On Saturday 11th July there was a Pimms and Pate evening, which was well attended and helped to raise approximately £800.
On Sunday 12th July Barkby Hall opened its gardens to visitors in order to boost the funds towards the up keep of the village church
It was a lovely summers day that provided the backdrop to some stunning garden styles all around the Hall; they ranged from traditional English rose garden to the more exotic Japanese garden with pergolo and dry riverbed. There was a woodland walk that was enjoyed by many and featured a growing wigwam as shown in the picture. The church can be seen from many aspects of the garden and it looked down on the steady flow of visitors who delighted in the variety of styles. One group who had travelled from Glen Parva said that this was their first visit and thought it was a beautiful place, with the cricketers playing on the field across from the entrance to the Hall, it all appeared very Idyllic. They enquired about the proposed building plan as they had seen this and were interested to know exactly where it would be, now they have seen it they hoped the proposal would not go ahead, as it would spoil such a tranquil area of Leicestershire.
Another couple had travelled from the city and again were visiting for the first time, they thought the gardens where beautiful and would certainly return.
Joy Dunn chairperson of the Barkby fund raising committee said they were very grateful to John and Jane Pochin for opening their gardens each year to help in raising money for the church. She, along with others on the committee, had prepared some delicious homemade cakes to enjoy with a welcome stop for tea, after walking round the gardens. To keep the visitors entertained they had devised a short quiz and many people could be heard discussing the answers as they went round.
