In 1962, ‘Operation Primrose’ had been the subject of a short television documentary. The organisers commenting “such a pity that colour television is still in the future, because it would have revealed that, not only is the water hereabouts good for papers, it is also good for Devonshire cream and roses complexions.”

 

At the beginning of the 1950s, television was only enjoyed by people with money to spare. By the 1970s virtually every home in Britain had one! The first colour broadcast was aired on BBC2 on 1 July 1967.

The appearance of primroses adorning Devon hedgerows with their characteristic clusters of soft pale yellow flowers epitomises the arrival of Spring. Indeed its vernacular name, prima rosa, literally means first rose, appearing as they do as early as December during mild winters, but more typically in March and April. They often continue to bloom well into May and even early June. The common primrose is strangely not actually part of the rose family but belongs to the herbaceous and woody flowering primulaceae plant grouping.

During the 1960s and through to the 1980s, Stowford Paper Mill in Ivybridge, which was then part of the international paper making group Wiggins Teape, began sending bunches of primroses to all of its clients throughout Britain.

 

This annual tradition originated from another paper mill not too far away, Devon Valley Paper Mill at Bradninch, Exeter, which at the time operated under the name of Hele Paper Co Ltd. The Managing Director, a Mr Horsborough had a custom of picking a few early primroses from the hedges around the mill to send to his mother each Spring. Hearing of this, the company secretary, a Mr Passmore suggested that this kind gesture could be something the company should adopt for all its clients. It was documented at the time that this did not constitute a large number.  The pleasant custom caught on and was later adopted by Wiggins Teape who purchased the paper mill in 1920. However, by the 1960s the collection and despatching of primroses had transferred to Stowford Paper Mill, a sister paper mill within the Wiggins Teape group which was better positioned for the task.

 

Each April, the local people of Ivybridge were able to bring along bunches of primroses to the Congregational Hall on Exeter Road. Each bunch had to comprise of 50 flowers with 5 leaves wrapped around the posy. At the hall, temporary staff (the majority being mill pensioners and their husbands and wives) would pack two of the bunches of primroses into waterproof lined boxes ready for distribution to all Wiggins Teape clients in the UK.

Work started between 8 and 8.30 with the arrival of the flowers, mainly picked by school children who were paid around 4d. a bunch in the 1960s. Pre-decimalisation, there were 12 pence (d) in every shilling (s) and 20 shillings (s) in every pound (£), meaning 4d. was less than 2p per bunch.

 

Once packaged, attractively designed pre-printed labels supplied by Wiggins Teape were applied to the boxes ready for the Post Office to collect. Members of staff at the mill were permitted to send boxes of primroses to family and friends which was always a much appreciated gesture.

 

Work had to be completed by lunchtime Monday to Thursday to ensure the Post Office could deliver the freshly picked flowers to Wiggins Teape’s clients during office opening hours the following day.

 

Bunches that were not used on the day were put in shallow trays of water to keep them fresh. Monday was always a busy day at the hall as the children had spent the weekend collecting the primroses. There are many stories of families filling their baths with water to store the bunches overnight and prevent them from going limp.

 

Over the course of the entire operation literally thousands of bunches were despatched to all parts the British Isles.

The high backed hedgerows of Devon are an integral part of the countryside and define the county’s farming landscape, along with the rolling hills and wooded valleys. Hedges also have an important environmental role to play in terms of biodiversity, providing a habitat for a wealth of plant and wildlife species. They therefore warrant protection.

 

During the 1960s, public attitude towards an activity which, historically, was an accepted part of local community life began to shift. Environmental concerns and the general displeasure of picking naturally growing flowers started to gain momentum. Wiggins Teape were faced with a paradox, the decades-long practice of sending primroses was considered a valuable and generally accepted customer-relations exercise yet it was creating damaging publicity, which by now, had reached a national level. Indeed, it was only the major oil spill caused by the super tanker, SS Torrey Canyon, which hit rocks off the coast of Cornwall in March 1967, releasing more than 100,00 tonnes of crude oil into the English Channel, which kept an article on primrose picking from hitting the front page of the tabloids.

 

Due to the increasing concern over the situation, Wiggins Teape sought to establish whether the picking of primroses was in fact detrimental to the plant species within the South Hams. Alongside this study it was also to investigate the viability of sourcing blooms commercially. In 1977, the then, Plymouth Polytechnic were invited to research the project along several fronts, including a study of the distribution of the species within the South Hams, the history and current practice of picking wild primroses and its social implications, the attitude of conservationists and the biological effects of picking these natural blooms.

 

Having supported the Devon Trust for Nature Conservation, Wiggins Teape certainly did not wish to see the demise of primula vulgaris. They took some fairly prompt measures by restricting the picking to consenting farmers’ fields and to only local people who had permission to pick the flowers (having a bright green badge which read “I am an authorised primrose picker”). This action removed the problem of uncontrolled picking which was deemed much more likely to damage the plants and their ecosystems.

 

Field investigations by the Polytechnic commenced with visits to participating farms, observing no evidence of mass picking or the removal of entire plants but rather the picking of just a few blooms from each plant. It was also apparent just how much everyone involved in the task, from the farmers and pickers to the packers and organisers at the hall, enjoyed being part of this annual event, which could last for up to three weeks. It was customary for the company to hold a social evening each year for all participants where letters from appreciative recipients from around the country were displayed.

 

Further set backs were to follow in 1981 when the threat of an outbreak of foot and mouth disease caused the entire distribution of primroses to be halted, Wiggins Teape having followed the advice of the National Farmers Union. In that year clients were sent a pot-pourri instead, which seemed to be equally well received.

The primroses we miss we must admit

Their arrival is always a pleasure

We realise the problem and because of it

Your pot-pourri we’ll certainly treasure

 

The pressure from environmental groups and the adverse public opinion surrounding the practice of picking wild flowers continued to gather pace throughout the 1980s. In 1989, Wiggins Teape perhaps with a degree of reluctance, decided that this year would be the last for the picking and distribution of primroses to its client base. Whilst studies at an experimental site into commercial propagation of primroses were undertaken, the land area required and the cost of the poly tunnels and labour would render the project cost prohibitive. The long standing tradition of receiving freshly picked primroses from Devon had come to an end.

 

Primroses are found in abundance in the hedgerows and verges throughout South Devon. Their pale yellow blooms heralding the arrival of spring and warmer days ahead, so always a welcome sight to all.