Events

The British Memorial Garden at the Royal Horticultural Society Chelsea Flower Show 2008

May 27, 2008



Robert Holmes Tuttle, the United States Ambassador to the Court of St. James's in the United Kingdom, visited The British Memorial Garden stand at the annual Royal Horticultural Society Chelsea Flower Show, which ran from May 22-26, 2008. Seen here with Ambassador Tuttle are Alexandra Clarke, head of the September 11th UK Families Support Group and Camilla G. Hellman, MBE, president of the British Memorial Garden Trust.

The British Memorial Garden Trust were exhibiting the progress of the project and offering various ways of supporting the Garden, from making a donation to buying various unique and different memorabilia.

British Memorial Garden New York at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, London

May 22-26, 2007

British Memorial Garden intern Sarah Tyrrell and president Camilla G. Hellman outside the garden's booth at the 2007 RHS Chelsea Flower Show held in London.

The booth offered an overview of the progress the garden project has made since its inception in 2003, and offered garden-themed items for sale. These included porcelain boxes and candle holders from Halcyon Days, a topiary charm from Links of London and BMG sweatshirts and bags.

Fundraising Dinner at Windsor Castle

October 19, 2006

On October 19, 2006, the British Memorial Garden Trust UK Ltd. held a fundraising dinner at Windsor Castle . His Royal Highness The Duke of York was the guest of honor, and music was provided by the Choir of St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle.  The event raised funds for the British Memorial Garden at Hanover Square , currently under construction in New York City .

The Duke of York, Rodney N.M. Johnson, Vice President of the British Memorial Garden Trust, Inc., Alexandra Clarke of the UK Victims' Families Support Group, the Earl of Albemarle and Karen Rawl.

Chargé d'Affaires David Johnson and Ms. Scarlett Swan

Camilla G. Hellman, President of the British Memorial Garden Trust, Inc. and Major General Sir Michael Hobbs, KCVO, CBE

HRH The Duke of York, UN Ambassador Philip Bonn, the Hon. Alexandra Foley

September 11, 2006
Memorial Concert in Grosvenor Square, London

arranged by the British Memorial Garden Trust, Inc.

The British Memorial Garden Trust concert, in association with Sept 11th UK Families Support Group and September Concert Series, took place at the end of a day of remembrance in Grosvenor Square, London, at  6pm, in front of the Roosevelt monument. This concert was part of the September Concert programme of Concerts.  The British Memorial Garden which is being built in New York at this time held a concert simultaneously with Grosvenor Square as an example of international unity and friendship - central to the message of the September Concert series which had concerts taking place that day throughout the world - including another one in Bath.  

British Memorial Garden board member, Patrick Owens, O.B.E.,  acted as Consul in New York during 9-11.  Having recently returned from New York to London, he presided over the evening and welcomed all to this free concert.  

Ryland Teifi, a Welsh BAFTA winner and Elin Manahan Thomas, a wonderful young soprano,  performed the national anthems and were joined by 14 year old Daily Blue singing 'Some One to Watch Over Me'.  

Everyone came together at the end of the concert with ' All You Need is Love', the message and chosen song of the September Concerts.  

Alex Clarke, Chairman of September 11th UK Family Support Group, spoke just before the final song.  Also attending were US Ambassador Robert Tuttle and UK Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell.

The Garden in New York is being built now on three quarters of an acre in Hanover Square.  It is a place of remembrance for the 67 British victims of the World Trade Centre attacks, as well as a place to celebrate the unity between the United States and the United Kingdom.  All of the elements of the new garden will come from Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland or England.  

HRH The Prince of Wales and HRH The Duchess of Cornwall visit the British Memorial Garden at Hanover Square, New York and dedicate centre stone

November 1, 2005

His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, Royal Patron of the British Memorial Garden Trust, Inc., and HRH The Duchess of Cornwall visited the British Memorial Garden site on November 1, 2005, the first day of their American visit. Escorted by British Memorial Garden Trust president Camilla G. Hellman and British Consul in New York Patrick E. Owens, the Prince and Duchess toured the garden-in-progress and met with City and State officials, including Governor George Pataki and Commissioner Adrian Benepe of the NY Department of Parks & Recreation. Also in the garden to greet the Royal couple were families of British 9/11 victims, supporters of the project and various dignitaries.

Following the presentation to the Duchess with a bouquet of roses, peonies and calla lilies by five-year-old Katherine Beaumont, Their Royal Highnesses unveiled and dedicated the center stone for the garden, carved with the Prince of Wales's crest by Simon Verity from a design by Isabel Bannerman.

The Royal couple then entered India House Club to meet privately with the British victims' families and attend a small reception of British Memorial Garden Trust supporters and representatives of various Lower Manhattan organizations. The Prince and Duchess toured the room, greeting the guests and later the Prince of Wales gave a short speech about the garden and its importance. He singled out Camilla Hellman, founder of the project, for her vital role in making the garden a reality. The speech was met with enthusiastic applause.

Isabel and Julian Bannerman, designers of the British Memorial Garden.

Left: Jill Sackler, Richard Kaplan and Edwina Sandys. Right: Sir Evelyn and Lady de Rothschild.

Tina Brown and Sir Harold Evans meet HRH The Duchess of Cornwall.

Katherine and Richard Astor talk with HRH The Prince of Wales.

Sir Philip Thomas, the Earl of Albemarle and Ghislaine Maxwell.

HRH The Prince of Wales, Camilla G. Hellman and Frank Morgan.

British Memorial Garden Exhibition at 2005 RHS Chelsea Flower Show wins Bronze Medal

The British Memorial Garden Trust, in collaboration with the Royal Parks, mounted an exhibition at the recent Royal Horticultural Society's Chelsea Flower Show . The exhibition was awarded a Bronze Lindley medal in the "Lifelong Learning in the Garden" section of the famed annual show. The garden's British suppliers came together to help create an interpretation of the future garden.

The exhibition, based on the original garden design by Julian and Isabel Bannerman, featured large renderings of the garden as a backdrop, mock-ups of the benches, carved stone paving, the Memorial railing, City of London bollards and other elements that will make up the finished garden.

Part of the British Memorial Garden NY exhibit at the show

The lovely live plants that complemented the elements of the exhibition were provided by the Royal Parks, with special thanks going to Steven Edwards and Tom Jarvis. This was the first time in ten years that the Royal Parks has been part of an exhibition at the Chelsea Flower Show.

The exhibition was created by as John Kinnear, AIA, the project manager for the British Memorial Garden Trust, Camilla G. Hellman, president of the Trust, and watercolor renderer Michael McCann. The carved paving stones were the work of sculptor Simon Verity and the signage throughout the exhibition was the work of the garden press representative Peggy A. Brown.

A special thankyou goes to those worked so hard on the exhibition, including Chris Topp & Company, Ltd. for the iron Memorial railings, Caithness Stone Industries Ltd. for the paving, the Cast Iron Work Company Ltd. for the bollards, and Rutters for the graphics and backdrops.

Among the many dignitaries at the show, which drew crowds of thousands, were HRH Princess Anne, the Princess Royal and HRH the Duke of York. In 2003, Princess Anne, while visiting New York, made a special presentation of British heirloom seeds for planting in the garden.

HRH The Duke of York with Camilla G. Hellman at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show

HRH Princess Anne, Camilla G. Hellman and British Garden designers Julian and Isabel Bannerman share a warm moment at the British Memorial Garden Trust's exhibit at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show

Grosvenor Square Exhibit, 1-22 April 2005

Left: Simon Verity at work in Caithness.  Right: Simon in Grosvenor Square, 31 March 2005 (AP Photo/John D. McHugh)

An exhibition of a portion of a hand-carved map of the United Kingdom and its counties was on display in Grosvenor Square from April 1st - 22nd, 2005.  The map, created by British artist Simon Verity, will form the paving for the British Memorial Garden in New York's Hanover Square.

The exhibition previewed the map for Britons before the stones are shipped to New York for installation in the three-quarters of an acre park.  The completed map will feature all the counties of Great Britain, as well as the boroughs of London and British islands and protectorates.  The map is carved from stone from Caithness and Morayshire, Scotland.  All of the building elements of the new park will come from Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland or England, making it a truly British garden.

Learn more of the development and progress of the British Memorial Garden in New York.

For information on future events, please telephone 01732 810543.