Friday, July 28, 2006
WIBG meeting in an English country garden
ON a balmy summer’s evening in June, the effervescent Marylyn Abbott hosted the Women in Business Group (WIBG) at West Green House in Hartley Wintney.
General Henry Hawley, or ‘Hangman Hawley’ as he was known, built the house in the 1800s. It was left to the National Trust in 1957 and its first tenant was Lord Alistair McAlpine. In 1990, just at the end of his tenancy, the IRA detonated a bomb in the forecourt, causing so much damage that the Trust seriously considered demolishing the house.
However, the Trust elected to repair the fabric of the building and leave the restoration of the interior, the garden and its buildings to the new owner, who would purchase a 99-year lease. Marylyn Abbott purchased the lease in 1993 and began the painstaking task of restoration, thus beginning a new chapter in the history of the house and gardens, which have been lovingly restored to their former glory.
Marylyn’s enthusiasm for her gardens, both here and at her Australian home, is barely concealed. “This is my life,” she says. “I have no family ties, so I can indulge my energies in my garden projects. I love playing with different creations for my gardens, so they never stay the same for long. The best advice I could give is that we should never be afraid to continually change the look and feel of our gardens and always experiment with colour.”
West Green Gardens are open until September 30, Wednesday to Sunday and Bank Holiday Monday in August. Tel 01252 844611 and see www.westgreenhousegardens.co.uk
At every WIBG meeting, members are invited to put their business card and a small donation into a raffle. One of the cards is drawn and that person is able to speak about their business for three minutes during coffee. This month, Glenys Wolstenholme from the Defence Diversification Agency (DDA) spoke about the Government-run organisation that helps businesses find innovative technology solutions for their companies to thrive and expand. The advice is a free service to companies and Glenys explained that the DDA has contributed £130m to the British economy since it was initiated in 1999.
The DDA’s head office is in Farnborough. See www.dda.gov.uk or email info@dda.gov.uk for further information.
Details of Women In Business can be found at www.wibg.org.uk
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