Well here we are again by hook or by crook, it’s amazing how fast time flies isn’t it. The AGM was held at the Heaves Hotel and due to work commitments Jack stood down as chairman. Thanks Jack for all your hard work over the years, if it had not been for you the society would be in a grave state. Jimmy Jones has now been ensconced as the new chairman, 2000 has been in the words of Jimmy Greaves, a funny old game. We kicked off the year as usual with the dinner at the Cross keys in Milnthorpe, but numbers were a bit down on previous years, I do hope more of you will turn up this year on Saturday 27th of January 2001 at 7-30 in the Cross keys Milnthorpe, the menu is enclosed, ( please complete the letter and return to the secretary with your cheque before the 8th January ) with all the rest of the end of the seasons documents. During March several of the members attended the Northern AGM at Sandbach and later in the month we had the great fortune to spend an evening the company of master baker Mr Ian Sutherland who gave us all who attended a truly remarkable insight into the world of cake making, even her in doors enjoyed it at the Gatesbeck club. In May we held our plant sale at Hilltop Nurseries those who turned up were not disappointed and trade after a slow start became brisk and almost all plants were sold. August found the society stalwarts at Ambleside to put up a splendid display which was awarded a well deserved gold medal , and two new members were recruited I hope they will continue to enjoy the society and look forward to seeing them around the shows. The society name was carried to the fore at many shows around the area and indeed the country, with members exhibiting at Shepton Mallett, Southport, Harrogate and even at the Scottish national Stirling. The biggest change we encountered was when J Dodd's of the Hill foot garden center rang to say that he had put the premises on the market so that we would be unable to hold our show there, which meant a lot of scurrying around to find a suitable venue, ( of course the cost was also a factor ) we managed to get the Nether hall at Kendal which we had used in the past for the judging exam, at lease the staging was done in the dry. This venue proved to be beneficial to the society because we had some public coming in from Saturday market shopping, plus Jimmy Heggy sold off all the blooms after the show which helped bolster society funds. In October several members attended the Merseyside society day at Seaforth and what a great day we had. November saw a visit by Don Sutcliffe with his excellent Lecture on Dahlias, so another year has been and almost gone, the next event is the AGM at the Heaves Hotel on the 7th December so I hope to see you there, remember the society is only as good as it’s members make it. 
                       John Smith.