Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum

SRGC Shows and Events => SRGC Shows Questions and Answers => Topic started by: Maggi Young on December 01, 2006, 10:54:12 PM

Title: "Stirling" Show held in Sunny Dunblane- 24th March 2007
Post by: Maggi Young on December 01, 2006, 10:54:12 PM
Gather at the Victoria Hall, Dunblane for this toothsome event... early exhibitors might get a chocolate egg!
Title: Re: "Stirling" Show held in Sunny Dunblane- 24th March 2007
Post by: Sandy Leven on December 24, 2006, 08:54:24 PM
Bribery might work to increase the number of entries.
When is Easter in 2007?
If I buy the easter eggs just now, will they be 2006 vintage left overs or 2007 early supply?
I will concentrate on selection boxes for now.

Please remember always to brush your teeth after finishing a selection box.

At the Stirling show we encourage exhibitors to brush their teeth after consuming their chocolate egg.

Bring your plants and your toothbrush


Title: Re: "Stirling" Show held in Sunny Dunblane- 24th March 2007
Post by: Maggi Young on March 21, 2007, 10:55:54 PM
Getting excited about the next SRGC show this coming Saturday ! Not that we have much to exhibit, ghastly weather outside and roots trough the base of pots under glass has kyboshed that possibility. 
BD and I have been asked to judge, though, so it will be easier if we will not be disqualified from any classes. Wonder if we will agree on anything?  Sandy Leven  hasn't been too well lately, (and had to be forcibly restrained from going to Blackpool last week  where he risked doing himself a mischief) and Jean Broome (who, side by side with Hazel Smith, are the mainstays of the Group plantstall) has just had heart surgery, so volunteers will be even more welcome than usual at this event.
Sandy is on the mend and has had many get well soon wishes and I hope that Jean will be cheered by our hopes that she is soon back home and firing on all eight cyclinders!
Venue for the Show is the same as the Early Bulb Day, the Victoria Hall, Station Road, Dunblane. Parking for non-exhibitors is limited by the hall, but parking is allowed on the nearby main road, only a couple of hundred yards away.  I hesitate to suggest you might use the Tesco car park over the railway footbridge....if you get arrested, don't blame me!

Change of details: There is NO staging on Friday night . Only Staging from 8.30am to 10.00 am on the Saturday morning.
Show open 12 noon to 4pm.  I am not 100% sure, but I don't think there will be access to the plant stalls between the judging beginning at 10.15am and the show opening at 12 noon. Watch this space for updates.
Title: Re: "Stirling" Show held in Sunny Dunblane- 24th March 2007
Post by: Anthony Darby on March 21, 2007, 11:48:17 PM
The Tesco car park doubles as the station car park, so no chance of being arrested. There is also a car park down the Millrow (turn right before the bridge by the Stirling Arms Hotel (closed) immediately after turning left at the bottom of Beech Road). 
Title: Re: "Stirling" Show held in Sunny Dunblane- 24th March 2007
Post by: Maggi Young on March 22, 2007, 11:59:58 AM
Thanks,Anthony, excellent local  info ! Hadn't realised that about the "Tesco" car park.

N.B. There is NO staging on the Friday evening, only on Saturday morning. Thanks to DS for note re this!
Title: Re: "Stirling" Show held in Sunny Dunblane- 24th March 2007
Post by: Maggi Young on March 24, 2007, 09:28:12 PM
Well, we arrived at the show too late to find out if there had been easter eggs for the earlybirds but there were plenty of other delights to make up for any lack of chocolate! I took one picture, or tried to, when the camera batteries went phut! BD has got some though, as did some others so I hope they will post them here. It was a good bright day and the show hall was full of plants and there were plenty to buy when your enthusiasm was excited by the quality of the show plants... hope some of the heaps of plants bought might find their way back to the show next year!  Section II was well supported and had a good range of plants, grown to a high standard. It is a real pleasure to see lots of good plants in SectionII, these are the stars of tomorrow, so to speak. It is so important to have newer exhibitors coming along to keep the shows vibrant.  Stan de Prato, from near Edinburgh (Tranent, I think?) won lots of classes , gaining the trophy for most points in the Section and a Bronze Medal. Several other "new" names there, too, with neat plants.
In the open section, Section I, the judges felt that a few plants could have benefited from a little extra "tweaking", minor adjustments or tidying to just show the plant to its fullest advantage. After all if you are going to the trouble to take a plant to the show, why not take off that grotty leaf or tidy the top dressing? After all, most of us have a goodwash and brush our hair before we present ourselves in public, wht should it be different for our plants? :-\
Someone who needs no reminding to prepare his plants in tiptop condition for a show is Forrest Medal Winner, Cyril Lafong. Cyril added to his collection today with a medal for Trillium rivale 'Purple Heart': a lovely pan full and his 23rd Forrest Medal... at long last, new supplies of the solid Silver Forrest Medal  (awarded for Ten Forrests) have arrived, so President Ian, the Christie kind, had the pleasure of presenting Cyril with his (somewhat overdue) Silver Forrest!
Sandy Leven, still not fully fit after his recent illness, still managed to enter sufficient plants of quality to earn him the trophy for most points in SectionI: that should aid his recovery, I hope!
Local Convenor, Jean, The Wyllie Wifie, had everything in order, aided and abetted by the Wyllie Gals, AKA Karen and Susie, her two daughters, plus a gaggle of grandchildren who were kept busy clearing the tables in the tearoom and rounding up the judges for the "Judges' Lunch"...this was provided by Anne Leven and very good it was, too! Glassford Sprunt stood in for Sandy as the Show Secretary and succeeeded in getting the judging finished in time for opening to the public... not always easy that!
More  to follow, just a quick roundup of the day!
Title: Re: "Stirling" Show held in Sunny Dunblane- 24th March 2007
Post by: Anthony Darby on March 28, 2007, 10:21:40 AM
I saw lots of people taking photographs at the show but where are they? :(
Title: Re: "Stirling" Show held in Sunny Dunblane- 24th March 2007
Post by: Maggi Young on March 28, 2007, 12:00:59 PM
Hoping to get time to process Ian's pix for the forum soon!
Title: Re: "Stirling" Show held in Sunny Dunblane- 24th March 2007
Post by: Maggi Young on March 28, 2007, 04:08:35 PM
Here we go ,then ,with some quick pix from Dunblane. All snapped by the BD on the hoof, so nothing like JoF's efforts here, AND I can't remember half the names of either people or plants, but we're going for atmosphere here!
Click the pix to enlarge, of course.
 The lull before the storm, the hall is cleared and judging is about to start

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show hall, Evelyn Dick in the background
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show hall, Anne Chambers, Ian Steele, Sam Sutherland and Hazel Smith, hiding behind the men!
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show hall, Hazel Smith browsing a plant stall.
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show hall
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Show hall
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Honorary SRGC President, Bette Ivey, ready to Judge!
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Lyn Bezzant in her natty runaround with Bette in the background in red jacket
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Title: Re: "Stirling" Show held in Sunny Dunblane- 24th March 2007
Post by: Maggi Young on March 28, 2007, 10:31:29 PM
Now some plants
three pans Tecophilaea cyanocrocus forms
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3 pans fritillaria ;Back left F. kotschyana 'Craigton Max', right, F. hermonis amana, front, F. aurea[attachthumb=2]


Corydalis solida alba
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Callianthemum kernerianum
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Crocus veluchensis
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Daffs
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more daffs
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more daffs
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Title: Re: "Stirling" Show held in Sunny Dunblane- 24th March 2007
Post by: Maggi Young on March 28, 2007, 10:41:51 PM
Anthony Darby, on the right and, now they tell me, Alan Gardner
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Bob Maxwell and Mike Hopkins from the Aberdeen Group
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Cyril Lafong and Anthony Darby
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Cyril, Anthony, David Shaw and Carol Shaw
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Henry Taylor and Agnes Sutherland
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Don't know what Henry has said, but Agnes is clearly bemused
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Title: Re: "Stirling" Show held in Sunny Dunblane- 24th March 2007
Post by: ranunculus on March 29, 2007, 07:43:51 AM
Super shots Ian and Maggie,
It's good to see old friends looking so well!
Title: Re: "Stirling" Show held in Sunny Dunblane- 24th March 2007
Post by: David Shaw on March 29, 2007, 08:47:57 AM
Agnes to Henry - "You don't think this is the true Cookianus minimus?"
Title: Re: "Stirling" Show held in Sunny Dunblane- 24th March 2007
Post by: David Shaw on March 29, 2007, 09:13:07 AM
Just to show that there were people as well as plants at the show.

Folks in foreground: Left, in blue coat, Roma Fiddes from Aberdeenshire; in red jacket, Bette Ivey from Fife; slightly behind, Audrey Leach from Ayr; man in front in dark clothes, Alan Thomson with his wife Jane, they're from Edinburgh, and on the front right is Bob Meaden from Penpont in Dumfriesshire .
Title: Re: "Stirling" Show held in Sunny Dunblane- 24th March 2007
Post by: Susan Band on March 29, 2007, 09:57:42 AM
I reckon Hendry has just nicked Agnes's cake and hidden it behind his back
Title: Re: "Stirling" Show held in Sunny Dunblane- 24th March 2007
Post by: Anthony Darby on March 29, 2007, 10:30:08 AM
That's A J Gardner with me in the first pic. He grafts away with miniature Japanese maples.
Title: Re: "Stirling" Show held in Sunny Dunblane- 24th March 2007
Post by: Maggi Young on March 29, 2007, 10:51:43 AM
Does he, now? Nobody ever tells me anything! I LOVE maples!
Title: Re: "Stirling" Show held in Sunny Dunblane- 24th March 2007
Post by: Maggi Young on March 29, 2007, 03:12:57 PM
Click the pix to enlarge, of course.
Here's a pic of Neil Huntley looking anxious, with Sam Sutherland having a wander round. Apologies, I cannot  remember the name of the lady in blue with her back to us...  She is a well known Stirling member, she was stewarding at the show as well as doing various other tasks, bless her...
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.....I get worse, I really do, I believe my nameless Stirling Committee member is Evelyn Dick!
Title: Re: "Stirling" Show held in Sunny Dunblane- 24th March 2007
Post by: Anthony Darby on March 29, 2007, 03:14:42 PM
In that case we will have to entice him out of hiding. He is a forum member.
Title: Re: "Stirling" Show held in Sunny Dunblane- 24th March 2007
Post by: Maggi Young on March 29, 2007, 03:59:54 PM
Here is the Forrest Medal plant, Trillium rivale 'Purple Heart' , grown by the 'Glenrothes Greenfinger', Cyril Lafong.
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This was Cyril's 23rd Forrest Medal and at long last  President Ian Christie was able to present him with the Silver Forrest Medal he has been patiently waiting for since his tenth medal win!!
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Contenders for the Medal:
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left to right: Fritillaria aurea;to rear, Fritllaria kotschyana 'Craigton Max'; two pans of Tecophilaea cycanocrocus; Trillium rivale 'Purple Heart' and, at the front, the small, but perfectly formed, Fritillaria crassifolia ssp.poluninii
Title: Re: "Stirling" Show held in Sunny Dunblane- 24th March 2007
Post by: Maggi Young on March 29, 2007, 04:17:08 PM
Some more plants :
Fritillaria kotschyana 'Craigton Max' - as the BD raised this plant, it is very pleasing to see it feature on the show benches, there were at least three pans at Dunblane!
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More pix of the enchanting little frit, F. crassifolia ssp poluninii
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the smaller of the two Tecophilaea cyanocrocus
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Title: Re: "Stirling" Show held in Sunny Dunblane- 24th March 2007
Post by: Maggi Young on March 29, 2007, 04:37:43 PM
On the stage, behind the bookstall, was a small but tasteful display of plants which Elspeth Mackintosh from the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh, had brought along.
Would you believe it, most were bulbs but the BD, in charge of pix, didn't get an overall shot! :-[
However, various plants taken individually have been shown already  in this thread. Thanks to Eslpeth for bringing them along.
Here is a pic of Elspeth, Sandy Leven and Struan Harley
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some more people pix:
Jim Sutherland,  left, of Ardfearn Nursery with Brian Davison, who is organising the Dumfries and Galloway Garden Visit Weekend this year. Follow this link to find out more about the SRGC Galloway Gardens Weekend:

http://www.srgc.org.uk/specials/dumfries/content.html

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Carole Bainbridge, Ron McBeath, Ilse Davidson, Brian Davidson partly hidden
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President Ian  (the third) Christie and  First Lady Anne, behind their plant stall
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Former President Ian ( the Second) and Carole Bainbridge with Maureen and Brian Wilson of Aberdeen
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Title: Re: "Stirling" Show held in Sunny Dunblane- 24th March 2007
Post by: Maggi Young on March 29, 2007, 05:02:07 PM
Some more daffs Click the pix to enlarge, of course.
 Narcissus assoanus
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Narcissus moschatus
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Narcissus x moleroi... must find out more about this plant
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Title: Re: "Stirling" Show held in Sunny Dunblane- 24th March 2007
Post by: Maggi Young on March 29, 2007, 05:08:14 PM
Mike Hopkins, who keeps the show prize records, at work
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Mike and Bob (who used to keep the show records) looking very startled, someone must have suggested the drinks were on them
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Neil Huntley of Hartside Nursery wonders where the piece of string he was just stretching out has disappeared to
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Ian Doig from Glasgow gets close up and personal to photograph Narcissus watieri
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John Lee, from Glasgow, shares a chuckle withthe Glenrothes Greenfinger, aka Cyril Lafong
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The Glasgow Group is hosting the SRGC Discussion weekend for the next two years. In  2007 this FAB EVENT will be held at the Beardmore Hotel, Clydebank, Glasgow from Friday 5th to Sunday 7th October.
An excellent array of Speakers has been arranged and the accomodation at and facilities at the hotel look very good. Booking is open now, see your SRGC Secretaries pages for details.




Title: Re: "Stirling" Show held in Sunny Dunblane- 24th March 2007
Post by: Maggi Young on March 29, 2007, 05:14:41 PM
Sandy, snapping
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Roma Fiddes, shopping
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Ron McBeath at his stall, Susan wasn't there, she is recovering from a nasty fall. We all send her our best wishes
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Sandy shows Sam his camera. Sam Sutherland had some lovely plants on the bench, including a super little six pan, with Dionysias and Sax etc.... guess which entry the BD didn't take a shot of this time?
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Title: Re: "Stirling" Show held in Sunny Dunblane- 24th March 2007
Post by: Maggi Young on March 29, 2007, 05:31:45 PM
Getting to the final run, now:
A very dear friend, another former President of SRGC, Glassford Sprunt with Ray Fairbairn.
Glassford wasn't feeling too good, but still managed to stand in for Sandy during judging. When Glassford could not attend the Dunblane Early Bulb Day in February, because of a filthy cold, it was the first early bulb display he had ever missed. Glassford refers to himself as an old man but I am sure there are years of exhibiting and supporting the SRGC still ahead of him, to follow from his years of service so far!

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Ray Fairbairn is well-known for the super Saxifragas and Primula allionii hybrids that he has raised over many years.These used to all bear the "Allendale" prefix, but I see that now some are labelled simply 'Allen xxxxx'
It is a year or two since we last saw Ray and his wife up to this Scottish show, since AGS show dates often clash for this couple, who live at Allendale, Hexham.

Only one shot from the photographic competition, and it has a bad flare, but you may get the idea anyway, or perhaps the photographer will post a decent shot of his handiwork? Eh, Brian?
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This digitally enhanced portrait of Helleborus thibetanus shows the plant in a snow storm... a snowdrop storm, that is, since each snowflake is a Galanthus flower!
Title: Re: "Stirling" Show held in Sunny Dunblane- 24th March 2007
Post by: Maggi Young on March 29, 2007, 05:38:59 PM
a few more flowers
 An Ornithogalum, but which?
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A view of the Club Bookstall, showing the RBGE display behind ( so the BD did sort of get a shot of that, then!)
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Two tulips, both Tulipa bifloraformis ??first one is T.polychroma, BD
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Title: Re: "Stirling" Show held in Sunny Dunblane- 24th March 2007
Post by: Maggi Young on March 29, 2007, 05:50:47 PM
Here is a closer shot of the RBGE display, brought by Elspeth Mackintosh
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The beautiful Trillium nivale, a real favourite of mine
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Two Saxifrages:
Sax. opp Iceland form
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Saxifraga 'Nancye'
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The Rhodophiala from the RBGE, (again) because it was such a lovely strong red... what was its specific name??
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Title: Re: "Stirling" Show held in Sunny Dunblane- 24th March 2007
Post by: Maggi Young on March 29, 2007, 05:58:41 PM
Rhododendron leucapsis, there were two in the show
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pulsatilla seedling from 'Budapest Blue'
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Pink Pulsatilla vulgaris
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Fritillaria eduardii closup
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Title: Re: "Stirling" Show held in Sunny Dunblane- 24th March 2007
Post by: Maggi Young on March 29, 2007, 06:04:34 PM
Crumbs, nearly forgot the Irises for Lesley, only one name, though! Sorry!
Iris hippolyta aff.
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Title: Re: "Stirling" Show held in Sunny Dunblane- 24th March 2007
Post by: David Nicholson on March 29, 2007, 07:23:09 PM
Lovely pictures Maggi almost as good as being there for real.
Title: Re: "Stirling" Show held in Sunny Dunblane- 24th March 2007
Post by: hadacekf on March 29, 2007, 07:42:28 PM
Maggi, beautiful plants and photographs. I enjoyed the pictures with the visitors, I  met some on my journeys in Scotland,  many thanks.
The Ornithogalum looks like O. nanum
Title: Re: "Stirling" Show held in Sunny Dunblane- 24th March 2007
Post by: Maggi Young on March 29, 2007, 07:58:23 PM
Thank you Franz, you are correct. I could not recall the name!
Title: Re: "Stirling" Show held in Sunny Dunblane- 24th March 2007
Post by: Martin Baxendale on March 29, 2007, 09:03:44 PM
Maggi, those pulsatillas are stunning! :o  Thanks for the pics.
Title: Re: "Stirling" Show held in Sunny Dunblane- 24th March 2007
Post by: Luc Gilgemyn on March 29, 2007, 09:07:07 PM
Maggi, thanks ever so much for letting us enjoy this feast from a distance !  :-*
Title: Re: "Stirling" Show held in Sunny Dunblane- 24th March 2007
Post by: Maggi Young on March 29, 2007, 09:27:03 PM
You are most welcome, I am grateful to Ian for taking the photos. Note to self: get more camera batteries, keep them charged!
Title: Re: "Stirling" Show held in Sunny Dunblane- 24th March 2007
Post by: Maggi Young on March 29, 2007, 11:53:35 PM
Found this little chap who got missed out;
Ranunculus abnormis
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I think that was the last! Off to bed now, goodnight!
Title: Re: "Stirling" Show held in Sunny Dunblane- 24th March 2007
Post by: jomowi on March 30, 2007, 10:14:02 PM
Maggie

By popular request here are three photos from the photgraphic class of the show, repectively, the digitally manipulated section, A plant in an alpine environment and finally a portrait of a plant in the wild.

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Snowfall

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Saxifraga oppositifolia, Perthshire

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Linnaea borealis, Aberdeenshire

Brian WIlson Aberdeen
Title: Re: "Stirling" Show held in Sunny Dunblane- 24th March 2007
Post by: Maggi Young on March 30, 2007, 10:15:02 PM
Excellent, Brian thank you very much. Really worthwhile seeing these on the forum.
Title: Re: "Stirling" Show held in Sunny Dunblane- 24th March 2007
Post by: Anthony Darby on March 30, 2007, 11:20:25 PM
Brilliant. Good to see these excellent photos getting a wider viewing.
Title: Re: "Stirling" Show held in Sunny Dunblane- 24th March 2007
Post by: Maggi Young on March 30, 2007, 11:36:18 PM
Quote
Brilliant. Good to see these excellent photos getting a wider viewing.
Indeed, Anthony... you see why Brian and Maureen combine their talents to make really super talks..... they gave "Shooting the Natives" to the Aberdeen Group earlier this season.... from the photos of the Sax. opp. and the TwinFlower above, you will guess what that talk is about..... ;) It was a great evening.
Title: Re: "Stirling" Show held in Sunny Dunblane- 24th March 2007
Post by: Anthony Darby on March 31, 2007, 08:52:53 PM
A three quarter page article plus pics of the Stirling Show in this week's Allan Water News (one of three local free newspapers). Apparently "Sandy Levin had a great day on Sunday"[sic], and "won first for a group of six rock plants". Not only do they get his name wrong but they don't even know what day of the week it was. :-\
Title: Re: "Stirling" Show held in Sunny Dunblane- 24th March 2007
Post by: Maggi Young on April 02, 2007, 10:08:43 PM
I see that the famous Sidney Levine has got the "official" Stirling show report online here:
http://www.srgc.org.uk/shows/stirling/report.html

I have heard that Sidney is annoyed with the press getting his name wrong, so he is changing it, by deed poll, to Sandy Leven, which he feels is easier to spell.
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