When you walk down the High Street, take in the beautiful sight and scent of wisteria blossom, in full flower this week outside Rae Festing’s house at No 11. Only this week Rae was at a Buckingham Palace garden party in celebration of her British Empire Medal award last June. She told me: “we did a real cut-back last fall and this year it’s better than ever. I give it old-fashioned tomato feed – all the plants love it – much better than all that expensive spray stuff”.
I asked her how long it had been there. “Well, it was established long before I bought the house in 1984”, she replied, “and could go back to the 1950s”. The magnificent display would have been a natural entry for the annual Rye in Bloom competition, but unfortunately that organisation folded a year or two back. Perhaps this could be the inspiration needed for a revival?
Photo: Kenneth Bird