NORTHUMBERLAND SHOW: HEXHAM 13/04/13

[ichristie]

A few more.

[J.B.Wyllie]

I could hear you also and I was at the other end of the table from the phone.

Hugs Jean

[Maggi Young]

 
Well, I never really trust the phone- always think of it more as a speaking tube that must be hollered down!

Is that you home safe now, Jean?
 

[J.B.Wyllie]

yes and well tired. Had a great day.

Jean

[Maggi Young]

I can well believe it. Good to be able to enjoy the evening's entertainment and travel back today, though- better for you.
We had a terrible night and morning of rain here- I trust it wasn't too bad for you driving home? It's lovely here now - bright, windy and sunny and mild, too.


The season has been such that we thought there might be a particularly good display, with plants rushing to make up for lost time!

Visitors to the Show must have been pleased with the wealth of fine plants on show. 
Hope the nursery folks did well too - hard season for them, especially with the show cancellations that must have hit them very hard indeed.

 

[Peter Maguire]

Steve is being a little coy when he said he did 'OK' for a first-timer. He won the Northumberland Cup (for someone who has not exhibited and won a first prize at an AGS or SRGC national show before), the Cyril Barnes Trophy (for most first prize points in the novice section, and a certificate of merit for the fine Cyclamen persicum shown below with the proud owner.

Of course, as I pointed out to him,  now he has some trophies, he'll have to continue exhibiting, if only to bring the trophies back next year. 

[Maggi Young]

Steve is being a little coy when he said he did 'OK' for a first-timer. He won the Northumberland Cup (for someone who has not exhibited and won a first prize at an AGS or SRGC national show before), the Cyril Barnes Trophy (for most first prize points in the novice section, and a certificate of merit for the fine Cyclamen persicum shown below with the proud owner.

Of course, as I pointed out to him,  now he has some trophies, he'll have to continue exhibiting, if only to bring the trophies back next year. 

Ah Steve, I see you are a modest soul, with a flair for understatement !
Well done- and what grand plants!!!!


Peter, well done to you for spilling the beans about Steve's first show. 

[David Nicholson]

It's good Huddersfield air that produces plants like that. Oh! and a good grower too of course Well done Steve and welcome to the Forum.

[SJW]

Many thanks to everyone for the kind comments. I'll put the Newcastle show date in my diary...

David - that same Huddersfield air nearly blew the greenhouse glass out today . It can get very bracing here!

[veteran vet]

Thought I would stick in my usual assortment of pictures seeing as its my local show and what a fine show it was with a wide range of alpines in all shapes and sizes on view. I was one on the judges and we seemed to go on forever as the classes were so big and so many plants in individual class were of such a high standard that there was a lot of discussion before the red sticker was awarded....never mind it was all worth it to get lunch supplied by Brenda Newton and her great bunch of helpers.
To the pictures, in the main as they came out by class, but there will be a few odd misses to come at the end as there were many visitors to the show and I do not like to interrupt their viewing by hovering in front of the class taking pics.
Class 1 overall view by David Boyd, of which one was
Hepatica nobilis
Ornithogalum sibthorpii from Don Peace (think his wife must be a hairdresser to get the foliage right)
Pulsatilla vernalis from Cyril Lafong, is one of my favourite alpines as it always takes me back to holidays in the Swiss Alps
Tecophilaea cyanocrocus, the Farrer Medal plant, again by Cyril, another fantastic specimen...lost mine in the winter of 2010 but coming from seed now...will never get anywhere near this standard.

[veteran vet]

Moving on down the line through the primula classes the tables were groaning under the weight and size of the plants but I only photographed one
Primula 'Wharfedale Village' shown by John and Clare Dower in class 3, as to get one to this size if a sterling effort as far as I am concerned as it is too prone to the dreaded fungus for my liking
A much admired pan, winning the Best Primulacaea for the show was
Douglasia laevigata shown by Frank and Barbara Hoyle (class4), was runner up to the Farrer as well
Class 8 for Androsace and Douglasia had
Androsace muscoidea from Lionel Clarkson and
Douglasia vitaliana ssp assoana from Brian Burrow. He had told me he had a good one coming on at last weeks show, it must have been good as Brian doesn't do larhe pans unless they are very good....I thought it was too as I never find it too easy to flower well
There was a single entry in 13, 1 pan compositae from Tom Green
Townsendia hookeri

[veteran vet]

Again there were many Corydalis on show but I only took one
Corydalis solida ssp incise from Ian Leslie (14)
In class 16 we had another Farrer Medal contender with a huge
Saxifraga 'Coolock Gem' from Mark Childerhouse but
Saxifraga desoulavyii from Ian Leslie particularly caught my eye as being different. Exhibiting the Saxifraga classes it is becoming a 'a must have' one of the Coolocks or other such hybrids to have any chance of getting a first as judges favour these over more mundane cultivars such as Saxifraga grisebachii or porophylla...purely for example...even when very well grown, I suppose the same can be said in Primula classes where P. Broadwell Milkmaid is a must. 
A Scottish visitor, I am pleased to say there were many, viz. Jean Wylie had
Shortia galacifolia x uniflora 'Brian Wilson' (31) and while on with shortia
Shortia uniflora 'Grandiflora' was shown by Brian Russ in class 86

[veteran vet]

It is not often that we get interesting viola on the show bench but this year we had 4 distinct viola on display so all 4 in sequence
Viola beckwithii v beckwithii in class 25, Ian Kidman
Viola trinervata (25) George Young
Viola brevistipulata var hidakana (29) Barry Winter)
Viola alpina (102) Keith and Rachel Lever (and won the Eric Watson trophy as a result)

[veteran vet]

Androsace vandellii have been few on the bench this year, my own will probably be ok by next weekend but Cyril Lafong had a nice one in 82
Tim Lever had three nice ones in 81that caught the eye so I show all three
Androsace ciliata
Androsace yargongensis
Androsace sp aff lehmanniana
Tim also had in 91
Polygala chamaebuxus

[Maggi Young]

It is not often that we get interesting viola on the show bench but this year we had 4 distinct viola on display so all 4 in sequence
Viola beckwithii v beckwithii in class 25, Ian Kidman
Viola trinervata (25) George Young
Viola brevistipulata var hidakana (29) Barry Winter)
Viola alpina (102) Keith and Rachel Lever (and won the Eric Watson trophy as a result)

You make a good point there, George - we seldom see any of these violas on the show benches in Scotland either - a great pity, since they are such attractive wee plants.