Show Report

It's show time again folks, it soon comes around again. It   doesn't seem like 12 months since we were holding our 16th Annual Show at Worsley Hall Garden Centre for the very first time and now our 17th is  over too. Very successful it was too.

The decision, last year, to step into the unknown with our Annual Show and make it a two day show, as well as moving to a garden centre, working in conjunction with very enthusiastic people and helpful staff of Worsley Hall G. C., works wonderfully. After last year's initial teething problem, like the wind, have been ironed out, but we must strive to keep improving the setup, build on the success, for even better in the future.

From the number of exhibitors being up on last year, we do appear to be on the right track.

As many a show manager is aware of, the main idea, is to encourage people to make the effort and stage the fuchsias. To this end, is was rather pleasing to find 17 Triphylla's displayed by exhibitors. They do seem to be popular.
During this year, we have for a first time, ran a beginners group, quite a band of very enthusiastic growers, who have the bit between their teeth and are very keen. To this end, they rewarded our efforts by entering over 35 exhibits between them.

The show was staged in a covered area, adjacent to the garden centre shop. The natural light was excellent for seeing the fuchsias, in all their glory. It was very pleasing to hear them saying that this show was amongst the top ten shows that they had been to, and they were amazed at the quality of the exhibits on display. The plants settled well and were not stressed by being indoors and under artificial lighting, as is usually the case.

This year, we were most pleasantly surprised at the numbers of visitors to our show, despite the fact the weather was rather inclement, and at one stage, we had a tremendous thunderstorm.

Worsley Hall Garden Centre are very obliging and generous, their staff most helpful indeed. The garden centre allow us to sell fuchsias, which does help our society funds. We have an understanding that we do not sell the more common varieties of hardy fuchsias and popular basket ones, but that leaves us with a lot of varieties which we can sell.

I think that I speak for the committee of the society, by thanking all that helped in the preparation, staging and dismantling, for once we had plenty of willing hands at the end, instead of the same stalwarts as in previous years, for making the show such a success, members and committee.
Lastly, but no means least, the society would like thank all our sponsors, ( please click the hyperlink below for the list ), for their kind  donations and gifts, which all contributed to the success

I think that this is the pattern for future Fuchsia shows, to link up with a garden centre. It is mutually advantageous, bringing Fuchsia fanatics to a garden centre and the garden centre visitors seeing Fuchsias grown at their best.

GF Aug 99