. . . in 1913

Exactly 110 years prior to the recent Open Day - on 18th March 1913 - the Thingwall Horticultural Society had held a meeting at the very same Wavertree Garden Suburb Institute (or 'the Club-house' as it was more commonly known in those days). The Society had been formed in December 1911 with the object of promoting interest in gardening "by holding meetings for the discussion of gardening matters, by Lectures, by holding of Exhibitions of Flowers and Vegetables, and facilitating the exchange of plants, etc. amongst members".

On 18th March 1913 "Mr J Shepherd, of Woolton, read his Prize Essay on Sweet Peas … Mr Harrison, of Redcross Street, Liverpool, showed examples of the Chase Continuous Cloche, a device of glass and wire for the purpose of hastening the growth, and protecting from birds, &c., all kinds of seeds sown in the open". The Horticultural Society was also looking forward to its next event, which was to be "a Show of Bulbs and Spring Flowers" in the Club-house on Saturday April 5th at 6pm, to be followed by "a Smoking Concert" (with refreshments) at 8pm.

'The Thingwallian' - the WGS residents' fortnightly free magazine, that advertised the Society's activities - included a regular advice column entitled 'The Suburb Garden'. In the edition of 29th March 1913 a slightly tongue-in-cheek editorial gave a bit more information about the Smoking concert: the Horticultural Society "have secured at enormous expense, for one night only, the services of the renowned Thingwall Minstrels who, not having appeared before any audience, are believed to be capable of anything which can be expected of them."