Birstwith Horticultural Society
George Gill
TRIBUTE TO GEORGE GILL
b.1906 d.2001 (BHS 1926~2OO1)
If George had lived to see this year's show, he would have been celebrating the 50th anniversary of its restart after the Second World War. When he became Secretary in 1951, he already had 25 years of service to BHS under his belt after joining the Committee in 1926 at the age of 20. He was George Gill (Junior) in those days because his father had been on the Committee as well. The present unbroken run of shows is the longest in the history of the Society which held its first Summer Show in 1872, presided over by Rev. George Hales, the first vicar of Birstwith.
Birstwith Show in its present form is very much George's Show. Its present site dates from 1951 and the format of it has changed little since that time. When George became Hon. Sec. In 1951, he developed and supervised all the paperwork which went with the competitive side of the Show. In spite of some revisions and, in the last two years, computerisation, the principles remain much the same and competitors often remark on how easy it is to exhibit at Birstwith Show. But George brought much more to BHS than paperwork he brought to it the powerful combination of a great personal love of gardening and an enthusiasm for competition which he nurtured throughout his life. He and his first wife Mabel regularly exhibited garden produce and cookery at all the local shows. Only a few years ago he was still winning prizes for sweet peas and his beloved violas. George's great sadness in recent years was seeing the continuing decline of entries in horticulture at the Show and he continued to the last to try to find ways of encouraging younger people to "have a grow".
George retired as Secretary in the 1970's and accepted the office of President in 1983, an office he held until his death. it was a great surprise to everyone to see him appear at the very next Committee meeting as if he had never been away and he continued to regularly make his presence felt in the way only George knew how! More than one "new" Committee member got the benefit of his wisdom in no uncertain terms. It gave many of us much pleasure that George was able to see Birstwith Horticultural Society survive into the new Millennium. Its continuing existence is a tribute to his love of all things horticultural. We have abiding and fond memories of him proudly handing out trophies on Show Day and making his "State of the Society" speech at the Annual Dinner. George, Birstwith Show will never be quite the same without you.
John Mitchell May 2002