FORUM GATHERING

[Maggi Young]

As a past recipient ( with Ian) of the "Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Medal" for services to Scottish Horticulture from the Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society, I am in a delicate position here 

I think we all speak about the "Edinburgh Botanic Garden", or even just "the Botanics", which must infuriate those folks at the Glasgow Botanic Garden, since Glaswegians are never keen to allow Edinburgh the upper hand in anything     but the name of the place is RBGE, as the Caley Society is the RCHS... would you speak about the HS, rather than the RHS?  Isn't that carrying your constitutional beliefs a smidgen far? 

[Carlo]

Ah yes Maggi, but truth be told we can't even agree on the names of our plants half the time...

[Carlo]

AND...MAGGI...I suppose we'll be heading back to Margaret...

[David Shaw]

We could base the event around Edinburgh show. Forumists could visit the show and the RBG(thats what I call it) followed by an evening function. Edinburgh has lots of B&Bs etc for lower priced accomadation and we could meet up again on the Sunday for more fun. If members like Carlo do come across I would guess that it would not just be for the W/E! Willing Scottish members could let their addresses be know for individual garden visits before and after the big event.

[Martin Baxendale]

Didn't mean to wind you up quite that much, Maggi. Just joking. I don't really deliberately miss out the Royal part. I also call RBGK "Kew" by the way, and I call the RHS by its initials, "the RHS". You don't want to know what I call HRM. 

[Anthony Darby]

Embra would be a good base. It's only 45 minutes from Central Scotland.

[Maggi Young]

Central BELT is better, I think, and perhaps likely to be a little less expensive.....

[Martin Baxendale]

Okay Maggi and Anthony. You've completely lost me now. Is this an in-joke?

[Maggi Young]

No, indeed..... I suggested that the central belt of Scotland was a good area to hold the get together..... this got transmuted to "Edinburgh"... Anthony pointed out, obliquely, that Edinburgh (Embra... as it is commonly called) is not exactly "central" Scotland.... I reiterated that I thought the central BELT... (that is to say, a common term for the area crossing the (lower) middle of the country ) was the most favourable region to seek a venue...
 How's that?

[Carlo]

Yikes, who knew it could be so complicated...

...and the Scots are supposed to be such practical sorts.

[Martin Baxendale]

Uh-huh, that was the literal meaning I read into it. Just wasn't sure if there was some other Scots in-joke thing going on. I was obviously reading between too many non-existent lines.

[Martin Baxendale]

Thanks for confirming the geographical distinctions though, Maggi. It explains the exchange between you two. I still fancy Edinburgh (for the city and the RBGE) or somewhere close enough to access Embra. But I guess cost may be a factor. Perhaps it'd be possible to look at two alternatives - being in the city and being somewhere out of the city but within striking distance of the botanical garden?

[Maggi Young]

Rest assured Gang;  no stone will be left unturned....or perhaps I should say... every avenue will be explored.... or, we will investigate all possiblities.... so, are we all clear on this one?

[Martin Baxendale]

Ja. Ich verstehe.

[Maggi Young]

That's good, Martin..... mind you, I knew the Germans would understand, it's the native-English-speakers I'm having trouble with!