Angus Group. Margaret and Henry Taylor

[ichristie]

Dear all, I was at the Angus Group meeting tonight where we celebrated a huge milestone for our friends Margaret and Henry Taylor. They have guided the group as conveners for 36 years and have decided to stand down I dare not say retire as the two of them would put me right they just want a bit less to do. Michael Almond is to take the hot seat and I must say this his first meeting was great.  I am sure you will all join with me in congratulating Margaret and Henry this is above and beyond anything or anyone else the contribution to the SRGC the members of the Angus Group and the promotion of Alpine plants, the warm friendship and hospitality we have all enjoyed. The Group collected around £800 which was great it was suggested that they buy a Digital camera or new computer this was greeted with much laughter. We appreciate everything the two of them have done for SRGC if you would like to add a message for Margaret and Henry here I will print them and deliver personally, cheers Ian the Christie kind.

[Maggi Young]

Ian and I have been the happy recipients of hospitality at Margaret and Henry's house, whether for supper before giving a talk or after a show and we know too how wonderful they are in the service they give when they travel to other groups to give talks. The service they have given the club, and will no doubt continue to give in many ways, has been superb. But, you know, there are two of them... so it is not simply (simply!! hmmm! that's an understatement if ever I heard one) a case of celebrating 36 years service.... it should really be 72 years service !
Wow! Now that souinds more like an accurate representation of what Margaret and Henry have achieved!!

Fond regards and all best wishes to them from Ian and me and all the Aberdeenshire Group. Well done to them both!

[tonyg]

Best wishes from faraway Norfolk.  I have good cause to remember Margaret & Henry well.  On the first occasion we met they were visiting speakers to the Norfolk AGS.  They brought a car full of plants ... not for show, not for sale but for a free raffle, a prize for everyone!  I suspect typical of their generosity.  Not long after we visited Scotland and I was treated to a guided tour of their garden and of course a good dose of their accumulated wisdom was thrown in too.
Many years later I still keep a lookout for M&H Taylor seed donations, especially wild narcissus of which I grow several.  Thanks to you both!

[ranunculus]

Wherever the Scottish Rock Garden Club is mentioned, discussed and celebrated, the names Henry and Margaret Taylor always come to the fore.  Like Tony down in Norwich, we in the East Lancashire AGS Group were introduced to Henry and Margaret through their visiting lecturer exploits and the same plant laden car arrived at our hall in Ramsbottom (not once, but twice) stuffed with free raffle plants and two of the finest lecturers it has been our pleasure to welcome.  Our hearty congratulations, thanks and very best wishes to you both for years of exemplary and diligent service to the world of alpine plants and for being such charming and delightful friends to so many gardeners across this wide alpine fraternity.

[Diane Whitehead]

I have always remembered the daphne-grafting workshop they put on
in Vancouver.  They arranged for suitable roots a couple of years in
advance, and then flew out with scions of named hybrids.  After the
excellent demonstration, the newly grafted plants were given to some
lucky members of the audience.

Such organization!