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The GFGS Stand at the Malvern Autumn Show 2015

At about 2 pm on Friday 25th September 2014 along with Alan Cursue, Stuart Rowe and Tom Price we started to put together the GFGS Stand. With the frame covered in black material erected, the display boards positioned and three tables covered in black material, it was then time to bring in a few of the other props and the baskets of plants, five of them that had been entered by schools in our baskets competition!

We placed a large half circle in the centre to raise plants supplied by Tom Price, which when finished actually filled the rear of the display nicely for us, thanks Tom. We then covered the two remaining tables and positioned them in the centre of the three back ones, finishing off the display with other basketed plants, with the five school baskets towards the front.

I arrived bright and early on Saturday 26th to allow time to put out information literature on a number of topics, including information supplied by member clubs and societies.

The schools taking part were:

Belmont Special School, Cheltenham, Glos.
Bourton on the Water Primary Academy, Bourton on the Water, Glos.
Churchdown Village Junior School, Churchdown, Glos.
Naunton Park Primary School, Cheltenham, Glos.
Upton St Leonards Primary School, Gloucester.

Other baskets and plants were provided by the following:

Cheltenham & District Orchid Society (11 baskets which filled the back of the display provided by Tom Price)
Cheltenham & District Allotment Holders Association (basket provided by Rosemary Smith)
Cheltenham Horticultural Society (basket provided by Syd Reed)
Cotswold Fuchsia & Pelargonium Society (2 baskets provided by Robert Champion)
And one trough provided by my long suffering wife!

During the day the stand was visited by a number of people who were very interested in what we were trying to do to involve schools and the benefits provided for our member clubs and societies.

Once again I arrived even earlier on Sunday 27th so I could get my vehicle as close as possible to the Stand, but not quite into the marquee!

The baskets were Judged over the weekend by members of the Federations Guild of Judges and the results were as follows:

Gold - Belmont Special School, Cheltenham, Glos.
Silver - Bourton on the Water Primary Academy, Bourton on the Water, Glos.
Silver - Naunton Park Primary School, Cheltenham, Glos.
Bronze - Churchdown Village Junior School, Churchdown, Glos.
Bronze - Upton St Leonards Primary School, Gloucester.

At 4 pm we started to take the stand down, strange how these things come down quicker than they go up!

And finally, our congratulations to all students who took part and my thanks to all involved in supplying exhibits, setting up, stewarding, judging and taking it all down at the end, without their help and hard work we would not have produced a stand which was admired by many attending the show (even the judges, awarded a Silver Medal) and also potentially gained a few new members for Affiliated Societies, a new speaker and some enquiries about grants for school gardening clubs, and another two schools that have expressed interest in entering our basket competition next year!

We have been invited to put up a number of stands over the next few months and I remind members that if your Club/Society has space at your show and can provide a 6’ by 2’6” table (approx.) if we can we will attend with a small information display stand, for more information please contact me, details below.

I would also appeal to Clubs/Societies to send me a copy of their Show Poster and any other information that we could display on the stand. This information can be emailed to me at rod.wells@gfgs.org.uk or by snail mail (sorry I know we don’t like them) to me at 15 Lapwing Close, Northway, Tewkesbury, Glos, GL20 8TN.

Rod Wells

You can also see reports from earlier shows: