TESTIMONIALS

This is a new page, added on the 27th September 2018

As I trawl back thro' emails and letters, I'll add more.

11.8.2022   Wyre U3a,  Poulton    "Gresgarth Hall Gardens:  A Journey thro' the Year"

Hiya Steve, 

     I had so many happy comments about your talk on Thursday.  "Wow!  He really knows his stuff, doesn't he"!!  Others left with plans to visit the go sometime.

K.S.

 

11.2.2020   Furness U3a, Ulverston         "St. Kilda: The Lonely Isles"

Hi Steve

Hope you had a safe journey home; it's certainly been a blowy day.

Thanks very much for coming to speak to our U3A group this morning.  Everyone I spoke to enjoyed your talk very much. Our committee met this afternoon and again the feedback was very positive. 

D.E.

16.1.2020  Wharfedale Gardeners Group."Gresgarth Hall Gardens: A Journey thro' the Year"

Hi Steve, 

That was a great talk on Tuesday and it went down well with WGG members.

Many mentioned the different approach, seeing the same garden at different times of the year. I am sure it will also encourage many members to visit the gardens.

Your delivery was easy and relaxed, but informative  making for a good start to the New Year for WGG.

I have found out that we did have a scribe in the audience, taking notes, so I shall not need to pester you for a list of your favourite plants. I loved the name Katy McSporran, that one stood out.

Hopefully you had a safe, uneventful journey back to Preston.

G.S.

11.1.2020     Manchester Organic Gardeners.  "Yes, We have no Galanthus"

Dear Steve,

Just a note to thank you for making it over to us on Saturday despite the traffic complications! It was lovely to see your photographs of all the glorious snowdrops, as well hear the extracts of poetry, plus the useful information about where they could be found. It quite set me up for Spring!  We have some peeping out at a local garden I volunteer at, must see if our own are showing any signs yet. 

Hope that the journey back was OK...…...J.

14.11.2019   Stockport Horticultural Society: "Yes, We Have no Galanthus"

Dear Steve,

On behalf of the Society, thank you for your talk on the 14th November. We all enjoyed it so much. The poetry and photography were very enjoyable, and we will all be looking at Snowdrops in a different light from now on.

Regards.   P.H.

18.10.2019   Hoylake Gardening Society.   "Gresgarth Hall Gardens: A Journey thro' the Year"

Hi Steve

Firstly, I do hope you got home safely and the journey wasn’t too stressful in such awful weather.

Secondly,  a huge thank you on behalf of everyone present on Thursday evening. We really loved your talk - the fabulous photos, your horticultural knowledge and the little snippets you told us about the garden and its owners, made for a very entertaining and informative evening. 

I’ve received lots of really positive feedback from members, including such accolades as “the best talk we’ve had yet’ from one of our longest standing members which is praise indeed. I’m sure many of us, myself included, have added Gresgarth Hall Gardens to our list of must-see gardens.

I’m also planning to photograph our garden each month from January for the year. It’s something I’ve been meaning to do forever, and now you’ve inspired me to actually do it. It looks to be fascinating and really useful exercise.

I will definitely be contacting you again for another of your super talks.        Best Wishes.     R.S.

15.10.2019   Brindle Over 50's    "St. Kilda: The Lonely Isles"

Good morning Steve,

Thank you so much for your extremely interesting talk yesterday! It was absolutely fascinating and I had very positive comments. Your photos were inspirational and made me want to get my paints out.

I look forward to hear you talk again in the future.

Best wishes,    L.W.

9.10.2019  Mere Brow Wi,           "Yes, We have no Galanthus"

Hello Steve,

Thankyou for entertaining Mere Brow with your snowdrop talk last night. We all enjoyed the evening and found it relaxing and informative. The poems were an excellent choice.

Regards.   LD

7.10.2019  Crosscrake Wi, Kendal.    "Gresgarth Hall Gardens: A Journey thro' the Year"

Good morning Steve, 

 I hope you are well, just to say how much we enjoyed the talk you gave for our August meeting. ' Gresgarth Gardens: A journey through the year.'

You held us all spell bound and the time flew by along with the seasons, thank you so much. In fact I went there on 2nd Sunday in September. What a wonderful place, a cornucopia of so many flowers, plants , shrubs and trees. Good to find many of the things you told us all of. There were one or two more of us there as well!

Will carry on enjoying  Gresgarth gardens thank you for revealing it to me, have told many friends about it also.

       F.B.

9. 9. 2019   Calderstones and Hartshill Conservation. "From the Hornbeam to the  Handkerchief Tree"

Hi Steve

Apologies for the delay in thanking you for your most interesting and informative talk about trees that was very well received by all our members. i have to write it up as part of the newsletter that goes to all members of the Friends. We usually illustrate the account with some photos and i was wondering if you could send one or two of your most impressive photos directly to David at  ******************

Thanks again,  C.

13.6.2019   Settle U3a    "The Social History of St. Kilda"

Hello Steve,

Thank you for your presentation today.

You have such a wealth of knowledge which you share very easily. I am amazed that you do it all without notes. The slides really brought the presentation to life. Learning that St. Kilda is an archipelago, a double World Heritage Site that was evacuated in 1930 along with so much more about the democratic way of living, sharing and surviving was fascinating.

Many thanks,   K.M.

5.6.2019    Casterton Wi.      "Gresgarth Hall Gardens"

Dear Steve, 

Thanks you very much for coming to Casterton last night.

Your talk was so interesting, letting us see how different parts of the same garden look as the seasons change. Also it showed us what a fantastic range of plants there are at Gresgarth. Your photos were of an excellent standard.

Everyone was still talking about Gresgarth as they went home, and I'm sure that there will be a higher than usual number of Casterton members visiting later this year.

Best wishes  G.

24.5.2019  National Association of Flower Arrangers Society  "Gresgarth Hall Gardens"

Hi Steve,

Once again, thank you for a fabulous presentation on Monday. Very, very enjoyable.

I look forward to hearing another of your garden delights.

Kind regards      P.

29.3.2019  Settle and District Gardening Club "Gresgarth Hall Gardens"

Hi Steve,

Well you’re a star, everyone is coming back to me saying how much they enjoyed your talk! So
thank you so much. We would like you to return, so as soon as I get back home to my diary
perhaps we can set a date for 2020.

Best wishes     J.

28.3.2019  Settle and District Gardening Club 'Gresgarth Hall Gardens"

Settle and District Gardening Club thoroughly enjoyed your talk yesterday  

on Gresgarth Hall Gardens. Beautiful photos and your instructive and  

entertaining talk made us all want to visit the gardens ourselves.  Thank  

you very much.

Regards,  G.

21.3.2019   Great Eccleston Gardening Club   'Levens Hall: The Park and Gardens'

Hi Steve,

A note to say thank you for the super Levens Hall talk yesterday.

It was very well received and has prompted those of us who have been to revisit and look at the park too.

I will take a picnic of bread and radishes!! 

Kind regards    A.

13.3.2019   Aughton and Ormskirk U3a   'Holker Hall: Park and Gardens

Evening Steve,

Thank you so much for the interesting talk today, the photography was stunning and the presentation was fascinating. The feedback from members was very positive. All being well I would love you to return next February as mentioned.

P.

7.3.2019    Galgate Historical Society       'St. Kilda: A Social History'

Hi Steve,

Just a short note to say thanks again for your excellent presentation last night.                                                                                                                              Sorry the late entrants interrupted your introduction but the full house made for good interaction and a great                                                                                 atmosphere. 

                   
The subject certainly caught our members interest and we hope you enjoyed it as much as we did.

G.

27.2.2019   Kirkby Lonsdale Gardening Society

Dear Steve,

A very big thankyou for your impressive presentation last week (Gresgarth Hall Gardens). It far exceeded any expectations I had - your wealth of horticultural knowledge as well as the superb photography made for an excellent, interesting evening. I will be recommending you to our U3a garden group organiser, so don't be surprised if you receive an email. I've had lots of positive feedback about your presentation, so thanks again.

M.C.

27.2.2019   Ribble Cruising Club

Good morning Steve,

Many, many, thanks for coming to RCC last night, your talk ("St. Kilda: The Lonely Isles")was absolutely inspired. You showed a superb understanding of the islands, it's horticulture, wildlife, and above all a deep understanding of how the people lived there. Everyone seriously enjoyed your talk and are keen that I book you for a return visit.

M.B.

7.2.2019   St. Anne's URC.

Hello Steve,

I just wanted to thank you again for coming to the rescue by speaking to the ladies at St Anne's URC yesterday afternoon.                                                                                             Your presentation on snowdrops was delightful and much enjoyed by all of us.  We all appreciated your going the ‘extra mile’

for us when the booked speaker was unable to come.

I hope the rest of your day went as well.  I’m sure the 6th birthday party would!

Best wishes

M.

24.1.2019   Becconsall and Hesketh U3a

Dear Steve,

 A huge thank you for coming along to talk to the members of Becconsall U3A yesterday morning. Your talk, St. Kilda: The Lonely Isles, was extremely interesting in that it covered the history and culture of the islands and included beautiful photographs of the many seabirds to be found there. You also managed to inject humour into the talk.  Many members have since told me how much they enjoyed listening to you.

I look forward to meeting you again and listening to another of the many talks you present.

Kind regards,   G.

20.1.2019  Skipton Gardeners Club

Hello Steve

Skipton Gardeners Club members were delighted to see you again. Your top quality photos and witty comments were fully appreciated.

Thank you.   Kind Regards

 J.P.

15.11.2018       Crossway, Fulwood.

Hi Steve

Many, many thanks for an amazing evening - your presentation was superb - the photography of all the flowers and trees was great and your knowledge of all the many different and unusual plants was outstanding.  You have certainly made many of us want to go to Gresgarth Hall to see for ourselves.

Thanks again

J.   (on behalf of Crossway)

17.10.2018     Thornton-Cleveleys Horticultural Society

A review of my talk abut Holker Hall Gardens to the Society can be seen at:

https://thorntoncleveleyshorticulturalsociety41.com/2018/10/22/cartmel-peninsula-and-holker-hall-gardens/

 19.10.2018     Heald Green Horticultural Society     "Holker Hall Gardens"

Hi Steve . Thanks for the talk last week.

On the strength of it I took my wife there on the train today.

She thought she had died and gone to heaven!

Thanks again

M.

9.10.2018      Rossett Lectures, Harrogate

Steve

Many thanks for providing the lecture at Rossett. I have received excellent feedback. Being a Geographer myself I’m sorry to have missed the talk

I’m aware that our equipment didn’t work, so thanks for bringing your own computer etc. I need to look into this

Many thanks again

Regards .     M.

5.10.2018

Forum at the Athenaeum

Hi Steve.

We all thank you for a faultless presentation this morning at Forum. I think that there will be quite a few of us going to visit the garden. John and I have driven past, so we do know where it is. So we will wait now and then check on the spring opening days. I am the gardener and the trouble is we only have a small garden. When I saw your flower photos I wanted some of nearly all of them!!

Your enthusiasm showed and what a super hobby to have. Continue to enjoy yourself and many thanks again.

P.

27.9.2018    
Burnley U3a

Thank you Steve for coming to give your talk to our members this afternoon.

Many were taken on with so many beautiful photo’s.

I hope to be in touch in the not too distant future.

Thanks again,

P.

23.9.2018    Garstang Gardening Club

Hi Steve,

 thank you very much for coming to Garstang Gardening Club a couple of weeks ago, I am  sorry I missed it but there has been a very positive feedback, everyone thoroughly enjoyed it and thought your pictures were wonderful.

So once again, a very many thanks.

Best wishes, R

19.9.2018     Lymm Jubilee Gardening Society

It was splendid to meet you last Wednesday evening and huge thanks for your excellent talk to us in Lymm – just right for the occasion and the audience.

 

With very many thanks and warmest wishes,

P.

4.9.2018      Lytham Gardening Society

Steve,     Just a note to thank you for your presentation last evening.

It was clear to see that the audience was fully engaged with both the topic and the accompanying narrative which you provided. The standard of pictures was equally impressive.
I am sure that our members would be pleased to see you on a future occasion.
Kind regards.

D.

2.6.2018     Lancaster Soroptomists

Thank you so much for your talk to Lancaster Soroptimists at The Holiday Inn.  Everyone thoroughly enjoyed it, in particular the beautiful slides throughout the seasons at Holker.

It was also nice to meet a former colleague although we probably never met in the job.

Hope to catch up with you again sometime and I feel sure that the members will invite you back for one of your other talks.

With best wishes

K.

19.7.2018      St. James's, Leyland, Mother's Union.

Dear Steve

Thank you for coming to talk to the Leyland St James Mothers Union Branch members on the 18th of July, so sorry about the inconvenience regarding the venue, and thank you for your understanding.

We all thoroughly enjoyed your talk, and learning about Moses Holden, and I am looking forward to reading your book 'Moses Holden'.

All the best,    A.

23.10.2017    Thornton-Cleveleys Gardening Club
Hello Steve

Hope you are well.

Just wanted to let you know that I am still receiving feedback on how much your presentation was enjoyed at our Society last month. I hope to be able to book you again - say 2018/19 and will check your website nearer the time for presentation titles.

J.

July 2017   PADAS (Preston Astronomical Society)   "Moses Holden1777 - 1864"
I was present at the Preston Astronomical Society meeting last week. It was a marvellous talk, and as an adopted Prestonian, I am absolutely with you for the recognition of this great man.(Moses Holden). Thanks you for highlighting someone of whom our city should be justifiably proud.

Best wishes,     C.J.

June 2017
On behalf of Preston Patrick and Preston Richard Wi Members, I thank you for coming last night to talk to us and show your super slides on Gresgarth Hall Gardens thro' the Year. I'm sure some members will now visit for the first time, and others make a return visit.

Your sincerely,  B.P.

February 2017
Just a quick note to say a huge thankyou for talking to our group recently. Everyone has mentioned how much they enjoyed the evening talk and slides, particularly as you showed Gresgarth Gardens month by month.

Many thanks,   E.M.