Tottington Spring Show

Passionale: a good, cheap, late daffodil for deocrative work.

Sun Disc: very reliable, cheap late miniature.

Gay Kybo by Tom Alti: always good.

Excellent entry in the 'other divisions' class.

High Society: another reliable performer.

Andrew Clark in first and myself in second in the six class.

Three entries in the nine.

Downpatrick: one of the few late Division 1s.

Colne Spring Show



Tom's Carole Lombard

 


Doctor Hugh

 




Doctor Hugh, Desdemona, Gay Kybo

 



 









Downpatrick

My next show was to have been Ramsbottom but the weather after Catforth messed up things first with a heatwave and then torrential rain. However, Tom Alty did go and said he was made very welcome there. The next weekend I had a choice of going to the Bartop or to Colne. As I had to leave early to go on to Blackpool for some dancing, I chose to go to Colne as vases were supplied there so I didn't have to bother about taking my own vases but then asking someone else to collect them for me at the end.



Tom's favourite Stanway

At Colne, the exhibitors included Alan Greenwood at his last ever show, Tom, Rosie, myself and a couple of other bulb fans. Alan came out on top in the big class and received a special award which was most fitting considering the support he has given this show over the years. I managed a medal for best bloom in show with a rather large Doctor Hugh. Tom did very well as usual.



Tehidy









Catforth Daffodil Show



Goldhanger



The Spring Show season began for me on Saturday 24th March with Catforth Daffodil Show

run by Tom Alty and Andrew Clark which attracts a good quality entry from the best exhibitors

in Lancashire. In the past I have struggled to get blooms for this show as my allotments are

very late because of their altitude and exposure to the elements, so last autumn I got my 49

10 litre pots of daffs into their sandpit in late August and the first week of September, rather

than a couple of weeks later as in previous years. This paid off as I had a much better cut for

Catforth. My best results were 1st out of nine entries in the 3 x Division 1 with three Midas'

Touch and 1st out of seven entries in the 3 x Division 2 with three Goldhanger. After that,

however, it all went downhill for me and I was even  NAS'd because I had bought some Redhill

but in fact they weren't so some unscrupulous company had sold them under a wrong name.

Ian Tyler did not miss this error and rightly gave me the dreaded NAS. If I remember, I bought

them at South[port Show. Big mistake. I also showed various other daffs which Ian did not

judge to be as good as others there. I like Cotinga but it doesn't ever beat flowers like Rapture.

My Sealing Wax which were fresh and cheap and cheerful didn't get a red card but I managed

a second with some Martinette. 

Catforth is one of the best run shows around with proper food for exhibitors both during and

after staging, a brilliant raffle and terrific sponsorship which ensures that most exhibitors go

away with something extra. Keith Capper always brings some very high quality blooms and

Andrew Clark's are getting better each year. The miniatures were down following the demise

of Derek Roscow but I hope some of us will try to fill that section better next year. Tom Alty

is another very good grower who is hard to beat, especiaslly on his home turf. A great show

and one I would recommend to any daffodil fan.   



Martinette

Cotinga

Sealing Wax



Midas Touch