The magnificent Clandeboye Estate in north County Down will be the venue for this years AGM and will be followed by visits to nearby private gardens over the weekend of the 18th & 19th of May. The 2000 acre estate on the outskirts of Bangor, 12 miles north-east of Belfast, contains formal and walled gardens, woodlands, a lake and around 620 acres of farmland. Dating from 1674 and owned by the Dufferin and Ava family, its historic parklands were laid out by the 1st Marquis 1226-1902).
The AGM:
Registration and refreshments will take place in the grand Banqueting Hall, one of the early 18th Century courtyard buildings, at 9.30am on Saturday the 18th, with the meeting commencing at 10.30am. The formal notice and agenda will be published in the April newsletter. The Society is very keen to hear from members willing to come forward to fill various vacant posts and contribute to the future of the Society, especially as Leinster and Munster representatives.
Garden visits and Lunch:
Following the meeting, there will be a guided tour by the head gardener of the Clandeboye Estate gardens followed by a buffet lunch in the Banqueting Hall: this is included in the fee for the weekend. After lunch there will be visits to two nearby delightful private gardens; tea/coffee will be included mid-afternoon. On Sunday there will be two further visits to large, three acre private country gardens, both in mid County Down. The owners will give guided tours and tea/coffee is included at both gardens.
Accommodation:
For those wishing to stay overnight on the Saturday evening, there are several hotels and B&B’s within the North Down area. Please see the Discover Northern Ireland website at this link for a list of accommodation. Maybe consider extending your stay and visiting the nearby National Trust Gardens, Mount Stewart and Rowallane.
Booking the weekend:
Booking for the AGM with lunch and garden visits will commence via Eventbrite on February 1st with a link from the event available here.
Please book online if possible, as it greatly reduces the workload of the organising team. If you are unable to book online, a form is included with the current January Newsletter but please note, postal applications will not be opened until February 1st.
For the comfort and enjoyment of all concerned, the lunch and garden visits are limited to 100 people. The closing date for booking via Eventbrite or by post is April 25th, or when sold out.
The cost of the weekend, including the Saturday lunch, teas/coffees, garden visits, and the booking fee will be:
Saturday only – £44/€51
Saturday and Sunday – £66/€76
Members may bring one guest at an additional cost of £11/€13 per ticket. Guest tickets are limited.
Please note that the euro price may vary slightly depending on the exchange rate at the time of booking through Eventbrite.
For further enquires please contact igps.northern@gmail.com
