Dunblane SRGC Early Bulb Day 20th February 2010

[Brian Ellis]

Thanks for the photos Anthony, some great looking pots of galanthus, also good to see a picture of Elizabeth Harrison herself.  Looks to have been a good day.

[TC]

Lesley, Lori.... I have to admit that  perhaps my vocabulary is not necessarily a true representation of the vernacular of the day in our fair land..... but charabanc is one of my favourite words and I take the chance to utilise it on any appropriate occasion.  To me it conjures an image of a group of factory workers, embarking on a works outing in times past..... full of fun, good company and nonsense.... describes an Aberdeen Group outing perfectly!

An absolutely charming picture and usage of the word!  I have to admit I am sometimes puzzled by certain turns of phrase... how must younger Americans, for example, feel?    Not to worry, though - just part of the adventure!

For those who have never seen a Charabanc, here is a picture taken circa 1920 - guessing by the hats- of Cindy's aunt on a works outing.  Some formidable looking ladies here!!!

Definition of a charabanc is an open top coach with bench seating

[Ragged Robin]

What a unique archive photo, I wonder where they were off to?

[Anthony Darby]

Dunblane Early Bulb Show of course!

[David Nicholson]

My dear old Dad always referred to coaches (ie as opposed to ordinery service buses) as "Sharrers" )

[Lori S.]

For those who have never seen a Charabanc, here is a picture taken circa 1920...

And one from a little earlier on...
http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd273/Sundowner_album/misc/CharabancHorsedrawn.jpg

(This is the sort of picture that sprang to mind  )

[Maggi Young]

For those who have never seen a Charabanc, here is a picture taken circa 1920...

And one from a little earlier on...
http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd273/Sundowner_album/misc/CharabancHorsedrawn.jpg

(This is the sort of picture that sprang to mind  )

Lori, you  have some outdated views of us here in the old country... we do have the internal combustion engine, y'know!

[Paddy Tobin]

Anthony,

Many thanks for the snowdrop photographs you posted from the show, a very nice selection, some I had not seen previously.

Any more?

Paddy

[Sandy Leven]

Many thanks to all the exhibitors who brought plants to our show in Dunblane. Although we had fewer plants than in previous years there was still a lot to see. When the Aberdeen bus rolls in the exctiement goes up a notch. It is remarkable that Snowdrops and Irises flower on time each year. Jean Wyllie showed lots of Crocuses and as usual won the 1st, 2nd and third prizes in the Brookfield prize. As usual the weather was kind in that it was dry and sunny but still very cold.

Ron MacBeath and Robert Rolfe are to be commended on stepping in to give the lectures at quite short notice. It is great that the sRGC has such dependable members.

Thanks also to those who brought food and soup [soup is food too] The catereing staff were knack...      exhausted at the end of the day. They worked hard and did not hear the talks. Real dedication. I enjoyed the day of meeting friends, seing the lectures and buying a few more snowdrops!
Sandy

[J.B.Wyllie]

Sandy your display of Snowdrops should have an award. Can we get a sponsors!!

The day was spectacular.Two excellent talks. Lots of people to chat to. Good food and soup as usual.

Thanks to all who signed the card for Jack Brownless get well ASAP.

See you all next year

Jean

[David Shaw]

It was a damned good day. The plant colour was low, unless you count white as a colour, but the crack was great. The talks were really excellent and both Ron and Robert gave really great talks. Thanks to all who contributed to the day, most specially, Ann and Sandy who put in a huge mount of effort to make it work.

[Gail]

It was a damned good day. The plant colour was low, unless you count white as a colour, but the crack was great.

It sounds as though you have unusually liberal bulb days north of the border! 

[Lesley Cox]

Mark, wedding dresses shouldn't be too tight or we can't get into them again.

[Anthony Darby]

Here are four more pics.

[Maggi Young]

Nice pix capturing the colour in the displays, Anthony.
There were certainly fewer snowdrops on display than last year, when the benches were groaning under the weight of them but with the bad weather there has been this season, I was more than delighted to see any plants at all!  I thought the selection on view was lovely and terrific that those shoiwing flower could be prised out of their greenhouse plunges to be brought to the hall...... the nights before Dunblane Day were horribly cold and many plants were firmly stuck in the plunges, I know!

The bus trippers from Aberdeen ( and Kent!) had a great day out and a good journey both ways.... it was as well that our numbers did not fill the coah, since the storage areas of the vehicle were frozen shut in the morning cold and all plants being taken down for the plant stall and display , plus a large box full of a complete run of SRGC Journals,( being delivered to a keen member in Twickenham, by John Amand, on behalf of an Aberdeenshire member giving up his collection)all had to be taken into the bus and safely stowed there for the drive down.
Luckily these compartments were able to be opened for the homeward trip... just as well since Angie would have filled more than half the bus with her purchases alone! I think she really enjoyed her treat of retail therapy  and she certainly deserves it. The rest of us were mostly able to carry our spoils without the need for Sherpas.


The trade stands were not so full as usual, either.... but what else can be expected when the weather has been so harsh? There seemed still to be plenty money changing hands and a great many bags of plants around the hall at the feet of the happy audience members for the excellent talks from Ron and Robert.


Ron took us "Down Under" to South Africa and South America....I have a feeling that the plants hear Ron is coming and spring to attention for his camera.... all the best specimens want to be featured in a talk by the Doyen of modern day Scottish Plant Hunters    Ron teased us, and his wife, with a final slide of Susan McBeath, standing on the deck of a small boat touring the edge of an enormous South American Glacier...... "you spend thousands on travelling to the far ends of the earth on holiday to see these wonders, and yet does Susan look happy?" said Ron.... well, Susan was looking more than a little cold, and it is hard to look really pleased when you're perished!

Robert Rolfe was surely innoculated with a gramophone needle but luckily, he  seems also to carry a Juke Box gene.... he speaks at a phenomenal speed but he has a huge range of tunes to play us,so he never runs out of subject matter!

Robert galloped through  "Crocus and Iris - Iridaceae's Twin Peaks" with barely a nod to a gladiolus or three in passing.....and kept the audience, by this time well capable of falling asleep in a warm hall after large quantities of homemade soup and cakes had been scoffed at lunchtime, well entertained.

All aspects of the Day went well, and I would like to record my thanks, and those of the Aberdeen Gang to all involved and particularly to those working so hard in the kitchen, w ho are so busy with the volume of people to be fed that they even miss the talks to provide the rest of us with sustenance for our busy and very enjoyable  day out.
Well done, everyone!