Our People | Stony In Bloom

Committee and helpers

Judy Deveson - Chairperson

Alison Matthews - Joint Vice-Chairperson

Ray Cobley - Joint Vice-chairperson

Mary Robinson - Joint Treasurer, North End Pond IYN

Carrie Bollom - Joint Treasurer

Pat Kyd - Horticultural Advisor

And all our volunteers - well over forty of us! Here are some SSIB people!

Mason Edwards - graphic designer

David Wolfson - website

Derek Gibbons - photography

Geraldine West, Long-standing Volunteer

Phil Sarre, core volunteer

Val Gedde, core volunteer

Susan Haynes, core volunteer

Kathy Luff, core volunteer

Maggie Elliot, core volunteer

Ross Ellens, Honorary Auditor

Lesley Waite, core volunteer

Bianca Bendig-Ceesay, Organiser of the Fullers Slade IYN

Anu Chundur, Organiser of Galley Hill IYN Group

Cliff Bird, core volunteer

Julian Lambley, Long-standing volunteer

Zena Flinn, core volunteer

Pat Thurling, core volunteer

Linda Bird, core volunteer

And so many other volunteers including

Mel Munro, Mary Martinez, June Allen, Bob Williams, Helen Johnson, Colin Matthews,Jane Wood, Ken Chambers, Gary Marshall, Mary Cater, Anne Wood, Mary Cater, Debbie Russell, Eiliish Friedman, Clare George, Cazz Britain, Ann Bunyon, Helen Havens, Jill Dyer, Jeni Pratt, Caz Tricks

Obituaries

Mary Sarre 1945 – 2021

Stony in Bloom volunteers were deeply saddened by the death of Mary Sarre on November 20th 2021. A trained garden designer, she had been SSIB’s horticultural advisor since SSIB first began, and we relied on her horticultural wisdom for all that we did.

On Feb 11th 2022, to commemorate Mary’s crucial contribution to the success of Stony Stratford in Bloom, SSIB volunteers, joined by members of the Natural History Society, planted a Paperbark Maple tree in the 4 Seasons Garden on Calverton/Augustus Rd – one of the many beautiful flower beds in the town which she designed. When we approached Acorn Nurseries to buy the Paperbark Maple, they insisted on donating the tree and the labour as they held her in such high esteem.

The donations that poured in also from volunteers will therefore be used to make sure that the 4 Seasons Garden will always look as lovely as Mary would have wanted it to be. Her husband, Phil, and Ray Cobley, dug the hole for the tree; and when it was placed, all those gathered scooped in a little compost to complete the planting - and raised a glass in Mary’s memory.

We all learned so much from Mary: she will be sorely missed.

Yvette Dalal

On June 4th 2023 we learnt the very sad news of the death of our oldest Stony in Bloom volunteer - the remarkable Yvette Dalal, aged 88. Ever since she came to live in Stony Stratford to be closer to her daughter, she has been at the heart of Stony in Bloom – coming to both Saturday morning and Wednesday afternoon work parties in rain and shine. Everyone who knew her was immensely fond of her and full of admiration.

She was a meticulous weeder, always the first to arrive, and she’d be sitting elegantly on her kneeler, trowel in hand, despatching weeds. Yvette combined a warmth of character and sense of fun with a commitment to high standards – both of gardening and grammar! We’ll miss her very much. Stony Stratford and Stony in Bloom won’t be the same without her.