History of Shrewsbury Flower Show
Every August for more than a century the Shrewsbury Flower Show has been held in the picturesque setting of Shrewsbury’s beautiful 29-acre Quarry Park, with its magnificent sunken garden providing a colourful centrepiece for the thousands of visitors that have enjoyed the show over the years.
With just an office staff of two full time members and an abundance of enthusiastic volunteers, the Society has been able to meet the challenges and threats to its existence. The Society and the Show have not only survived but have become a firm date in the events calendar.
1800’s – From Carnations, Gooseberries, Morality to Funding
The origins of The Shrewsbury Flower Show and The Shropshire Horticultural Society can really be traced back to around the summer of 1836, when a Carnation and Gooseberry Show was staged in the Frankwell area of the Town.
By 1857, it was documented that, the ‘Shropshire Horticultural Society’ was staging a Flower Show in a large Marquee in the town.
However around the same time The Government deemed ‘certain events were below acceptable moral standards’ and should be banned. But The Shrewsbury Flower Show and its Society soldiered on.
Financial pressure thwarted the Show, in 1874 it made a profit of ‘One Shilling and Ten Pence,’ about 9 pence in present day money.
1900’s – War, Taxation & Weather
After surviving two world wars, the 1960’s brought about a new pressure.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer placed an Entertainment tax on outside events, causing a burden of such magnitude that The Show lost money year on year.
1970 saw weather halt play, with over 2 inches of rain fall during the first day of The Show.
The 70’s saw The Shropshire Horticultural Society in ruin, down to its last few pounds and bankers refusing to honour cheques. The late Percy Thrower made mention that many involved walked away from The Society, in fear of what may come about, but it didn’t deter those in charge who remained focused.
What did come about was amazing, and has established The Shropshire Horticultural Society, and thus The Shrewsbury Flower Show as a leader within their Craft and a model for others.
It established itself as a Society of men and women who volunteer to undertake much of the work, Stewarding and Managing. The Society has been able to meet the challenges of the twentieth century as it did the demands of the nineteenth.
Moved into a different media.
For our 2010 show we launched our own radio station, Buzz FM.
Run by local media professionals, Buzz FM broadcasted the week of the run up to the show and broadcasted live comentary from the showground on the two show days.
Click here for more Buzz FM info
Supporting the community
The society, founded in 1875 made its first donation in 1878 to the Shrewsbury Corporation for improvement to the Quarry Park. It has subsequently made hundreds of donations to organisations throughout Shropshire. In addition to its support of local horticultural shows and schools the society has made the following significant donations:
| 2008 | |
| £120,000 | Torch Appeal, Gait Laboratory at Oswestry Orthopaedic Hospital. |
| £54,000 | Shropshire branch of Red Cross for new ambulance. |
| £32,000 | Dial a Ride for a new community transport vehicle. |
| £75,000 | Severn Hospice to landscape gardens at the new Telford hospice. |
| £19,982 | Shrewsbury Lawn Tennis Club disabled parking provisions. |
| £17,793 | Lady Forrester Centre, garden landscaping. |
| £11,186 | St. Mary’s C of E School for landscaping of grounds. |
| £10,000 | Walled Garden Project for landscaping of grounds |
| 2006 | |
| £11,000 |
Mucklestone School, Nr Market Drayton for an educational garden.
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| £10,000 | Landscaping of the column island for Britain in Bloom. |
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| 2005 | |
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£50,000
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Shropshire Wildlife Trust to purchase Forest Glen site near the Wrekin.
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£5,000
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Shropshire St John Ambulance to purchase three defibrillators.
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| £50,000 | St. John Ambulance Purchase of a new ambulance. |
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2004
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£24,453
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Shrewsbury Borough Council to refurbish the Quarry Bandstand.
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£5,100
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Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, Lingen Davies cancer treatment centre.
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£16, 875
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Shrewsbury in Bloom Committee
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£22,115
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Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, post graduate training centre.
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2001
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£565,000
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Quarry Restoration Project in conjunction with Heritage Lottery Fund.
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2000
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£9,500
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Shropshire Regimental Museum
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1998
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£36,955
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Shropshire St. John Ambulance new ambulance.
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1997
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£8,800
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Refurbish the statue of Charles Darwin, Shrewsbury Library.
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Contact Us.
For further information about The Shropshire Horicultural Society or The Shrewsbury Flower Show Please do not hesitate to contact us on
Telephone 01743 234050 or
Email: info@shrewsburyflowershow.org.uk
Contact
