Joint us for our 25th Annual Show!
Saturday 24th March 2012
The highlight of our calendar is the Annual Show, which takes place during the spring. As you can see from the photos below, the hall is always full and every year there is a constant battle to fit everything in! Nevertheless, we always encourage our members to bring along their exhibits and the Show goes from strength to strength every year.
It is not just plants on display; many of our members are keen artists and photographers and as well as enter their work in the Show, they also delight us with their non-competitive displays of art, photos and needlework. Often these displays are awarded well deserved Certificates of Merit by our judges.
The Show is open to the public from 12:00, after all of the exhibits have been judged. A raffle and refreshments, both sweet and savoury, are on offer throughout the day and we have a members' plants stall as well as a professional nurseryman. Presentations are given at 14:30 and the Show closes at 16:00.
In 2011 our judges were Jim and Christine McGregor. Christine is the Director of the Society and Jim is the Society's webmaster. Both commented on the high standard of the exhibits that were on display.
A huge amount of work is involved in running the Show and we couldn't do it without the help of a few dedicated volunteers. Without their help, we would the Show would simply be an impossibility.
The show schedule is sent out with the February newsletter. Entries can be made via post, phone or email and must be in by the Wednesday before the Show.
Sections:
Open Section :
Open to all members of the Alpine Garden Society, not restricted to members of the Bedfordshire Group.
Section B :
Open to all members of the Bedfordshire Group who have not gained fifteen firsts at the Annual Show in the Open Section or Section B.
Section C :
Open to all members of the Bedfordshire Group who have not gained ten firsts at the Annual Show in any plant section.
Non-Competitive Section :
Open to all members of the Alpine Garden Society,
not restricted to members of the Bedfordshire Group.
Awards:
Open Section :
The 'Bedfordshire Times Cup' for the aggregate in the section.
An AGS Group Medal for the best plant in the section
Section B :
The 'Society Cup' for the aggregate in this section.
An AGS Group Medal for the best plant in the section.
Section C :
The 'Novice Cup' for the aggregate in this section.
An AGS Group Medal for the best plant in the section.
Artistic Section :
The 'Photographic Cup' for the aggregate in the Photographic classes.
The 'Art Cup' for the aggregate in the Painting / Drawing classes.
The 'Peter Jones Trophy' for the aggregate in the Needlework classes.
Floral Art :
The 'Morris Bowl' for the aggregate in the Floral Art classes.
The 'Public's Choice Award' will be awarded to the plant that receives most votes from the public. This can come from any competitive plant section.
The 'Bedfordshire Group Plate' will be awarded to the best plant in the show.
Congratulations to last year's winners:
The Bedfordshire Times Cup - Tony Halee
The Society Cup - Colin and Sue Buxton
AGS Group Medal (B) - Colin and Sue Buxton
The Novice Cup - Debby Horsman
AGS Group Medal (C) - Penny Gray
The Photographic Cup - Cecil Tanner
The Art Cup - Cecil Tanner
The Peter Jones Trophy - Unawarded
The Morris Bowl - Debby Horsman
The Public's Choice Award - Derek Richardson
The Bedfordshire Group Plate - Cecil Tanner
Certificates of Merit were awarded to: Cecil Tanner, Derek Richardson and Roger Gray
Changes, if any, to the Show Schedule following the 2011 Show will be announced following the next committee meeting.
Annual Show Rules:
1. Exhibitors shall, as eligible, be allowed to enter a maximum of two entries in each class of sections B, C and the artistic sections, but only one entry in the Open and Floral Art sections.
2. Entries to the Show Secretaries should be in no later than the Wednesday prior to the show. Entries can be made by telephone, post or email. Late entries will be accepted at the discretion of the Show Secretaries.
3. Points shall be awarded as follows:
|
|
Three Pan Classes |
One Pan Classes |
|
1st |
12 points |
4 points |
|
2nd |
8 points |
3 points |
|
3rd |
4 points |
2 points |
4. For aggregate awards in the Open Section, Section B and Section C, the trophy will be awarded to the exhibitor with the most first prize points in each section. In the event of a tie, the winner with most second prize points will be awarded the trophy. The same applies for all artistic sections; Photographic, Art, Floral Art and Needlework.
5. All exhibits shall be staged between 8:30 and 10:30 a.m. on the day of the Show. At 10:30 all exhibitors, unless required for official duties, MUST leave the hall.
6. All plants exhibited must be the property of the exhibitor and on the day of the Show must have been in their possession for at least six months.
7. No exhibit may be removed until the Show has been declared closed, except by permission of the Show Secretaries
8. Bulbous plants shall include bulbs, corms, tubers and pseudo-bulbs.
9. Cushion plants shall be grown for natural effect or for perfection of form. The fact that they may be in flower is of secondary importance.
10. Photographs may be in colour or monochrome. They may show plants growing in pots, in the garden, or in the wild.
11. Paintings and drawings of alpines may be in any medium, unless of otherwise stated.
12. Any photograph, painting or drawing, which has previously won a prize, be it a 1st, 2nd or 3rd, at the AGS Bedfordshire Group Annual Show will not be acceptable in the competitive classes.
13. In Class 1, 'Three pans rock plants distinct', no more than one plant is to be bulbous.
14. Only species are elligible for the geographical classes.
15. Unless covered by the above, the rules contained in the current issue of the Alpine Garden Society Show Book shall apply.
Photos: Scenes from the 2008 Show, taken by Robert