2009 SRGC Discussion Weekend

[David Nicholson]

We daren't Maggi. It might cause confusion in the Household!

[Maggi Young]

We daren't Maggi. It might cause confusion in the Household!

ooh, errrr, surely not?

 

 watch the flower, watch the flower....now repeat after me "Maggi is so sweet, Maggi is so sweet......
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What d'ya mean, it's not working? 

[David Nicholson]

 

[Maggi Young]

Christine has given us a good start on the show plants and I will show some pix of the award winners getting their trophies, but I'll post more show pix in a new Discussion Weekend Show Thread later.
I will begin though, with some shots to show the fun and chaos surrounding the preparation of Luit's enormous narcissus donation for sale.... I had prepared bags, labelled with their names and prices and I needed a gang of helper to help pack the bags.........

 bulb packing 1 the process begins....

 bulb packing 2 Luit & Maggi wonder if it will all come together

 bulb packing 3  Ann,SRGC Treasurer and wife of President Christie in the foreground,  Carol Shaw (SRGC Secretary)behind, Helen Greenwood in blue top and Julia Corden in pink

 bulb packing 4   looking from the other direction, showing Maggi, by the wall, Sue at the back and half of Christine B by the table!!

 bulb packing 5  Christine Boulby,  Luit van Delft, whose bright idea and generous arrangement with Cees Breed made the sale possible, with our President Ian, the Christie kind. Poor Ian had a really bad chest bug and how he got through the weekend I don't know... sheer willpower, he was most unwell.

 bulb exchange & sale melee from left.... John Lee,( back, seeming near screen) David Rankin and Darren Sleep, Julia, Liam McCaughey from N. Ireland, Tommy Tonsberg from Norway, Joan McCaughey, Susan Band ( back) Helen Amand, Alasdair and Brenda Walker, Pat Bundy.


 bulb ex & sale melee 2 from left.. Stella Rankin (I think) Helen Amand, Lionel Barnwell, Ju Bramley, Harry Jans, Sue Gill, Alasdair Walker's ear! Shelagh Smethurst ( Black Pudding Girl) , (stripey jumper with back to camera) Ian Steele, Anna and Martin Sheader, Susan Band, Andy Crimes, Tony Rymer.

[Maggi Young]

When the Sale started, things were really hectic........

bulb SALE 1:center left Anne Bush, with her back to us towards back= Roma, tall fellow with glasses= Willie Campbell( show secretary and auctioneer on Saturday  evening) , Bette Ivey( in checked shirt with dark waistcoat, Bette is both a Former President and our Honorary President!!), Sandy Leven, Arthur Nicholls, Diane Barnwell

 bulb SALE 2
 bulb SALE 3 center front , Andy Crimes then from left: Pat Bundy, Greta McHarrie, Liz Loch, Cliff, Bette, Sue G, Willie behind, Arthur, Diane Barnwell, Maggi

 Bulb Exchange1  from front left going anti-clockwise; Carol Shaw, Tony Rymer, John Lee, Barry Caudwell,  ( up into top right) Ju and Mike Bramley, Glassford, Ian Bainbridge, Cathy Caudwell, sparkling white shirt in middle is Jonny Dower!
 Bulb night group 1. Joan and Ron Beeston speaking to Fred Bundy, with, in the background John Page's back!! , Shelagh Smethurst, in prayer ( probably for an affordable glass of wine!) and the head of Cliff Booker

 Aberconwy sales stall : Greta McHarrie shopping with Tim Lever

 happy folks in sales area: closest faces.... Ron Beeston and Brian Smethurst, purple jumper, Beryl Bland

 Arthur and Dan in show hall
 Brian and Maureen Wilson

[Maggi Young]

more folks around the weekend..... mostly at dinner, Saturday eveneing here....

 Arthur and Dan shown in the "atmospheric" lighting of the dining room!

 Cliff  with Judy and Howard Humphries - judy is a registered forumist but she has yet to earn her Posting Stripes! She and Howrad brought the huge oak trough wplantes with a lovely gentian, which starred at the show.

 Erle Gardner , Margaret and Anton Edwards..... Anton is the editor of "The Rock Garden"

 friends at dinner: Luit van Delft, JohnE Dower, Clare Dower and Shelagh Smethurst


 Glassford Sprunt( one of the many  former Presidents at the event) remains cheery in spite of wine prices
( I think the only former  SRGC President we did not get a photo of was Harley Milne. Peter ERskine, former AGS president was there, too!       )
 Helen and John Amand  who always bring bulbs to sell but they mostly just come for the fun!

 Luit makes presentation to Maggi

 Maggi, David Shaw,  Carole Bainbridge, Big John Amand,  Carol Shaw.
 Peter Semple, (another former SRGC president) Luit,  Liz Semple,  Maggi, Ian Bainbridge ( yes, another F.Pres!)  and  Kate Page at a nearby table.

The charming Vroni van Delft....an Austrian who sensibly chose chocolates from her homeland for Luit to give to me!

[Maggi Young]

and again.....
Sam Sutherland, Ron Beeston,  Clare Dower and  Cliff "Ranunculus" Booker ... with his camera trained on some of the watercolours shown by Eillen Goodall.
(More fantastic watercolours were shown by Anne Chambers: sorry, I have no pix of these, though I hope Cliff will do!)

Judging  in progress.... Maggi in her Forum T-shirt, SRGC Honorary President, Bette Ivey and Glassford Sprunt.

 Christine Boulby, at far left,  Jean Wyllie and  Sandy Leven getting  their trophies for, in Jean's case, winning Class 1 the three pan class and Sandy for the Most points in Section 1.

 Convenor Jean make the award to Stan DaPrato for the best conifer.
 Jean and Sandy rewarded square up for the cameras
 Jean and Sue Gill, whose super plant of Cyclamen mirabile won two awards... the best plant in Section II and the Jim Lever Trophy for the best cyclamen in the show.

 SueG's  Cyc. mirabile fab result for Sue and her plant.

 Sue with her two trophies ! 

[Maggi Young]

more .....
 Sandy Leven ( another former SRGC President) and Lionel Clarkson : These two are the Show Secretaries for Stirling (Dunblane ) and Blackpool Shows.
 top view of Dower garden : this is the mini-garden shown by Johnny and Clare Dower
 Jean Wyllie, weekend supremo and Host Group (Stirling) Convenor, presents the Show Awrds to the winners... here to Johhny D. for the best miniature garden

 gentian trough back in car to go home.jp : This fabulous trough, hewn from a large oak timber, was shown non-competitively,  by Judy and Howard Humphries from Dumfries-shire and was awarded a Certificate of Merit.
 Brian and Maureen Wilson  with Ian Young..... yes.... another former SRGC President
 Arthur Nicholls ( Art600) and his travelling pal, "Dan"  Robbins in the show hall

[ranunculus]

Excellent stuff, Maggi ... keep up the good work please.

As a brief aside ... can anyone (WHO WASN'T ACTUALLY THERE) guess what all this fuss is about?

[David Shaw]

Cliff, there is no way that anyone could guess that

[vivienr]

Cliff, was everyone eagerly awaiting the counting of the bulb sale money to see if it would stretch to buying another bottle of wine??

[Anthony Darby]

They've found Maggi's handbag and are trying to grab a piece of the legendary chocolate from therein before it all goes?

[ichristie]

Well everybody, I want to let you into a little secret Maggie and Ian have bought a new car, the every so cleaver Magge also bought Ian  Registration plate which is      JIYBD  so this is James Ian Young Bulb Despot we already recognise Ian with the red shoes but now we can watch for him at every corner, nice one Maggie a real treat,  cheers Ian the Christie kind.

[ranunculus]

Cliff, there is no way that anyone could guess that

I know David ... but they could have some fun trying!  You really couldn't make it up! 

[ranunculus]

Cliff, was everyone eagerly awaiting the counting of the bulb sale money to see if it would stretch to buying another bottle of wine??

    Love that one!