AGS Narcissi of Iberia Tour

[Matt T]

If I wanted to get to Harlow from Heathrow (and being happy to drive in a foreign country) I'd hire a car for the day and be there in about an hour (traffic permitting). By public transport I'd connect with the Victoria Line at Green Park to Tottenham Hale, avoiding unnecessary changes, Paddington etc. and (theoretically) possible in 90 mins.

[art600]

The AGS Plant stall at the Show is run by volunteers selling members' plants.  No possibility of phyto-sanitary certificates.

Jacques Amand exhibit in the USA and may be your best bet to order from them and have delivery in the USA at the right time - you could ask them 

[Jan Jeddeloh]

The problem with renting a car is that for me Great Britain is "driving on the wrong side of the road".  This is a place I don't want to go since my total time in Great Britain this trip is four days.  The learning curve (I first typed curse which might actually be more accurate) is too steep for the time.  Plus you guys have roundabouts all over and us Americans are not well trained on those things.  We have a few and we're starting to get more but wrong side of the road plus roundabouts is a nope for this trip.  So I get the picture that we should just prepare ourselves for a long trip to Harlow.  We can deal.  I just hope someone will give my Dad a seat on the tube.  If need be can I glare at some healthy young thing until they cough up a seat?  Not sure how polite London young people are.  Some of ours are so self absorbed they'd never notice the old guy hanging on to the strap. 

I've planning to send out an email to many of the vendors and see if anyone can connect me with a way to get a phyto. Maggi kindly provided me with their email addresses.  I've checked with the appropriate authorities at my end and importing plants in my luggage actually looks doable at this end.  What the heck, I might as well give it a try.  The weather's lousy for gardening,  the garden is non-existent at this point since I just moved in last summer, so I might as well develop some time trying to figure out how to deal with government bureaucracy.  But yes I know this is a real long shot.   Even if I can't pull it off I'll be able to see lots lovely plants at the show so that's a win right there.

Jan

[Jan Jeddeloh]

Well, I gave up on the phyto fantasy.  The cost finally pushed me into submission.  It would have cost me over 60 pounds ($90) and that was just too rich for my blood considering the max we could bring back would be 24 plants.  So the dream dies...... Still plan to bring my Small Lots of Seed Permit with me in case I find any interesting seed. 

I have one other question about the show.  Are there places within walking distance for lunch?  My Dad and I aren't picky (we eat everything including spicy) but we will need to eat lunch someplace.  Or should we plan to buy food and bring it with us?

Thanks, Jan

[brianw]

Hi Jan. I am there for 7 hours or so and I have never gone hungry at the show. Plenty of snacks, salads, sandwiches, cakes etc. Some hot food too usually. Just think of an indoor picnic.

[Jan Jeddeloh]

Thanks Brian.  Sounds like our kind of food.  Especially the cakes part .

How long to you think we should allow to thoroughly take in the show, take pictures and smooze with people?

Jan

[Maggi Young]

Several hours, Jan  - really, as long as possible!  There will be masses to see on the show benches,  the reticulate Iris display from John Amand, in tandem with the talk from Alan McMurtrie, the iris breeder   (sales tables - even if you can't buy it's fun  to see) - cakes to eat , people to meet  - it'll be a busy day!

[Jan Jeddeloh]

Less than a week for me before I take off.  I leave Wednesday, arrive Thursday, hit Wisley Friday and the AGS Harlow Show on Saturday.  Jack are you and Maureen ready and excited like we are?  My Dad started packing his suitcase a couple of weeks ago. 

I've done a lot of research and we're taking the Heathrow Connect (not Heathrow Expre$$) into London, the tube to Liverpool Street Station, the train to Harlow  and then a cab from the Harlow station. It will cost the two of us around 80 pounds.  I looked into just taking a minicab but that would double the price and we're cheap that way.  We could shave 15-20 minutes off the whole thing by taking the Heathrow Expre$$ but it didn't seem worth it for double the cost of Heathrow Connect.  We don't have any place we have to be on Saturday so we can just take our time getting to and from the show. 

I have a feeling this is going to be bigger than I imagined even though, being early, it's probably one of the smaller shows.  We do a non-judged pot show in our NARGS chapter each year and maybe, maybe 25 members come and no non-members.  I'm sure I'll be impressed by the AGS show even if I can't, sniff, buy plants.

Jan

[brianw]

Hi Jan
Don't know if this helps you but look at London travel cards https://visitorshop.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/london-travelcard/
Click on the map link. You can use them anywhere within the map area on the tube, bus or UK trains, but only within that area. £12.50 a day all day Saturday (restricted times in the week) Not all Heathrow services are covered; check. It can be slow on the tube but there are some faster services and trains are quicker. Won't quite get you to Harlow though, just Enfield or Epping. You can get on or off anywhere any number of times. Handy for tourists.
Also don't assume all stations will have human help these days. Smaller stations have ticket machines only. A real pain if you don't know the system and the train is coming in. They take money or cards.

[Jan Jeddeloh]

Thanks to all who provided me with advise on attending the Harlow Early Show.  My Dad and I made it there yesterday, not till close to noon because of the long transit, and had a great time.  It took us over two hours transit time and I wish we'd gotten on the road earlier.  I was dumbfounded to arrive and find the parking lot was pretty full and there were A LOT of people attending.  Never would have happened in Portland.  Everyone kept saying to show was a bit sparse because of the weather but it sure looked good to us.  Lots of gorgeous plants, some were fairly common but beautifully grown, and others were rare and choice.  The pots of crocus were just so bright and cheerful.  And the speaker had a display of Iris reticulate that would knock your socks off. 

I got to meet Brian W., Kit Strange, Diane Clement, Tim Ingram, Ian Butterfield and others.  Everyone was quite accommodating and lovely.

Maggi was right.  Take all the time you can spare at a show.

In about an hour we leave to catch our bus to Gatwick and start the tour.

Jan Jeddeloh