ON THE ROAD 06

John Jacks

For me the 2006 season commenced at Southport Flower Show in mid August. Due to the hot and sunny weather during June & July most of my plants looked as if they would be earlier than I would have liked. That indeed turned out to be the case and in fact I actually tried to enter Shrewsbury Show at the beginning of August, but missed the closing date by a couple of days.

On the day before Southport I was up at 4.30 am to start cutting. Then to work which was my last day before annual leave commenced. At night spent an hour or so in the Tunnel before going to bed for a couple of hours kip.

Alison and I left Longriggend at half past midnight and arrived at Victoria Park about 3.45 am. The Road down was quiet which allowed good time to be made.

Staged the entries and thereafter went for breakfast with Barry and Wendy Kenyon and Don Kershaw of Rossendale fame.

Only one entry in 6 x GD with 3 Bonaventure and 3 Mabel Ann which was still good enough to win the Silver Medal for Best Exhibit in Dahlias. Also won the 3 GD with 3 Sir Alf Ramsey. The 3 GSC had to be staged in one vase which I only just managed with 3 Janal Amy.

To finish the day off was also 1^st out of 8 entries in the small cactus class with Trelyn Kiwi, giving 4 firsts from 4 entries. A decent start to the season.

Barry Smith won the Individual Championship from 6 entries using a cracking bloom of Cream Alva’s and 2 Mabel Ann, Coxwell Moonlight, Winholme Diane and Trelyn Kiwi. Don Kershaw won the bronze medal for runner up to Best Exhibit with his poms.

The Northern Committee of the NDS won a large gold medal with their display of water lilies and miniatures, while Station House Nurseries and David Mathewman’s Sweet Pea stand both won large gold medals.

The weather remained dry and fine throughout the Show and some time was spent in the beer tent with Barry, Wendy and Frank Taylor.

Booked into a local hotel overnight, however the journey back up the road the following day was horrendous with torrential rain all the way from Southport to Bridge Street.

Even although I was by now on annual leave, the English Bank holiday week-end was probably the maddest ever decision in recent years.

During the week the washing machine and tumble drier went on the blink and so new white goods were ordered, the utility room re-decorated and new flooring laid.

Earlier in the year I had agreed to replace Tom Melrose as judge at Dublin on Sat. 26 August. The flight had been booked well in advance and was due to depart Prestwick Airport at 0650 hrs. Due to increased security at all UK airports at that time, I would need an early rise at 0430 hours that morning. There were 2 options available to me. The easy option was to put up a couple of entries at a local show and be tucked up in bed by 10pm. However I never seem to take the simple route..

Instead, on the Friday morning, was up at 6am to cut for the Midlands Show.  I left about 9.30 am expecting to be there at half past 2 in the afternoon. However due to very heavy bank holiday traffic, did not arrive until nearly 5 O’clock. I was the only person there at that time and had to let myself into the Show hall. Staged all entries and left in such a hurry at 7.30 pm that I forgot to load my buckets into the car.

Barry and Wendy Kenyon had just arrived as I was leaving and Barry gathered my drums and very kindly posted them on which was much appreciated. All the effort was worthwhile as I won the 6 GD trophy with 3 Bonaventure, 2 Sir Alf and a Bryn Terfel.  2^nd in the GSC to guess who? …Yes Wendy Kenyon yet again. (Well done for another triple in the GSC Championships at the 3 Nationals in back to back seasons). However I also managed to win the  trophy for Best Giant/Large Dec and Giant/Large Cactus, together with Large Dec. Trophy with 3 superb Hillcrest Embers. Also the Small Cactus Trophy which was really pleasing with 2 vases of 5 Trelyn Kiwi.

Again the drive up the road was in atrocious conditions and finally got to bed at half past one in the morning.

Made it to Dublin after only 3 hours sleep and judging commenced at 1130 hrs. Good Show with 3 Championship classes to be pointed, each with 6 or 7 entries. Patsy McGuiness from Co. Meath dominated the Show winning the 3 Championship classes, best vase in show with Trelyn’s Kiwi and Best Exhibit with 3 single blooms of Challenger.

Unfortunately Alison broke a bone in her foot. She told me it happened on a shopping trip while I was judging although I suspect that her drunken attempt at River Dancing was more likely.  After the show we went to Christopher White’s abode and helped him and David Moloney cut for a local show before enjoying an excellent meal with them. However with Alison’s injured foot and my lack of sleep, both of us were in bed at 9 o’clock – not how you would expect to spend a Saturday night in one of Europe’s most lively cities.

Activities the next day were restricted due to Alison’s injury but we still enjoyed an open top bus tour of Dublin.

The next event in the diary was The National Show at Shepton Mallet.

Cut all cactus varieties on the Wed. morning prior to the Show and stored them in the garage. That evening attended with Doug and Bob Fulton to Tommy’s plot and cut all the blooms that had been caned the day previous. These were looking very good indeed and taken to my garage overnight. Everyone had agreed we should pull out all the stops for both Inter Society classes at Shepton Mallet and Harrogate for Tom Melrose who by now was critically ill.

Up early at 6 am on the Thursday morning to cut the remainder of the Giant and Large Dec.  Fellow members of the Monklands who were not travelling to S.M. arrived about midday to wish us good luck for the Herbert Brown Trophy. The van with Frank and John Fraser left about 1215 hours while Alison and I left about ¾ hour later. Alison was going to visit her brother in Staffordshire. I joined up with the van crew about 6.30 pm and we arrived at the Showground approx. 1015 pm. There was no damage in transit although quite a few of my blooms had marked badly ruling me out of the Barnes. Just as well cause Don Mosley had a superb cut. Overnight staging continued till about 5.30 am when we put up the Inter Society exhibit comprising Eastwood Moonlight and Trelyn Kiwi from Tommy’s plot, Challenger and Marston Lilac from Frank while I chipped in with 3 Grace Kendal a large Dec. When finally staged, the entry looked half decent. I also managed an entry in the Maurice Lord for 9 GD and the GSC and Large Dec Championships.

Now Frank and John Fraser were scheduled to be judging, but I had no such intentions. Both retired to the van at 5.45am for an hour’s kip and I remained in the hall, tidying up. Went back to the van as judging commenced for some kip but was rudely awakened a short time later by Frank banging on the side of the van to see if I would assist with judging.

The Midland boys approached me during judging and offered their congratulations on Monklands winning the Inter Society class. When I saw the red card myself it was quite an emotional moment and I broke the news to Doug and John Whyte by phone.

Don as expected won the Barnes and had Best Giant in Show with Alf Ramsey from that exhibit. He also won the 6 and had Best Exhibit in Div. B with this entry. He should also have won the 9 GD and was robbed of a clean sweep.

Wendy Kenyon won the GSC (again !!) and I could only scrape 3^rd.. Did manage to win the Stuart Ogg Trophy for the 1^st time with 6 Large Dec including Willowfield Mick,

Kenora Valentine, 2 x Grace Kendal, Elma E and the new Hillcrest Embers.

Elsewhere in the Show, Barry Kenyon won the Individual and Crane Trophy whilst Frank Fraser was a very creditable 3^rd. When the points were added both he and Ian Sutherland had an identical score and were re-judged with Ian sneaking it. Frank also scored a whopping 27 points for Cream Moonlight. It was also ironic that Mr Kiwi himself did not have a bloom of small cactus in his garden at this time.

Also ironic was the fact that Dave Fowler who Tom Melrose has soundly beaten over the past few years put up his best exhibit in some time to win the Clara Lawson Brown Trophy and also Best Vase in Show with Cream Moonlight.

Overall impressions of the Show was that it was well down on previous years with only the Individual class well contested, However quality still remained high.

On the drive back to our digs every year we always saw an advertising sign for the ‘Moonlight’ horse race meeting and always commented on it in relation to Tommy’s love of that variety. Spookily this year the notice board was bare.

Back at the digs and the show was re-lived over a few drinks in the beer garden. After a nice meal we crashed out at 8.30 pm. We had been on the go for 36+ hours without sleep. Refreshed, it was back up the road on the Sat. to start preparing for the Scottish National.

Although the Albert Hall in Stirling is only about 25 miles away, all the staging for the Show is stored in my garage. So it was a 4 day exercise, erecting, running and dismantling the Show with the last day coinciding with my last day of annual leave.

So to Harrogate and by that time Doug was hitting a full flush, while most of my GD’s and GSC were finished for the season. The remaining buds and blooms were a complete disaster with extensive marking and damping right across the face of the blooms.

With Monklands DS going for a unique double  it was left to Frank Fraser to provide most of the blooms consisting of Challenger, Cream Moonlight, Trelyn Kiwi and Alf’s Mascot, with 3 Bryn Terfel making up the exhibit.

Frank also won Best Vase in Show and a hatful of medals with a single vase of Winholme Diane which was rejected by Monklands DS for the Inter Society exhibit and Frank himself for his individual entry. Was well pleased for Frank after his vase of Challenger in his Individual collapsed and the fact that all his best blooms were in the Society exhibit.

Doug Semple had a huge cut for this Show and aided and abetted by Bob Fulton, he won the Miniature Dec Championship and the 3 vase class of Miniatures.

Other good results at Harrogate included Ian Turner the Scottish Secretary winning the LSC Championship which included as good a vase of Reg. Keene seen around for many a year. Bill Mathieson also secured 2 bronze medals with 2 vases of small cactus in Div. C.

All in all a good day out for the Super Scots and at night Monklands DS and friends enjoyed a sociable event at a restaurant in the Town Centre.

After Harrogate there was still 2 week-ends of local shows to follow. Although I had no blooms for either of them I was still involved at both shows.

Having won 5 trophies at the Midlands Show, Alison and I decided to attend their Dinner and Trophy Presentation on 11 November and thoroughly enjoyed the occasion made all the better by the company at our table.

Overall, it was a difficult and trying year especially with Tommy’s illness and untimely death. Together with other members of Monklands, I visited Tommy most Sundays during the season and helped tend his dahlias. It was pleasing to win both Inter Society classes which were dedicated to Tom. His father Sam who had also worked tirelessly on the dahlias was presented with the Silver Medal from Shepton Mallet.

Don’t know how many miles are covered over the show season, but looking forward to be back on the road again next year.