Interesting that you have experienced of Chelsea David, as someone who has
shown.

Anybody else done Chelsea and can talk from experience?

Mike





"David Hill" wrote in message ...

On 29/09/2013 15:15, Sacha wrote:
On 2013-09-29 14:26:54 +0100, David Hill said:

On 29/09/2013 12:20, Sacha wrote:
I wonder why the RHS doesn't hold a regular annual show in the SW. I
think the nearest to us is in Cardiff. But for some reason, I can't get
onto their site to check that, atm. They did a sort of one-off at one
of the hotels in Torquay about 5 years ago but nothing since that I'm
aware of. You'd think with Rosemoor down here there'd be some incentive,
along with a big tourism industry, too.
You wonder why no RHS show in your area Sacha.
How many Flower shows are there in the area now as against 10 or 15
years ago. I wont say 40 years ago when most villages had their own show.
I remember in the early 60's I could enter produce in anything up to 8
shows in a weekend, that was in East Sussex.
Here in South Wales we have lost almost every show, a couple are now
held in village halls, but like so many things people just can't be
bothered with what they consider to be all the fuss of showing, and
they would rather go shopping than go to a flower show.
The cost of staging a large show is prohibitive and no exhibitor is
now going to stage without prize money. Gone are the days of staging
for the advertising and the pride in a Gold medal card.
A better idea would be for somewhere like Torquay to have a garden
competition where a number of show gardens would be built and
maintained for 3 or 4 months with them being judged every month to get
an over all winner, so tourists would have something to visit during
their holiday not just one weekend a year.
David @ a now overcast side of Swansea bay.

I think a lot of small flower shows have disappeared and I know we
struggle sometimes to get more than 3 entries per class in our local
one. Because I sometimes judge flower arranging classes in two local
shows, I've suggested trying to raise the number of entries by
organising flower arranging classes here for 6 weeks during
October/November, to be taught by a fully qualified NAFAS teacher and
judge for £42 per person. Leaflets went out to around 300 households,
courtesy of our kind paperman. Not one person has shown any interest,
so perhaps that in itself is an indication of why shows are dwindling
away. People no longer have to make their own amusements so they watch
telly, or play on the computer or, as you say, go shopping!

Your idea for e.g. Torquay is a good one though the costs would
certainly be a factor and from the nursery pov, some of this would be
happening in the busiest season so sustaining it might be difficult. But
originally, I just thought it curious that there are RHS Shows all over
various regions of UK except this one. We're a small business compared
to some and the sheer cost of doing Chelsea would be huge for us. I have
no idea what the actual entry fees are but we'd have to hire a van to
take plants to London and then rent somewhere for those constructing and
staffing a stand, and probably employ temporary replacement staff here,
so it's out of the question.


When I did Chelsea Many years ago It was just myself and a friend, we
had a caravan and were the first caravan to park in Battersea gardens,
we had to hop over the fence at night,
It was hard work but still got a Silver gilt Flora medal.
In those days you had to have done 3 RHS shows and to have got at least
a silver medal to get an invite to Chelsea.
About 3 weeks before the show I had a phone call asking if I could do
twice the size I was going to do, In my innocence I said yes.
Had to do 2 trips to get all the plants up as well as having a load in
the caravan..
It was an experience