Latest news with #FarewellFlowersDirectory
BBC News
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Warwickshire florist wins first funeral flowers gold at Chelsea
A florist who helped create the first display of funeral flowers at RHS Chelsea Flower Show has said it was an honour to win Hill is part of the Farewell Flowers Directory, a UK not-for-profit organisation that promotes funeral tributes, which created a 10ft high display that included foxgloves, peonies, buttercups and white creation caught the attention of Queen Camilla, who said she was in awe of it."We were absolutely delighted that she was really impressed with our display," said Ms Hill, who is the owner of Gentle Bloom in Leamington, Warwickshire. "Queen Camilla is very passionate about British-grown flowers." Ms Hill said the main reason behind the concept of showcasing funeral flowers was to reduce plastic and oasis waste in floral arrangements."Under almost every funeral flower that you get, there is a big plastic tray with three or four blocks of oasis cable tied to it, but the crematoria have a massive problem [with them]."All of these tributes have to go straight into landfill."Behind the crematoria, there'll be massive skips and bins, and everything goes straight in it. It's a huge problem of waste," she said. This was not the first time Ms Hill's display has won her a medal for her floral displays at RHS Chelsea Flower Show."This is my second gold medal, so I'm pretty delighted with that."I got a silver gilt the first time I came, but the problem is the pressure is on now; I can't go down," she winning design team also includes Carole Patilla, of Tuckshop Flowers in Birmingham; Gill Hodgson, of Fieldhouse Flowers in York; and Georgie Newbery, of Common Farm Flowers in Somerset. Follow BBC Coventry & Warwickshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Daily Record
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Naga Munchetty intervenes as BBC Breakfast interview disrupted by unexpected blunder
BBC Breakfast presenters Naga Munchetty and Charlie Stayt were forced to step in after a rude tannoy interruption while interviewing guests on the show Naga Munchetty had to intervene during a live interview on BBC Breakfast when an announcement over the tannoy interrupted proceedings. Naga and Charlie Stayt were speaking to Gill Hodgson, co-founder of The Farewell Flowers Directory, at the time of the mishap. As Naga introduced the segment from the Chelsea Flower Show, she said: "We're joined now by Gill Hodgson, who's the co-founder of the Farewell Flowers Directory, and Sarah Poll from the Royal Horticultural Society. Gill, Sarah, good morning to you both. Now look, I think you win the best backdrop out of everyone... all our guests this morning, and I think future guests in as well." Commenting on the beautiful setting, Naga remarked: "It is beautiful where you are behind you, Gill, just tell me what was behind the idea. I mean, I'll be honest, you see a gravestone and you think this sounds this looks a bit macabre. This looks a bit sad, but that's not the vibe of this at all." Gill began to describe her display: "It's certainly not what we like to think of our display here as a celebration of life," reports the Express. She continued describing the impressive installation: "It's a very high installation, it's something like nine or 10 feet behind me, and the wonderful thing is..." However, she was cut off as a blaring tannoy announcement started in the background. Despite Gill's attempts to carry on, the noise proved too much, and Naga promptly stepped in. "Gill, I'll interrupt," Naga interjected, before continuing, "Gill, I'll interrupt because I think you are battling through that tannoy announcement and well done because most people would have just frozen." Gill chuckled in response: "Well, it was really bad timing, wasn't it?". Naga then reassured Gill, telling her they had "got the gist of it" and went on to inquire about the display. In another segment of the show, Naga and Charlie started off with some distressing news from across the pond. "Good morning, it's Thursday, May 22nd. Our main news story, two members of staff from the Israeli embassy have been shot dead in Washington," Charlie announced. Naga followed up with: "A man and woman were shot at close range as they left an event at the Capital Jewish Museum, just after 9pm local time. President Trump said the attack was 'based obviously on anti-Semitism' and Israel has condemned it as a 'depraved act of anti-Semitic terror'." Naga recently opened up about her ongoing health struggle, revealing she's been dealing with "extreme pain". The broadcaster, who turned 50 in February, has been candid about her diagnosis of adenomyosis, a condition that has caused her severe discomfort since she was 15. She shared her experiences of the condition, which includes heavy periods, fainting and vomiting, and expressed frustration at being consistently overlooked by healthcare professionals. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community!
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'We were first to take funeral flowers to Chelsea'
An East Yorkshire florist has helped create the first display of funeral flowers at RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Gill Hodgson MBE won a gold medal for the display she made with non-profit group Farewell Flowers Directory. Ms Hodgson said Queen Camilla, who stopped to speak with the team, "really showed an interest and was full of congratulations". "We are the first people ever to take funeral flowers to Chelsea Flower Show so that alone is different", added Ms Hodgson. The display, which is about 10ft (3m) high, includes foxgloves, peonies, buttercups and white lilacs flowing out of a willow coffin, with a graveyard underneath and a man sitting on a bench with a dog at his feet. The winning design team includes Ms Hodgson, of Fieldhouse Flowers, Carole Patilla of Tuckshop Flowers in Birmingham, Georgie Newbery of Common Farm Flowers in Somerset and Nicola Hill of Gentle Blooms in Warwickshire. Ms Hodgson, who lives near Pocklington, said there was "a lot of hugging" and "a couple of tears" when the women saw the certificate at the display on Tuesday morning. "People are drawn to the height and beautiful flowers without realising until they get closer that it's actually a display of funeral flowers," she said. "Suddenly, they realise how beautiful they are without thinking it has to be mournful or macabre." The group aims to remove plastic floral foam and single-use plastic from funeral floristry. Carole Patilla, also a co-founder of The Farewell Flowers Directory, said: "We're so delighted that we did the thing people told us we couldn't do: we took funeral flowers and a coffin to RHS Chelsea and won gold. "Our display shows that flowers, thoughtfully and sustainably designed, can move people; they can reflect and celebrate a life; and they can tread lightly on the planet." The installation was sponsored by the Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management (ICCM), Green Funeral Flowers Online Course by Tuckshop Flowers, New Covent Garden Flower Market and Workplace Bereavement. Listen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here. Chelsea funeral flowers win gold medal Royals and Beckham attend Chelsea Flower Show Chelsea Flower Show garden to be installed in Hull Chelsea Flower Show
BBC News
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Funeral flowers bags Gill Hodgson gold at Chelsea Flower Show
An East Yorkshire florist has helped create the first display of funeral flowers at RHS Chelsea Flower Hodgson MBE won a gold medal for the display she made with non-profit group Farewell Flowers Hodgson said Queen Camilla, who stopped to speak with the team, "really showed an interest and was full of congratulations"."We are the first people ever to take funeral flowers to Chelsea Flower Show so that alone is different", added Ms Hodgson. The display, which is about 10ft (3m) high, includes foxgloves, peonies, buttercups and white lilac flowing out of a willow coffin, with a graveyard underneath and a man sitting on a bench with a dog at his feet. The winning design team includes Ms Hodgson, of Fieldhouse Flowers, Carole Patilla of Tuckshop Flowers in Birmingham, Georgie Newbery of Common Farm Flowers in Somerset and Nicola Hill of Gentle Blooms in Hodgson, who lives near Pocklington, said there was "a lot of hugging" and "a couple of tears" when the women saw the certificate at the display on Tuesday morning."People are drawn to the height and beautiful flowers without realising until they get closer that it's actually a display of funeral flowers," she said."Suddenly, they realise how beautiful they are without thinking it has to be mournful or macabre." The group aims to remove plastic floral foam and single-use plastic from funeral Patilla, also a co-founder of The Farewell Flowers Directory, said: "We're so delighted that we did the thing people told us we couldn't do: we took funeral flowers and a coffin to RHS Chelsea and won gold."Our display shows that flowers, thoughtfully and sustainably designed, can move people; they can reflect and celebrate a life; and they can tread lightly on the planet."The installation was sponsored by the Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management (ICCM), Green Funeral Flowers Online Course by Tuckshop Flowers, New Covent Garden Flower Market and Workplace Bereavement. Listen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.
BBC News
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Birmingham florist celebrates Chelsea funeral flowers gold medal
A schoolteacher-turned-horticulturist says she is "overjoyed but exhausted" after winning a gold medal for her debut at the RHS Chelsea Flower Patilla, from Bournville, Birmingham, was part of a team that created Chelsea's first-ever display of funeral even had a royal visit when Queen Camilla stopped to admire the display."She was commenting on the different varieties of flowers in there, and saying that it all looked beautiful," said Ms Patilla. The award-winning display depicts a churchyard with paper mache headstones, a man sitting on a bench with a dog at his feet, and flowers - such as foxgloves, peonies and irises - bursting out of a coffin."We're just really delighted by the way people are responding to the stand," said Ms Patilla. "That's almost as exciting as the medal itself." Ms Patilla, who runs Tuckshop Flowers in south Birmingham, is a co-founder of the Farewell Flowers Directory (FFD), a non-profit organisation made up of independent florists specialising in individually-tailored funeral also avoid the use of plastic and floral foam."Plastics have become such an issue, environmentally," said Meg Edmonds, an FFD member and florist at Roots Family Farm Shop in Rushwick, Worcestershire, who helped present the display at Chelsea."For churchyards and crematoriums to dispose of this sort of material - it's a phenomenal job for them, and it's not necessary."We're here, really, to open up that conversation, and let people know that it doesn't have to be like that." The team also hopes the success of the display will encourage people to be less hesitant to discuss their own funeral with loved ones."It just makes people think: 'Well, what do I want at my funeral?'" said Ms Patilla. "And it might encourage them to go away and talk to somebody close to them about it."As for the gold medal, laughed Ms Patilla, "We're never people to aim low.""When we decided we were going to get funeral flowers in the public gaze, we decided it was Chelsea or bust."But you can never be sure until you see that medal on your stand, and so we were thrilled to see that it was the colour that we wanted."After Chelsea, the display will be moved to Yorkshire, where it will be rearranged with fresh flowers. Chelsea Flower Show runs until Saturday. Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
