On 27/5/04 19:56, in article ,
"RichardS" noaccess@invalid wrote:

"Robert" wrote in message
...
Sue wrote:
: I've been enjoying the programmes, although I'd rather have had Monty
: Don presenting than Mr Smugmarsh, but two other things have
: particularly jarred every time I've watched:
:
: a) Charlie Dimmock's wooden way of reading anything out to camera and
: b) that flipping awful theme music! :-/

I agree with you about the blue fencing and decking man! Why not a real
gardener but I ask myself is Chelsea for real gardeners?



hmmm, on that note, would you class Hampton Court as a show that would be
genuine interest to 'real' gardeners?

Yes. Very much so. Chelsea is too except that the arty farty tv brigade
have got their dead hand upon it and some plonky director is trying to make
a name for himself or herself. God alone knows who it is and I don't want
to know or I'd have to do something radical.
We are really furious about this cheat of a programme. We have watched
tonight's 'Chelsea' and seen not one plant with a name, not even a plant
description. Instead, we have seen roof gardens god only knows where,
ladies growing exotic veg somewhere, Chelsea by night which nobody ever
sees, so the lighting is immaterial to the planting *and* encourages yet
more light pollution; the inanely grinning while 'tense because I hate
you', faces of Alan T and Diarmuid G and the flicking hair of Rachel de T
attached to the rest of her and Alan T doing his imitation of a royal wave
from Buckingham Palace. We fell asleep shortly after that, having given up
on the foolish notion that watching a programme about the Chelsea Flower
Show might actually show some plants at Chelsea. We thought we were pushing
our luck to expect actual plant names on the screen because producers of
such programmes expect them to appear through the medium of aliens via
tinfoil hats, apparently but we did think 'Chelsea' might show a bit about
the plants at Chelsea!

Reason I ask is that we're considering going - it's only a couple of miles
down the road from us - and persuading my parents to come down fromYorkshire
for it as well. (related question - my father can't walk long distances any
more without a great deal of pain in his legs, is he likely to find places
to be able to rest there? Don't smoke, kids, it'll kill ya...)

I wouldn't count on this being a good place for someone with such
difficulties. By its very nature there's a lot of walking about if you're
going to see everything. BUT if he is happy to go, see a few things and
then stay in one of the refreshment areas and wait for you, it's a possible.
But it's worth remembering that any resting places are likely to be used by
others who got there first. Perhaps you could take a folding chair, some
sandwiches, and a bottle of whatever for him so that he can choose his own
place to stop?
My husband has been to Hampton Court many times and I've only been once.
But I think, as he does, that it's a much more enjoyable show without the
Chelsea hype. Overall, there is more room to move around (we'll never go to
Chelsea again because of the crowding) and the way it beats Chelsea hands
down, IMO, is that you can actually buy and take away plants and seeds.

Although I'm enjoying watching the coverage of Chelsea I can't really say
that I'd be tempted to go. Altogether seems like a lot of hard work and a
long day out...

Damn right. And we still think the coverage is abysmal. ;-) If anyone
else does, I hope they'll write to the Beeb as I intend to do tonight.
'Chelsea' my foot!


--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove the weeds after garden to email me)