back to the homepage

Related links

2005 Show Reports by Neville Smith

SUMMARY OF ALL THREE SHOWS
All three shows were well attended this year, with fourteen members exhibiting at the June show, twenty-one at the summer show and eight at Westminster.
The quality of the flowers at all the shows was very good, and I certainly wouldn’t have wanted to judge the P.F.s and Pinks at the summer show. Some members commented that this was the best summer show for some time. Was it just a good year for Dianthus or did the midweek dates make a difference?
Our thanks go to Georgina Clarke and her staff for their help in staging the Wisley and Westminster shows. Also to all the judges and stewards for doing an excellent job.
Finally, my thanks to Alex for his help in guiding me through my first year in this position, and to Joy Hayward for her excellent flower arrangements at our shows, particularly at the N.E.C.

JUNE SHOW 2005 AT WISLEY
Considering the lateness of many growers flowers the June show was quite well supported, with a total of thirteen exhibitors. Four in Perpetuals and nine in the pinks classes. There were no exhibitors in the border classes due to the vagaries of the English weather. Even the southern growers could not get them to flower early enough.
My thanks go to Joy Hayward for the excellent display of arrangements, many visitors commended her. I also thank the judges for their work but we were woefully short of stewards. We had a late change in the arrangements for judging and this did contribute to the shortage of stewards. We hope Dennis Franklin is continuing to improve and look forward to seeing him at future shows.
Finally my thanks go to Alex and Elsie Kitchen for their help during the setting up.
Overall we had a very good June show, and my thanks and congratulations go to all the exhibitors.

SUMMER SHOW – BELL PLANTATION TOWCESTER 2005
The summer show was very well attended, with 21 exhibitors putting flowers on the benches. This led to many people commenting that it was the best B.N.C.S. show for many years. I wonder if this was because the show was switched from the usual weekend dates to midweek, or perhaps it was just a good year for Dianthus.
There were a couple of minuses at the show. The first was the organising of the joint committee meeting. I think the start of the meeting should have been delayed for fifteen minutes for judging to be completed. As it happened, a steward had to leave his position to attend the meeting.
The other point concerned the Bikini Vase. At the end of the summer show schedule there is a special awards section. Both stewards and judges appear not to have seen it. By the time I found out, the judges had left the site. The Gilbert Greenhall Trophy I was able to award, but unfortunately the Bikini Vase was not awarded last year.
My thanks go to everyone who exhibited and helped in running the show, and in particular to Jim for organising the loan of the tables and getting them transported to and from the site. I also thank the judges and stewards who did an excellent job (apart from the Bikini Vase).

AUTUMN SHOW. WESTMINSTER 2005
I thought this show was well supported, considering it is the tail end of the season, with eight exhibitors competing.
My thanks go to Alex for setting up on Monday and breaking down. I also tender my apologies for having to leave so early on Tuesday, the coach seems to leave earlier each year.
I was sorry to see the floral art missing at the show, as I think their displays have a considerable impact on this show. Let us hope Rachel can find enough exhibitors for this year.
I am asking for more volunteers to steward at the Wisley and London shows this year, non-exhibitors preferably.
My thanks go to all the exhibitors for making it a good show, and to the judges for a job well done.
And finally, I also extend our thanks on behalf of the B.N.C.S. to Georgina Clarke and her staff at the R.H.S. and to the staff at the Bell Plantation for their help in putting on our shows.

Neville Smith