Events

Roy Vickery is available to give talks and lead walks, for further information see the Compiler page of this website, or e-mail roy@plant-lore.com.

Note: The listed events are arranged by a variety of organizations many of whom might want to charge a fee, or take a collection in aid of their funds.

Wednesday 5 February 2020:  Forgotten Uses of Neglected Plants, talk by Roy Vickery to the Hertfordshire Herb Group, at St Bonaventure’s Church, 81 Parkway, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, starting at 8.00 p.m.

Saturday 14 March 2020:  Uses and Folklore of Wild Plants, walk led by Roy Vickery, West Norwood Cemetery, London Borough of Lambeth, meet at the main entrance to the Cemetery, in Norwood Road, at 2 p.m. Organised jointly by the Friends of West Norwood Cemetery and the South London Botanical Institute.  £10 per person, proceeds to be shared between the two organisations.

Sunday 5 April 2020:  Wandles’ Wonderful Weeds, walk led by Roy Vickery, Wandle Park, London Borough of Merton, meet at the Merton High Street entrance to the Park (c. 10 minutes walk from Colliers Wood tube station) at 2.30 p.m.  All welcome; collection in aid of Merton & Wandsworth Green Parties’ GLA election campaign.

Friday 24 – Sunday 26 April 2020:  Folklore Society conference –  Folklore, Learning & Literacies, at the UCL Institute of Education, 20 Bedford Way, London, WC1H 0AL, incorporating a session  Plant-lore as a Cure for Plant-blindness led by Roy Vickery, probably on the Sunday afternoon, details to be announced on the FLS website- http://www.folk-lore.society.com

Wednesday 20 May 2020: In Search of Plant Folklore, Roy Vickery discusses his life’s work collecting information on the uses and folklore of British plants, and hopes people present will help by contributing their memories.  Organised by the Quaggy Waterways Action Group – www.qwag.org.uk – at the Methodist Church Hall, Albion Way, Lewisham, at 8 p.m.

Saturday 6 June 2020:  What have we here? Discovering our local flora, walk led by Roy Vickery, meet at Clapham South underground station, London Borough of Wandsworth, at 2.30 p.m.  Collection in aid of the South London Botanical Institute.

Sunday 7 June 2020:  Our Wonderful Weeds & Other Plants, walk led by Roy Vickery, Beddington Park, Carshalton, London Borough of Sutton, starting at 2.30 p.m. and lasting for approximately 90 minutes. Meet at the Pavilion Café.  Contact dawn.fielding@sutton.gov.uk

Wednesday 17 June 2020:  Plants & their Folklore, walk led by Roy Vickery, meet at the Clockhouse pub, Barry Road, SE22 9QA, at 6.30 p.m.  Organised by the Peckham Society, and lasting approximately 90 minutes.

Wednesday 24 June 2020:  Hidden Wildflowers, walk led by Roy Vickery, Hillside Gardens Park, SW2, London Borough of Lambeth, meet at entrance nearest Downton Avenue, at 7.00 p.m. Collection in aid of the South London Botanical Institute.

Images: left, Brompton Cemetery, London Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, April 2019, © Peter Matthews; right Highgate Woods, to be visited on walk on 24 November.

Feedback on past events                                                                                                                                                                  NEGATIVE FEEDBACK WOULD BE APPRECIATED SO THAT FUTURE TALKS AND EVENTS CAN BE IMPROVED. 

‘Roy was warmly thanked  for an excellent and entertaining talk’ [report on the London Natural History Society’s Botany Section  2018 AGM talk, London Naturalist, 98: 21, 2019].                                                                                                                                             

 ‘Roy provided a master-class. You simply cannot buy that experience’ [Camberwell Old Cemetery Plant Walk, September 2019].

‘Thanks very much for … your exceedingly interesting talk’ [Leigh-on-Sea Horticultural Society, 5 January 2019].

‘Thank you so much for your walk and talk yesterday Roy, it was much appreciated and has prompted ideas for future activities’ [Friends of Stambourne Woods, 8 September 2018].

‘I just wanted to write to say how much my partner and I enjoyed the walk in Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park today.  It was a fascinating tour and got me thinking about local names and stories about plants …  it has certainly left me wanting to learn more’ [5 August 2018].

‘Thanks for an enjoyable and so interesting walk on Cranham Marshes last evening’ [12 July 2018].

‘Roy was very insightful and cleared up some doubts I had about some of the weeds’ [National Weed Appreciation Day, 28 March 2018].

‘Being in Roy’s company and having an opportunity to soak up his knowledge’ [most enjoyable aspect of Plant Folklore for Walk Leaders, South London Botanical Institute, 21 February 2018].

‘Many thanks for your very entertaining and informative talk at the FOTC AGM yesterday – much appreciated’ [Friends of Tooting Common, 13 November 2017].

‘I really enjoyed the [Poppies – beyond Flanders Fields]talk’ [South London Botanical Institute, 10 November 2017].

‘Thank you for your talk yesterday afternoon.  I find folklore to be a fascinating subject, and was very interested to hear of the examples which you spoke about’ [Purley Townswomen’s Guild, 8 November 2017].

‘Really enjoyed the walk’ [Streatham Park tree walk, 23 September 2017].

Updated 18 January 2020.