AGS SUMMER NORTH NATIONAL SHOW - PUDSEY 19TH JUNE 2010

[ranunculus]

Just returned from an excellent AGS national show at Pudsey in West Yorkshire held today; 19th June 2010 and I am thrilled to announce that the Farrer Medal was won by one of the alpine world's great characters; Tommy Anderson from Kendal with a superb Androsace spinulifera. This was Tommy's first Farrer Medal, but not his first 'Best in Show' (a Farrer or Forrest Medal is not always awarded) - hearty congratulations to you Tommy from all your friends in the alpine fraternity.
Congratulations are also in order for Eric Rainford and Ian Instone (and their enthusiastic helpers) - joint show secretaries of another wonderful event.
The winner of the hotly contested Pudsey Pig contest was shorts-wearing Colin Dolding - seen below with his prestigious trophy - a fledgling 'piglet' with little to recommend him in the way of experience or excess body-weight, he scooped the prize with ease, finishing off cottage pie and all the trimmings, the entire contents of the gravy jug and a large helping of apple pie and custard.  Where did he put it all?  Congratulations Colin and antacid relief!   

TOMMY ANDERSON FROM KENDAL - FARRER MEDAL WINNER PUDSEY 2010
ANDROSACE SPINULIFERA - FARRER MEDAL WINNING EXHIBIT
ASTERANTHERA OVATA
ASTERANTHERA OVATA - CLOSE-UP
CAMPANULA CHORUHENSIS
CAMPANULA THESSELLA
DACTYLORHIZA - EXHIBITED BY GEORGE YOUNG
GENTIANA SZECHENYII - EXHIBITED BY LIONEL CLARKSON
GENTIANA SZECHENYII - CLOSE-UP
PUDSEY PIG WINNER - COLIN DOLDING - THE LEGS HAVE BEEN COVERED TO PROTECT THE INNOCENT

[Maggi Young]

Some great plants to start your report Cliff and what a grand portrait of Tommy Anderson and his Farrer plant  
Many congratulations to Tommy !

Not to decry the achievments of the organisers and exhibitors of those fine plants, but the other major news of ther day must be the Pudsey Pig contest.
Who indeed would have thought that a sapling such as Colin could pull off such a victory?
The fellow looks as though gravy never touches his lips... perhaps he pours it straight down or takes it through a straw.....
Mind you, I have heard the tales of the AGS Seed Team doing their own extensive training on quality cake, so it may be that this was his secret to success.  
Well done, Colin, a memorable win for you with a taxing menu

[Martinr]

Congratulations to Tommy and Colin. I like the new piggery trophy. Just wish I could have been there. I wouldn't have given Tommy any real threat  but I'd have given Colin some stiff competition

[Colin Dolding]

Thank you to Eric and his team for another good show and to Cliff to announcing to the world my greatest triumph of the 2010 show season.
Maggi was pretty close to the secret training during the long winter days and nights whilst working on the AGS seed exchange.
Sounds like Martin is challenging for next year already. Sorry you were unable to come this year.
Have not tried gravy through a straw though Maggi, is that a Scottish tradition?

[Lesley Cox]

Where were the well know pigletesses in this contest. No mention of the lades at all. Other things on your mind Shelagh?

I really love the Asteranthera. Mine is doing nicely but a good deal looser than the one above. Might try weaving the new stems through the older ones for a more compact plant.

[ranunculus]

Where were the well know pigletesses in this contest. No mention of the lades at all.

Hi Lesley,
Your 'On the spot - On the moment' reporter here.
Update on the 2010 hogwash ... twenty-seven official entries this year - plenty of classic fillies made the starting line; a number of former winners were present and made valiant but futile attempts to recapture past glories - other former winners had, of course, emigrated to pastures new in N.Z. or the U.S.A. to escape the pressure.  This year's event attracted media attention from around the world (well, you are reading this, aren't you?) and, but for rather poor on-course hospitality, the day proved another resounding success.
New tactics were employed by several participants this year - lobsters were introduced into the field of play ... and chocolate cake (probably laced with hidden dangers) was offered to (and slavishly consumed by) many of the entrants at a precise and pre-arranged time of 10.30am - and in the car-park, may I add - how suspicious does that sound?  Lesley, you have no idea how low some recognised (Black-pudding) competitors can stoop?
Last year's worthy winner; Carol 'The Pit' Kellett presented Colin 'Empty Legs' Dolding with his trophy and a momento to keep for perpetuity of a piglet lovingly fashioned from coal (don't ask).  John 'Consumer Boomer' Dower also presented young Colin with a badge of pride that was to be worn for the rest of the day (or the rest of the year if he could face all the questions that were bound to result).
Photos of the winner and many of the participants may follow when an enormous breakfast has been consumed.  

[shelagh]

Lesley WW's simply cannot cope with the Pudsey Pig.  However many of us indulged in chocolate cake in the car-park earlier and I was accused of trying to sabotage some P-Piggers from getting the trophy.  It didn't seem to affect appetites too much though.  We celebrated Martin's upcoming birthday in his absence.   Sorry you weren't there Martin but I don't think the cake will last till Pershore

[Maggi Young]

Have not tried gravy through a straw though Maggi, is that a Scottish tradition?

No, Colin, not especially Scottish,just a dodge used by
a) men with facial hair who don't want their beards etc full of goo 
b) folks on a diet who are trying to kid themselves that they're not cheating and consuming the wrong foods because "gravy never touches their lips" if they use a straw 

Of course, this trick only works with 1) a fat straw and 2) thin gravy ...... it's a complicated world out there!

Is the crazy world of the Pudsey Pig not the most marvelous social adjunct to the business of the show? All those happy competitors making off for a convivial luncheon gathering and having a good laugh into the bargain.... Magic! 

[Diane Clement]

Is the crazy world of the Pudsey Pig not the most marvelous social adjunct to the business of the show?

I think sometimes the show is the adjunct to the main business of the day - the lunch    

[Peter Maguire]

To get back to the plants............. , although I must say, there was a cathedral-like hush over the show hall over lunchtime, with about 5-6 people around. About 2pm I realised the noise levels had risen considerably, and looked up to find the hall filling up again, mainly with Pudsey piglets wiping away the crumbs.
Most of my pictures are closeups of plants that caught my eye, if they don't give a sense of scale, then I'm sure that others will have photos of the whole plant.
- Campanula Joe Elliott, shown by Vera Buck
- Asteranthera ovata, Martin and Anna Sheader. This shot was taken on the 'official' photography table to get the backlit effect whilst Jon Evans, who was taking the AGS photos, was at work.
- Epipactis gigantea, Georgina Instone
- Campanula pelia, Anne Vale
- Silene elisabethae, John Savage
- Campanula myrsifolia 'Helmi', Martin and Anna Sheader (Certificate of Merit. I think)

[Martinr]

Shelagh, you have permission to eat my bit of cake, but not till tomorrow so you can celebrate my real birthday instead of my official birthday.

No point in trying to preserve it till Pershore as I'll be somewhere on Skye at the time.

Peter, who's the chap in collar and tie you've used as an avatar?

[Peter Maguire]

- Bletilla striata, Anne Vale
- Sedum 'Chocolate Ball' , also Anne Vale. This plant looked almost good enough to eat (down Maggi   ). The detail shot doesn't really show it, but from a distance it looked like a chocolate pudding!
- Dianthus Annette, Chloe Eyre
- Arisaema candidissimum, Mike and Mandy McLoughlin
- Allium cernuum, Frank Dobson
- Arisaema kiushianum, Cecelia Coller - who grows some very unusual plants, more to follow

[Peter Maguire]

Peter, who's the chap in collar and tie you've used as an avatar?

That will be my better looking twin brother.

[Peter Maguire]

All quiet on this topic, it looks like all the photographers at Pudsey have been out enjoying the sunshine. Here's some more photos:
- Brodiaea stellaris, Cecelia Coller
- Monopsis unidentata, Cecelia again
- Echinopsis backebergii var wrightiana, Martin and Anna Sheader. Sorry, this one's slightly out of focus; the accompanying notes state that it is found at 3500-400om in Bolivia and Peru.
- Stylidium graminifolium, Brian and Sheila Smethurst. 2 views of this plant - apparently they have a better one which should be ready for the Pershore show.  
- Gilea aggregata, John Bunn. Just the inflorescence from this plant; spectacular, quite tall, but the rosette of leaves was not up to much.

[Peter Maguire]

- Silene californica
- Scutellaria indica var parvifolia, both Robin Pickering
- Roscoea 'Inkling', Cecelia Coller again
- Oxytropis shokanbetsuensis (now there's a mouthful!), Brian and Shelagh Smethurst
- Nomocharis aperta, Ian Instone
- Delphinium pylzowii, Brian and Shelagh Smethurst