SRGC/AGS Northumberland (Hexham) Show 2nd April 2016

[Peter Maguire]

Hexham Show
The Hexham (Northumberland) show will be taking place at the Wentworth Leisure Centre in Northumberland as usual on Saturday 2nd April.

For those wanting to order plants from the specialist nurseries attending the show, they are:
Aberconwy  Tel: 01492 580975
Edrom  (www.edrom-nurseries.co.uk)  Tel: 01890 771386
Harperley Hall Farm (www.harperleyhallfarmnurseries.co.uk)  Tel: 01207 233318
Hartside (www.plantswithaltitude.co.uk)  Tel: 01434 381372
Pottertons (www.pottertons.co.uk)  Tel: 01472 851714
Rumbling Bridge (www.rumblingbridgenursery.co.uk)  Tel: 01577 840160
Ryal  Tel: 01661 886562
Slack Top (www.slacktopnurseries.co.uk)  Tel: 01422 845348
Timpany (www.timpanynurseries.com)  Tel: 028 9756 2812.

Some of the AGS shows have been closing a little earlier than previously this year, however we have found that the show is generally busy until almost the last minute, so will close at the advertised time of 4.00pm. Whilst the show hall will be closed for judging from 9.45 until about 11.30, the adjacent plant sales area will be accessible throughout this time as well as the time that the show is open.

Parking

Previous visitors to the show will be aware that there have been changes to the parking arrangements over the past few years, and yet again the County Council have rearranged things in the car park. Whilst the show hall is adjacent to a large car park, which is free to park in, there are areas of limited parking duration marked out by coloured parking bays.
Red: Max 2 hours, no return within 3 hours
Blue: Max 4 hours, no return within 5 hours
White (marked in green on the map below): all day parking
These are monitored closely, and your arrival time is recorded in the car using a parking disc when using the Red and Blue marked bays. You can use a parking disc from home if your local council has a similar scheme, otherwise they are available locally, the best option being the Tourist Information Centre at the top of the car park (marked ‘Wentworth Car Park’ on the plan below) and will cost £1.00. For most people visiting the show, there will be plenty of space using the blue parking bays.

For exhibitors, and others planning to be at the show for longer periods, you will need to use the white parking bays, no parking disc is necessary (shown in pale green on the plan above). Please note- I understand that generally ALL of these spaces are occupied by 9.00am, so you will have to get there early, and if unloading plants around the back of the show hall, then move your car into the main cark park straight away, before staging plants. The alternative is to use one of the other free parking spaces in the town which are a 10-15minute walk away, marked 11-15 on the map below, although realistically number 14 is the only one likely to have available spaces.

[Maggi Young]

[Stan da Prato]

Very useful info from  Peter about the arrangements. When I looked at my  SRGC schedules to plan some entries I noted an  omission and several discrepancies  so had to consult the AGS version online to clarify.
Class 95 only  has a capital S -it turns out to be a plant for foliage effect. Class 46 is for a mini garden  in SRGC but an alpine landscape  in AGS -not necessarily  the same thing.
SRGC list the 2014 trophy winners not 2015 and indicate that the Ivor Barton  trophy is attached to  class 103   but it went to Kendal this year.
For section 2 AGS say winning the Rutland salver precludes  entry to that section  while SRGC  does not  though they did  for the Kendal schedule.   It would be possible  to win that with less than 50 firsts especially  as section 2 in many Scottish shows attracts  few entries.
 For those attending  joint rock it starts at 11.30 in one  and  12  in the other.

[Peter Maguire]

Hi folks,
Just to clarify a few corrections:

Class 95: Should read 'One pan rock plant for foliage effect' This was correct on the proof that I was sent to check, the error must have crept in at the printers.

Miniature gardens/alpine landscapes - this change was introduced in 2015 by AGS as they were trying to popularise shows for the general public and felt that miniature gardens could be broadened to include miniaturised garden gates, fences, sheds, etc - many show secretaries were not happy with this concept. The Northumberland Show schedule lists 'miniature alpine landscape' as the category for this class specifically to exclude this sort of 'stuff', and I would hope that it's description as such in the AGS schedule would be in line with a 'miniature garden' as perceived by SRGC members. 

Ivor Barton Trophy - yes, this is not being awarded at the Northumberland Show. I had forwarded the corrected information but it had not been changed in the proof, and I missed it - sorry to anyone who was cultivating six pots of seed for this class.  The AGS travelling trophy this year is actually the Bill Tubbs Trophy for the best pan of Ericaceae - just up Stan's street!

Regarding the Rutland Salver - this has been in the AGS schedules since 2002 (yes, I have them all!) and has not caused any problems until this year - the exhibitor concerned contacted me earlier this week and I sorted this out. I will ensure that the SRGC schedules will include this wording for next year to include the Rutland Salver when my successor takes over - this is my final year as show secretary.

Joint Rock committee start time? - that's outside my control and I haven't even yet been told officially who is hosting the meeting. The relevant people will be informed as soon as I know any more (probably at about 10.00am on Saturday)

I've also found one problem that Stan missed. Classes 103/104 and 105/106 have been transposed. It just makes the difference between one pan from seed/three pans from seed and can be shuffled around on the day. This has been incorrect since the 2014 schedules and has not previously been raised - I'm afraid that there have not been many SRGC exhibitors in this class of late, which is why I have missed it previously.

If anyone else finds any errors in the 168-class schedule, please let me know. 

[Maggi Young]

Crikey! There has been snow again in some parts of Scotland today - I hope the weather for the Hexham Show is  more properly Spring-like! Mind you, if the weather is bad it's a great excuse to spend the day in a flower-filled hall, isn't it?



Admission is free to SRGC/AGS Members, of course.

[Stan da Prato]

Hailstones this afternoon albeit interspersed with sun so had to put some show plants on floor of my small greenhouse. From a distance  they look quite colourful -the flaws appear when  you get closer! Most stuff grows outside but it helps  to keep heavy rain and worse  off the flowers as they open.   Besides Hexham there is the Caley show in RBGE this weekend so some will go there on Friday evening.

[Maggi Young]

Well done Stan on your  efforts to be in two places at once!  Helped I expect, by the fact that the Caley Show is on for two days - 2nd and 3rd April
Royal Caledonian Hort. Soc. (The Caley)  Show
Royal Botanic  Garden Edinburgh 
The Fletcher Building (Beside the Glasshouses) 
2nd and 3rd April 2016 12 noon to 5pm 
Admission – £3 
RCHS Members Free Students & Children  Free

[Maggi Young]

Folks are  preparing already - from Rumbling Bridge Nursery, Hilary and Graeme are getting plants ready for sale .....


and Lawrence Peet - who has a busy day at work tomorrow,  must get his show plants ready in advance too...

[Peter Maguire]

Looking at Stan's plants makes me glad that I ordered a few extra tables.....

Have spent the most of the evening adding entries to the AGS computer. It's going to be a very competitive year. 

[Maggi Young]

That's very good news, Peter - it'll be a bumper year for the visitors to enjoy 

[Peter Maguire]

Well, that's the car packed ready to go off to the show this evening to setup.

Having added all the entries into the AGS computer the total number of plants is potentially 750. 
That probably means that we'll get about 500-550 on the day. Should be a good show. 

[Maggi Young]

Well, that's the car packed ready to go off to the show this evening to setup.

Having added all the entries into the AGS computer the total number of plants is potentially 750. 
That probably means that we'll get about 500-550 on the day. Should be a good show. 

Fantastic - what a great  show there will be.

The RBGE Alpine Dept. has been busy getting their plants ready for their display .......

[Maggi Young]

Great overview pic of the Hexham Show Hall from  John Mitchell - full benches looking great

[Maggi Young]

Gold medal and certificate of merit for RBGE  Alpine Dept. Display  at Hexham Show  - pic John Mitchell

[Maggi Young]

Lawrence Peet had  news and pix of today's Forrest Medal at Hexham show - isn't it a cracker? Well done to Mark Childerhouse! Plant is Saxifraga 'Coolock Gem'