ON BRINGING ORDER OUT OF CHAOS by Hon Allen
Having exhibited at the Harlow Show with the
Essex Naturalists Trust last year. I thought we
might try it alone this year. Early on I thought of
the Dagenham Town Show as being a popular and Very
large show, and a note went in the Bulletin to re-
quest the help of members living in Dagenham. No-
thing came of that appeal, of course, but as the
time came near in May and June, I began to get letter
after letter from the show organisers, and it was
clearly time to get moving,
We had been allotted 15-ft. depth by 10-ft.
frontage in the Social and Recreational Tent, and
pencil was put to paper to design the display.
Sylvia Harrison of Turnage Road, Dagenham, 'offered'
to do some of the paper work and wrote to all those
members living in and around Dagenham. I dealt with
the show organisers and filled in a series of quest-
ionaires asking about our stationary requirements,
refreshments, peeked lunches and teas required.
This was all unexpected, and before filling in the
forms for string and sandwiches, a telephone call
was made about any charges, but it seemed that all
would be provided free.
Soon a package arrived at my office, containing
headed notepaper, envelopes, drawing pins, string.
"Do Not Touch" notices, car park notices and a
liberal supply of pencils. Another parcel with a
dozen posters and hundreds of car stickers soon foll-
owed.
By this time about half the members in Dagenhall
had replied and half again of those were willing to
help. Car stickers were distributed at Club meetings
and people hod posters thrust through their doors.
Page 5