A Grand Day Out

Our annual Alpine plant show today, was indeed a grand day out ... and a long one for those of us involved in making it happen. We have been holding the show in Norfolk for over ten years now and this was the best one yet. The late Spring combined with recent sunny but often cool weather to bring a riot of colour to the show benches.

The feature plant in this shot is Cassiope Randle Cooke, named after a leading plantsman of the last century. Cassiope are ericaceous plants, enjoying a cool, moist root run. They grow especially well in the North of the UK.

My day began with a 6am pick up. As the youngest (!) member of our group I drive the show computer which generates entry cards and catalogues the show results. 47 exhibitors from all over the UK made over 400 entries in the 113 classes ... kept me busy. As I am show treasurer, I have other duties after the computer is put to bed. At 4pm everyone disperses and the fifty trestle tables have to be dismantled and returned whence they came. So at 7pm we unloaded the last trestle and trundled home. Happy to report that the catering went smoothly and profitably but there were still enough cakes left for our supper!