then left with no support. Fortunately there were no casualties! I worked on oasis bars wired to the outside of the chapel in an L-shape using Mountbatten roses.
The colour scheme was peach, pink and apricot and all the flowers were donated by growers and Royal gardens. While we worked we were regularly inspected by ‘sniffer dogs’ and had the joy of hearing the choir and musicians rehearsing their beautiful music.
At the end of the second day there were still chapels full of buckets of flowers which we had no more time to arrange. The next morning dressed in our best and wearing specially purchased hats, we went back to the Abbey, as we had been allocated seats to be present at the wedding.
I had the joy of co-designing two flower festivals in Winchester Cathedral — one with Pam McNicol and one with my dear friends Janet Smith and Wendy Howden. The many hours spent in that magnificent building, learning about the history, planning interpretative displays, and appreciating the amazing architecture was all a delight.
Taking part in many flower festivals all over the country was a great pleasure. The festival at Canterbury Cathedral was particularly inspiring co- designed by our own Michael Bowyer. Every festival had its own beauty, its own atmosphere, its own interpretation and artistry and large or small, all drew crowds and long patient queues of the public waiting to appreciate our efforts. This was so very rewarding!
Lastly, I remember my visits to the home of horticulture — Chelsea Flower Show. I led a team from Southampton Flower Club twice and we were awarded first a Silver Medal and then a Silver Gilt. Finally, Pam McNicol asked me to co-design with her the NAFAS exhibit in the main marquee which had been allocated to the Wessex & Jersey to present.
This was a vast project which took a great deal of preparation and thought. Luckily we had a farmer’s wife in the team and we were able to mock up in a barn as we needed a very large space.
The actual staging of the exhibit was quite the most arduous I ever experienced in my long NAFAS career. One day it was hot, one day it poured with rain! The restrictions on traffic meant that our staging and plant material had to be carried long distances. The dust was prolific and everything had to be dusted several times a day. It was all worthwhile when we were awarded a Gold Medal for our labours.
My NAFAS career has been long and varied and has led to a very interesting life. I was rewarded in 1993 by being made a NAFAS Associate of Honour. This appreciation of my work was a great reward, but no reward was needed to fulfil a very absorbing life. I have learned so much over the years, and have enjoyed passing on knowledge to others.
It gives me great satisfaction to see somebody I have trained doing well and carrying on the cause.
I have learned a great deal researching for interpretative projects and have travelled to many interesting places and made many friends.
All this came about because, as a gardener I cut the flowers I grew and took them into the house to enjoy!
Anne Jennings