West Kilbride was one of the early venues kicking off the Ayrshire
circuit. The heat wave and lack of rain affected both quantity
and the quality - and there were only 19 vases forward. John Stewart
won the silver for best vase with Golden Symbol and the trophy
for most points went to William Craig. The variety that created
most talk, certainly among the public, was Nargold. A vase of
this colourful and fimbriated flower was staged anonymously with
no entry ticket.
Irvine was much better with the big guns beginning to appear.
Alex Robb came up from Cumnock to scoop the three vase class and
the silver medal with a nice display of Eastwood Moonlight, Hillcrest
Ultra, and Tui Orange. This exhibit went on to win best in show.
James Barton was runner up using Corn Classic, a rich golden yellow
that provides a new straight cactus in the rather impoverished
medium cactus list. If it establishes itself, it will provide
some new alternative to Raiser‘s Pride. His other two vases
were Ruskin Diane and Dana Iris. He gained some consolation by
winning the bronze for the best vase of dahlias. This went to
his single vase of Cornel further along the bench.
Dalry, a week later, found the show season in full swing and four
strong entries in the three-vase championship class. W.B. Robertson,
Eaglesham, collected the silver medal using a display of the recent
sports Sunlight Pastelle, Claire Diane, and Deborah‘s Kiwi.
This exhibit then went on to win best in show.
Second in the main class was Bill Smith, of Johnstone, staging
Grenidor Pastelle, Ruskin Diane, and Kiwi Gloria; and third was
James Barton, from Kilmarnock, with Grenidor Pastelle, Ruskin
Diane, and Dana Iris. Runner up to overall “Best Exhibit”
was a particularly good set of Hillcrest Albino which won a red
ticket in a single vase class for Bill Smith
Incidentally, on the same day, another entry by W.B. Robertson
took best in the dahlia section at his local Newton Mearns show
to round off a nice double.
Princess Diana‘s funeral day clashed with a number of shows,
posing problems for local committees. It was a particularly difficult
time for the organisers of the special Golden Jubilee event to
mark 50 years of the Busby & Clarkston H.S. A lot of work
had gone into the occasion and there was heavy sponsorship. The
event went ahead, with a piper playing a lament. Despite preceding
days of wind and rain, the committee‘s effort was marked
by a bigger than normal entry on all the benches. (And a huge
turn out by the general public).
The three-vase silver medal class was won by Bill Mathieson, from
Glasgow. He is being coached by Bill Smith and is rapidly making
a name for himself on the circuit. He used the new bronze and
yellow Kenora Superb, (which is being marketed as a giant semi
cactus); Kenora Challenger; plus Pristine, the white medium semi,
with the eye catching lavender flush. It was enough to keep W.
B. Robertson in second place, and Robert Loggie, of East Kilbride,
filled third slot. Robert went on to win the three vase of smalls
class, using Monk Marc and Tommy Doc.
Joe Gartshore, who was judging, ensured that a bit more attention
is paid to the schedule in future. He marked a single vase entry
of min. decs. “NAS” - because the exhibitor had used
a different size vase from that stipulated. Bill Robertson was
not too amused but acknowledged that the judge was entitled to
take such action. He received some solace, however, when Sunlight
Pastelle - from his multi vase exhibit - went on to take best
floral vase in the show.
The East Kilbride show is on the Saturday following the Stirling
National and suffered from the long running cycle of wind and
rain. Entries were down with a few regular dahlia men marked absent.
This was a pity, since the committee had gone to the trouble to
bring John Todhunter, up the A74 from Dumfries, to do the judging.
W. B. Robertson took the three vase class using Sunlight Pastelle,
Deborah‘s Kiwi, and Karenglen. Bill Knox was a close second
with a line up of Symbol, Majjas Symbol and Eastwood Moonlight.
In the chrysanthemum section, Colin Campbell, despite show commitments
elsewhere, managed to arrive with blooms in the morning and took
the main class with Chessington, White Rachel Knowles and Apricot
Chessington. He would have collected even more tickets if he had
not run out of staging time for some sets of sprays.
Back in Ayrshire, the Stevenston show found James Barton continuing
his good form and winning the three vase class with Grenidor and
Pink Pastelle, plus Dana Iris. He took the best vase award with
a single vase of Cornel, the new dark red miniature ball which
has been producing results for him all season. The runner up award
went to Mrs. Stirrat, a lady whose name is beginning to pop up
regularly in prize lists. She staged a creditable vase of B.J.
Beauty.
Incidentally, Charlie McNaught, the show secretary, is not stuck
in a traditional groove. He is negotiating with local councillors
in the new North Ayrshire council and hopes to re-launch the event,
possibly next year, as a “Three Town Show”. It seems
that back in time nearby Ardrossan and Saltcoats both staged annual
shows. Charlie feels that there exists enough support for a strong
revamped society involving the whole area. Some other local societies
in Scotland might gain from adopting a similar scheme in their
own areas.
Airdrie (Jackson), another of the funeral day events, found only
40 vases staged. But the organisers benefited from the London
national being called off. It provided the opportunity for magnificent
six-vase and three-vase displays of giants by John Jack. A show
in itself.
J. Abercrombie, one of the local stalwarts, won the Blue Riband
class and David McMillan, of Coatbridge, took the silver medal
for best vase putting up Lillian Ingham, the small cactus he grows
so well.
At Renfrew, it was Bill Smith again to the fore, winning the trophy
in the three vase class using Kenora Moonbeam, Ruskin Diane and
Tommy Doc. He also collected the silver medal for best vase with
a mixed display of Wootton and Peach Cupids, plus Hamari Rosé.