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The GFGS Stand at the Malvern Autumn Show 2017

On Thursday 21st September 2017 I travelled across to the Three Counties Showground with Tom Price to start putting together the GFGS Stand for the Malvern Autumn Show.

Having arrived and located our space in the Harvest Pavilion we set about assembling our hardware ready for the plants the following day, time well spent in our opinion.

At about 12 midday on Friday 22nd September 2017 the troops gathered (Alan Cursue, Stuart Rowe and Tom Price) at my house for lunch having arrived with vehicles packed with plants/baskets etc. At about 1300 hours having been able to find room in our vehicles for the plants Alan had arrived with he returned home whilst the rest of us set off for the Malvern Showground and started to put together the GFGS Stand. We placed two large fuchsias in each corner and then placed a half circle between them and in the centre to raise another smaller fuchsia, which when finished actually filled the rear of the display nicely for us, thanks to Tom who had supplied these plants.

The area in front of these plants was then filled with baskets of plants supplied by member clubs/societies (See list below), and the Federations display boards erected either side of the plant disply.

And all was finished with a little help from our friend Stuart who insisted on staying on the Stand all weekend..!

I along with my long suffering wife arrived bright and early on Saturday 23rd 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,

Bourton on the Water Primary Academy, Bourton on the Water, Glos.

Churchdown Village Junior School, Churchdown, Glos.

Other baskets and plants were provided by the following,

Cheltenham & District Orchid Society (Tom Price & Rod Wells)
Cotswold & Malvern Alpine Group AGS (Tom Price & Rod Wells)
Cotswold Fuchsia & Pelargonium Society (Robert Champion)
Hucclecote Horticultural Society (Jan Broadway & Alan Cursue)
Slimbridge Horticultural Society (Carole Jeffes)
Thornbury Horticultural Society (Dot Culverhouse)

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. This year we have again run a virtual ‘Virtual Gardening Competition’ for schools, although the response from schools was disappointing!

Once again we arrived early on Sunday 24th to put out information literature again because if it’s left out overnight it gets damp!

At 4 pm we started to take the stand down, and as usual it came down a lot faster than it went up!

Finally, our congratulations to all students who took part in the virtual competition and supplied a basket for the Autumn Show. 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, including the Judges!

It also potentially gained a few new members for Affiliated Clubs/Societies, a new speaker, enquiries about grants for school gardening clubs and interest in our ‘Guild of Judges’.

More images of the GFGS Stand

Carole and Dot couldn't resist a photo with Stuart..!

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/Schedule and any other information that we could put on the website and display on our information stand.

This information can be emailed to me at gfgs@cheltenhamorchids.org or by snail mail to me at 15 Lapwing Close, Northway, Tewkesbury, Glos, GL20 8TN.

Rod Wells.

Here are reports/images from earlier shows: