Royal Society photographer at Probus Club

Our speaker at the latest meeting of the Westbury Probus group was David Moon L.R.P.S. 

A member of the Royal Photographic Society.  David treated us to a wonderful audio visual show of the very highest quality, the subject of which was Gardens. All pictures being taken by David.

We started in Belgium, in Gent, at a flower show, only held every 10 years, reckoned to be the Chelsea Flower Show of Europe. The flowers and displays were superb and very colourful and accompanied by the appropriate continental music.

We then moved to the UK. Firstly to the spectacular Garden House photographed on the edge of Dartmoor. Again the photography was stunning and picked up all the beauty of the flowers and trees there.

From here we moved closer to home, to The Old Vicarage in North Wilts. Again the photography was superb, bringing out the glorious colours of the flowers and shrubs.

We then travelled back to Devon to Marwood Hill Garden. Full of meadows and lakes, birch trees and waterfalls again with fantastically synced background music.

Now we move to Cornwall, to the Minack Theatre perched on the cliff overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. David explained the history behind this project and showed more spectacular plant life that grows despite the wintery conditions in its own micro climate. Many colourful ground plants and succulents accompanied the paths winding down to the theatre.

On to the beautiful home of Lord Carrington in Bucks with its many sculptures. To Powis Castle in Wales with its 100ft high Yew hedges and half timbered cottages. To Batemans, the lovely home of Rudyard Kipling in Kent, to Chartwell , home of Winston Churchill.

This section of the show was accompanied by Winston’s “we’ll fight them on the beaches” and other inspirational speeches, on the soundtrack.  Then to Banbury, to the home of Lord Heseltine, Thenford.

Special permission had to be given by Lord Heseltine before David was allowed to shoot here. Another great garden of very large size and full of colour, sculptures and lakes.

Finally we arrived in Frome with shots of Frome in Bloom. Wonderfully tended gardens of private homes and public spaces in Frome bursting with even more colours.

This was a wonderful treat for the members of Probus and a tribute to the talent and artistry of David Moon L.R.P.S. Thank you.

The meeting was brought to a close by chairman, Chris Saunders, who announced that the next meeting will be on Tuesday 27th October at 10.00am in the meeting room behind the URC Church. Speaker Robin Miller. Subject: Dambuster Raid 1943.