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When the MEFS was formed in 1965 we were among the first of the local fuchsia societies to be established in affiliation with the BFS. We were narrowly beaten into third place by the Dorking and Leicester fuchsia societies. Now, there are almost three hundred throughout the land.
We have survived the forty+ years since our formation without any major crisis of membership, mainly I believe because we have stuck to our original objects - to further interest in the culture of the Fuchsia and to establish friendly relationships between all those who love fuchsias.
For the first two years of our existence we met on the third Thursday of every month at Leyton Green School. Then in May 1967 we transferred to the Roding Room at Wanstead House where we met on the first Thursday of each month. At that time our annual subscription amounted to 5/- (25p). Our September show in that year was held in the Boaden Hall of Wanstead House, a venue that was to house our July and September shows for the next twelve years. The Roding Room soon proved to be too small for our monthly meetings so in January 1970 we transferred these to the Boaden Hall as well, at the same time changing our meeting day again to the first Friday in the month. At that time no meetings were held in August, and since the first Friday in September was often the evening before our show it was common practice not to hold a September meeting either.
From 1968-1970 the Society held an annual dinner in October at the Red House, Redbridge, for members and guests, at which Show Trophies and Awards were presented. In 1971 this was discontinued and instead the November meeting was set aside for a social evening. In 1985 this was switched to the December meeting, exchanging places with the AGM.
In 1967 the MEFS acted as hosts to the BFS Annual General Meeting. This occurred again in 1969, at which our own Margaret Slater was elected President of the BFS, and we were hosts to the BFS yet again in 1984, 1987 and 1993.
Newsletters in the early days were edited by Norman Greenhill, and contained many contributions from members of the Society. Topics included the scarcity of good quality loam, plastic vs. clay pots, fuchsia rust (which at that time was first rearing its ugly head, so to speak), and several articles on photographing fuchsias. There were frequent articles on fuchsia culture by someone using the pseudonym of 'Backbencher', a writer who we learnt later was Harry Lye. In February 1971 Marie Draper took over from Norman Greenhill as Editor, her first issue being No. 62. Much later in 1979 yours truly was talked into taking over the job, my first issue being No. 155.
In 1973 the Society took part in the first BFS National Quiz. Our team of three beat Thames Valley in the first round and Dorking in the second. Eventually, it travelled to Devises, together with a band of supporters, only to be beaten by Wessex Fuchsia Society by the narrow margin of 38 - 36. Much later, in 1988, the Society took part in another National Quiz held to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of the BFS. This time we were narrowly beaten by Oxford.
In 1975 an event known as "Visits to Gardens" was organised. This idea came from a one-off exercise that had been previously held in 1968. The idea was that on a suitable Saturday afternoon in the summer a group of members would assemble in the car park at Wanstead Station, from where, in a convoy of cars, they would visit six gardens of members, ending up in the last one with a cup of tea and biscuits. This proved to be a very enjoyable outing, and was repeated for nine successive years up to 1985 after which the event was discontinued. But I have often thought that it should be resurrected.
The high rent of Boaden Hall troubled the Society throughout the seventies, the 'last straw' being reached when an attempt was made to double it in May 1978. This was resisted successfully, but prompted the committee to look with greater vigour for a new venue. As a result, the first monthly meeting in the Parish Hall at Christ Church was held in January 1979, and we have been there ever since. The move meant that we had to change our meeting night yet again, this time to the second Thursday in the month. Our first show in Christ Church Halls was held in July 1980.
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