The annual RHS Chelsea Flower Show is almost upon us again. This year, amongst the beautiful gardens and splendid exhibits developed to amaze and entertain over 40,000 visitors daily over a four day period (20th to 23rd of May),there will be themes to remind us vividly that it is the centenary of the First World War.
The RHS says that the gardens laid-out around the Great Pavilion to mark the outbreak of war will bring a visual representation of life at that time, and how people were affected by events. For this section,exhibitors will include the Royal British Legion with its allotment garden,The ABF The Soldier’s charity with a garden styled as No Man’s Land, Help for Heroes will get its message across with its garden depicting the Victoria Cross,and called Hope on The Horizon.
Since 1913, the RHS has staged its show within the grounds of the Royal Hospital, Chelsea, except for short periods during the two World Wars. If you are not lucky enough to be given or to buy tickets for this show there will be the usual extensive press coverage by the BBC and others.
Also, throughout this year there will other opportunities to reflect on this important time of reflection for an event in history which massively reshaped our World. Many charities and organisations will be marking this time with their own commemorations. We shall be looking out for these, and bringing to these pages dates of upcoming events large and small around the UK, together with available reports. By way of starting this project, we will be returning to the Royal British Legion and the Tower of London for their combined tribute, a sea of ceramic poppies covering the moat area;and the opening of the new galleries at the Imperial War Museum (from 19th July)