One of my favourite shows, especially in the days when we used to stage all night there, is the Hartlepool Borough Show where the BGS have held their Northern Show for maybe ten years or more now. I usually don't have loads of flowers for this show, but I put a few in and often judge the classes I haven't entered. There was a good turn out this time and it was not the easiest of shows to judge, there being relatively few really outstanding spikes. Grand Champion went to Nigel's Of Singular Beauty which had the size and length often lacking in this cultivar. Nigel had a knack of growing good 500s. I remember when he put up a terrific Roseland once only for the myopic judge to give the award to a puny OSB. And I have seen him grow tremendous Esta Bonita which most people can't get right. A proper OSB looks like this:
Best 400 was a real headache for me. Everything had problems and even the eventual winner had major faults, but Paul Webster can be pleased to have produced a Pink Elegance to win the section.
Local exhibitor Brian Bland has a knack of getting amongst the prizes at this show and he carried off both Best 300 and Best 200 with Snazzy and Pink Elf.
Tommy Scollick (sp?) had the best seedling beating me into second and third places. A fine spike from a Tendresse cross. He was heard muttering all day ' Ah'm over the moon, over the moon.' Well deserved.
There was a judge's exam at the show but it wasn't the easiest and there was fine line between some sets of vases. Unfortunately, the examinees didn't pass this time (I know the feeling) but hopefully it won't be too long before another exam, maybe at Harrogate. Below Peter and Alison are pointing flowers for the exam.
Peter McNeillie beat me in the basket class last year here, but I didn't have the spikes to try this year so he won unopposed. A very nice entry all the same using Bonfire and maybe Sophie.
One of my cultivars won for Peter Forrow, who also had Best Exhibit for his Class 1 six flowers and various other wins. The prim below is Michelle Nouvelle, named after Michelle Booth, a friend of mine.
A new prim that I've been bulking up, named after my mate's late wife, Eileen Alty, managed to win its colour class. This was the fourth spike from one particular corm, so it certainly wants to grow.
A newer one flowering for the first time was this salmon and yellow prim below which comes from a line that throws lots of cormlets so hopefully it should bulk up quite fast.
Pictured below are two of Tommy's seedlings at the back with the winner on the right. I put three entries in this seedling class and my best one was probably the red at the front which had a nice spoon-shaped hood on it. I wish I was paid for all the red prims I produce. I would be minted.
The recent change to cooler weather seemed to have affected some flowers which threw an open floret up the stem away from the main flowers. In the three prims class this had happened to every entry. Phil Orley got the best prim but unfortunately I didn't get a photo of it. Many exhibitors had found it hard to hold back flowers so that a lot of the bigger sizes were overflowered without having enough buds to stay in balance. Life is never easy, but at least this year the plants have seen some sunshine!
The next gladiolus show is the National at Poynton this coming weekend. I have had some lovely flowers come out this week but will need to look to younger ones for the weekend. .
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