It has to start with an apology for not having a summer letter.  We have been so busy.

We decided we had to move from Oliver & Mary's home to Corsha where we have rented the 7 smallish offices comprising the ground floor of Fiveways House. They have been nicely done out and following the move we have near recovered. It has meant some new eqipment - posh telephones with voice mail - Oliver's is for his students but the office line 01225 816700 should take all the messages overnight.  Our website guru Jeremy Sheridan of Moonshine Internet has also been involved and we have a refreshed data system whihc has already helped to speed up our information retrieval.

We have four stars to report - Ann Currell who studied for her RFS Professional Diploma in Arboriculture was awarded the first ever Royal Forestry Society prize for the outstanding PD Arb student of the year.  She has received the Trophy and cheque from Lord Anthony Hamilton President of the Arboricultural Society. We can lay claim to only a tiny part of her achievement but it was so good to have her email saying of her delight at receiving the RFS Lockhart Garratt Award.  Her tutor David Gilchrist should also feel a warm glow andnot just of reflected glory.

Strange to report - the second star is none other than myself. It seems very odd to be writing - or should I say - blowing my own trumpet!  However the Institute of Horticulture's Annual General Meeting held recently at Trentham Gardens near Stoke on Trent - I received the Institute of Horticultures Award - for outstanding service to Horticulture "in recognition of his many years". There are only 50 such award holders at anyone time.  At the presentation David Miller the IOH President was kind enough to say that he had benefitted from the HCC having gained his RHS National Diploma in Horticulture through his studeis with us.

Congratulations to CF - from North Shields our third star.  He has just been accepted as a Working Holiday Leader for the National Trust.  He can now lead working holidays and sign Duke of Edinburgh Gold Log Books - well done indeed.

Finally our fourth star - our very own tutor Peter Brown who has won the Bath in Bloom Silver Award for The University of Bath's Landscape Section - for which he is the Landscape Manager. 

Understanding Phytophthora ramorum

We have received from defra a report of the key finding s from UK research.  This fungus pathogen has been in the news recently.  It causes leaf blight, die back and wilting.  Ther is a defra wesbsite www.defra.gov.ukplanth/ph/pramorum.htm and a general information leaflet can be downloaded or a paper copy from PHSI HQ York.

Lesions caused by Phytophthora ramorum on leaves of Hamamelis virginiana

News from our students

CB from Leeds writes - that her school garden under her guidance has been awrded the Silver Gilt Ward in this years Yorkshire in Bloom contest.

DH from Eire seeking more about the M.Hort. RHS having achieved good results in the Advanced Certificate.

SH from West Sussex - "An excellent course and excellent value for money"

SB from the North East - "...very interesting course which I thoroughly enjoyed"

YH from Japan who wrote "this letter is my treasure" of her tutors letter Mr Keith Hix "I am always surprised and delighted with your great work, undertstanding of design principle and putting them into practice and your fine drawings..."

TA from Dorset - "all the information given was very helpful - be it in question form or in the lesson text"

FB from Manchester wrote that her supply teaching agency have approved her to work in schools teaching gardening.

KS From Basildon and many others have written and I do - we all do - appreciate the kind remarks it encourages everybody.  Sandly space is at a premium for this news letter.

GC wrote "Well I arrived at the finishing post finally! ... married and with three children later.  Such is the great flexibility of your course and so nice to be able to keep my brain cells a bit active!"