Meet the Committee

Officers of the East Anglian Garden Group

We are all members and work to support the group and its needs, putting on what we think is a fantastic calendar of events. If you have any questions, suggestions, feedback or speaker enquiries or would like to get in touch with the committee please do so via our contact page.

If you would like to serve on the EAGG committee do make contact.

Maggie Thorpe

President

I live in Boxford and I have been a member of the East Anglian Garden Group since 1994. I have served on the Committee for many years and I became President in 2012.

Erica Legge

Chairman (joint), Website

I resigned as Chairman of EAGG to get married, but now I am back! Originally I undertook to arrange the annual EAGG holiday but now I am ready to take on more duties.

Fiona Pearson

Chairman (joint)

My love of gardening stems from growing up in Scotland where nature diaries, bird watching and being outside were essential elements of life.

Louise Chambury

Treasurer, Website

My love of gardening started when my sister and I had our own patches of earth to plant and nurture. This planted a seed that has stayed with me through my life.

Lynne Knight

Secretary

I volunteered for the EAGG Membership Secretary role in 2023.

Widget Finn

Speaker co-ordinator

I spent thirty years creating a two acre garden and filling it with over sixty different varieties of old- fashioned roses.

Isobel Ashton

Newsletter Editor

I’ve spent 34 years taming, planting and caring for our walled garden with particular interest in roses and clematis. I took certificate and diploma courses at Otley and Writtle after early retirement.

Maggie Thorpe

President

I live in Boxford and I have been a member of the East Anglian Garden Group since 1994. I have served on the Committee for many years and I became President in 2012.

In 1983 I trained in horticulture at Birchetts Green Agricultural College before working at Bressingham Gardens.

Erica Legge

Chairman (joint) / Website

Erica was chairman of EAGG up until she took a break to get married, but is now back! Her speciality is arranging the EAGG annual holiday, among many other contributions

“I have a passionate love for gardens and gardening, gained from my mother at an early age at home, where I had my own little patch in the the family garden. Although completely untrained, my enthusiasm and love of plants has seen me through the creation of many gardens through my life. With a background in Interior Design, I suppose I transfer principles from that, to the outside space. I tend to move house quite regularly which has given me the chance to develop ideas, inspired from visits to other far more beautiful gardens than my own. I am particularly keen on scented herbaceous borders.
Professionally, I have worked in the garden accessory industry, both wholesale and in retail with my own businesses. Now retired, I am creating another garden, at our new home in Long Melford.

EAGG has taught me so much more, and where I have been privileged to meet so many marvellous gardeners who are always so generous with their knowledge! “

Fiona Pearson

Chairman (joint)

My love of gardening stems from growing up in Scotland where nature diaries, bird watching and being outside were essential elements of life.

My father-in-law James Pearson, a dedicated and passionate gardener played a significant part in rekindling my nascent interest in gardening. On moving from London he gave me a greenhouse and I have never looked back. I am not a plantswoman as such and I have never done a ‘gardening course’, I am simply a passionate amateur gardener who breaks the rules and quite often gets away with it! 

My greenhouse and garden are my sanctuary and sanity. To my joy my son is now gardening and I am lining up the grandchildren too.

The EAGG is a wonderful amalgam of friendship and knowledge with visits and talks. I hope that my enthusiasm for EAGG and what it does will help to ensure its continued success.

Louise Chambury

Treasurer

My name is Louise Chambury and I have joined EAGG as Treasurer from October 2020.  My love of gardening started when my sister and I had our own patches of earth to plant and nurture.  This planted a seed that has stayed with me through my life. 

I have always had an interest in the design side and followed this up by doing the KLC Gardening Design course in Chelsea and I was lucky enough to have 3 gardens of my own which I could plan from scratch and I have designed several more.

I am really looking forward to learning more through my involvement with EAGG and in seeing the marvellous gardens that people have created , very often from nothing at all.

Lynne Knight

Secretary

 I volunteered for the EAGG Membership Secretary role in 2023.

I’m a keen amateur gardener and love the creative process that is gardening. I don’t have a grand design for my garden but am a bit of a plant fan as there always seems to be a another plant I’d love to add to my garden. Due to limited space I have to add and then edit plants. I think those changes maintain my interest as do the inspiring speakers at EAGG meetings. Then there is the never ending challenge of plants that haven’t read the books!

Widget Finn

Speaker Co-Ordinator

I spent thirty years creating a two acre garden and filling it with over sixty different varieties of old- fashioned roses.

I get inspiration from visiting other people’s gardens (often with other members of EAGG) and writing about them for The English Garden, Homes and Gardens and other national magazines. Having recently down-sized to a town garden I’m learning that small can also be beautiful – and when space is limited you have to curb your passion for plants and accept that less is more!

Isobel Ashton

Newsletter Editor

I’ve spent 34 years taming, planting and caring for our walled garden with particular interest in roses and clematis. I took certificate and diploma courses at Otley and Writtle after early retirement. As well as learning and gardening, I have enjoyed discovering many local private gardens over 25 years as joint organiser of The Hidden Gardens of Bury. Gardening means getting your hands dirty.

Any interesting items for the Newsletters should be sent to Isobel at isobel.ashton@btinternet.com