Chairman's Report
Jimmy Heginbottom

As this is my first year as Chairman I would like you to bear with me. As most of you know I’m no letter writer so this could be the shortest report on record.
Our fantastic summer was ideal for growing Dahlias and I myself had the most successful year yet. The year kicked off for the club with our annual dinner in January, this time a new venue. This was The Crooklands Hotel and it was well supported and a good night was had by all.
This year we had another plant sale at Flookborough Car Boot sale at the end of May and this was again very profitable. Thanks to all who turned up to help, especially Wendy and Barry for the dark red foliage plants that sold so well.
Our annual show at the beginning of September was at a new venue this rear, The Ashton Memorial in Williamson Park Lancaster. It was a real success with some new and old faces turning up. I hope we attract a lot more for 2007. You will always be made welcome at The N.W.D.S.. We have a great working committee that I am proud to be a member of and with your help we can go from strength to strength.
On a sadder note, our President and Founder Member Fred Currie passed away recently. He will be sadly missed by The Society and all his good Dahlia Friends. We also lost Tommy Melrose from Scotland a good Showman, Friend and a Champion of The Dahlia, always smiling and a kind word for you. He will be sadly missed by all who knew him.

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My Year ( Vice Chairman)
D Woodhouse

I’ve enjoyed another good year with the N.W.D.S. The year started with a good meal at the Crooklands Hotel, a good night enjoyed by all. Then at the J Parkinson talk in the spring B Kenyon & F Taylor brought plants to sell to those of us who hadn’t propagated as many plants as we needed which was a great help, also making extra money for our funds. Then I went to help at the car boot sale where we sold plants to the general public, we had a good time and a good laugh giving lavender & grass plants away with the dahlias, the dark leafed plants sold very well and it was good to see people showing an interest.
Then on to our show which we held in the grand situation of the Ashton Memorial in Williamson park Lancaster, a good turn out of exhibitors and I think everyone enjoyed the day.
The year finished well with good talks from Andy Jameson and Brian Warriner.
I would just like to congratulate our local lads (and lasses Wendy gave the giant lads a good run for their money again!) for doing so well at the National shows again.
I tried a couple of new varieties to me again this year. Blyton Lady in Red a min dec which did very well for me especially early on in the season, good form plenty of petal and good strong stems, very healthy plants and the blooms held well I grew it 14/16 up, I will definitely grow it again next year.
Ruskin Michelle a med semi-cactus. Didn’t do as well for me, I’d been warned only to grow it 4 up! I tried 5/6 up but too small, 4’s not too bad but didn’t hold well for me. I did see some reasonable exhibits of it at the shows, it has very good stems blooms well out of foliage but no competition to the moonlights.
Good luck to everyone for next year.
 

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FROM THE EDITOR
Barry Kenyon

January 06 kicked off with a dinner at the new venue of the “ Crooklands Hotel”. It was a good turnout with a scroll of honour being presented to our past secretary John Smith by our chairman Jimmy Heginbottam. Flowers were presented to John’s wife Wendy.
The meal was excellent and it was followed with the usual frivolities of “funny raffle” and roll some silver at the whisky bottle. A number of people stayed the night to make it last a bit longer and as ever the accommodation and breakfast were great.
Next came a talk from Parky ( John Parkinson). This was aimed at novices and there was a really good turnout with lots of new faces. ( It is a shame that they did not all appear at our show). A plant sale from Frank Taylor of new varieties and me with older ones, rounded the evening off nicely.
Jimmy Heg organised the sale of plants at the car boot and although the weather was a bit inclement we did very well putting a nice sum in the societies coffers and had a good laugh as well.
Members of The North West took a lot of the big classes at the Major Shows and some of these I managed to photograph for “our mag”. Any that I missed I apologies. Congrats to both Jimmy and Wendy for their “Trebles” at the National Shows.
Our show was both at a new venue and a new date for 2006. Ashton Hall in Williamsons Park Lancaster and on a Thursday with overnight staging. A bit of a risk but I think everyone would agree that it was good. I arrived with Wendy at about 5am on the Thursday.
The hall is magnificent, circular with a marble floor. I was met by Jimmy Heg who made us a cup of tea and everything was well organised. The staging had been delivered from Barrow by Les Crossley on Wednesday afternoon and Graham, George and him got stuck in. I gather it was nearly done when Andrew arrived at teatime having picked up the vases from my place. Dave arrived as well at that time to get things finished off. Jimmy saw to the advertising with his poster at the main gates and boards outside the hall as well.
Thursday was a beautiful day and because of the position of the hall you could see right across Morecombe Bay to Barrow and the Lake District. The judges Sion Jones and Ron Rimmer arrived and a group of us did a runner ( By car because of the hill) down into Lancaster where we found a great café for the full Monty English Breakfast which was welcomed by all.
We had a few new faces at out show from our Sister Club “ NEDA” and they were very welcome. The move from the Sunday made this possible as the two shows no longer clash. I returned the favour by going over to them on the Sunday. A few people visited the Butterfly house or had a nice walk in the park during the day and the cafeteria opposite the hall was well used also. There were a lot more visitors around the show this year because of the venue and although it wasn’t pushed we took nearly £20.00 on the door from donations .
The day finished with everyone mucking in to clear the hall of flowers whilst Jimmy was the front man giving the flowers away to an eager crowd that had built up.
Our Autumn speaker this last year was Andy Jameson ( Chairman of The Northern Committee) who gave us a talk and slide show on “ The Leeds Trials” and of course, around the shows.
The year finished with a very good talk and PowerPoint Presentation from “New Boy on The Block” Brian Warriner on Growing and Propagation “The Champions Way”.
All in all I think , “ An outstanding Year” and we should all on the committee give ourselves a pat on the back.