Welcome

Hello and welcome to the Wirral Bonsai Society Blog - an ongoing diary & newsletter highlighting the adventures of the society & its members

Society Diary-We meet at 8pm every 2nd Wednesday of the month at the RAFA club in Oxton (CH43 1UU).

  • 9th January- AGM
  • 13th February-Swindon Show prep
  • 24th Feb -Gordale Workshop
  • 3rd March -Gordale Workshop -Steve Tolley
  • 13th March - Members Tree Critique Club show prep
  • 10th April- Tony Tickle/Terry Foster -Fine wiring and ramification
  • 28th April -Gordale Workshop
  • 9th May-Peter Warren Subject TBC
  • 26th May Gordale Workshop
  • 12th June-John Moffat-Great trees of the Wirral
  • 30th June -Gordale Workshop
  • 10th July- Simon Jones-Subject TBC
  • 28th July -Gordale Workshop
  • 14th August- Club Show Tree selection
  • 25th August -Gordale Workshop
  • 21st-22nd September -Club show -Gordale
  • 11th September-Post show talk- New Member Introduction
  • 29th September-Gordale Workshop
  • 9th October- TBC
  • 27th October -Gordale Workshop
  • 14th November- John Armitage- Japanese Exploits
  • 24th November -Gordale Workshop
  • 11th December- Club Party

Membership

New members are always welcome, just come along to one of our monthly meetings at the RAFA club. You can even 'try us out' for a few months before you decide on joining as an official member. The meetings are informal (there's a bar!) and the club members are (mostly) friendly, approachable and happy to pass on guidance and information to anybody interested in bonsai- whatever your level of experience.

Wednesday, 19 March 2008

Voted World's Best Bonsai 'Blog' 2008*

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.....*as voted by the dog owned by the best friend of the aunt of the son of my milkman.
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Well...... if Marco can get away with it......


(If you dont get it, see BF March/April page 111 )

(Ian.... is this how you got your dodgy keyboard?? !!!!!)

Brian's 'cracking' Hornbeam

Below is a sequence showing some of the work undertaken during March's workshop, this time by Dave Y on Brian's Hornbeam.
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I guess it will crack about........ here!!
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Work in progress.....why should plumbers get all the fun?

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Dave Y 'hides' behind his work!!

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The 'finished' tree...... with no cracks?



Tree of the Month- March

Andy's flowering cherry was tree of the month, as picked out by Simon Temblett,

Thursday, 13 March 2008

March Meeting- Speaker -Simon Temblett

Our new 'trading table' courtesy of Green Dragon Bonsai -open for business
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Simon enjoying the fruits of his labour!!

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This months meeting turned out not to be a workshop per se but involved an impromptu appearance of Simon Temblett.
As most of the committee (including myself!!) weren't there Les persuaded Simon (who had come as a guest of Dave Y) to pitch in and do a critique come discussion on some of the members trees on display.
And his fee.......I believe, was a single pint of beer. Not a bad deal!! (well done Les)


(NB. Our chairman apparently wasted his night by watching Everton!!!! - my excuse...... childcare!!)

Monday, 10 March 2008

March Meeting- Workshop

The (darling) buds of Ma-rch
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This months meeting is another chance to get repotting and/or generally working on your trees pre springs new growth.
So bring a tree or two if you dont want Ian to be unhappy!!
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Plus Dave Y has indicated he will bring his laptop along to allow non attenders to see all the photos he took at the BSA show at the beginning of the month.

Thursday, 6 March 2008

Urban Yamadori


As some may have noticed Anthony has started to 'show' his bonsai friends some of the collected material he has available, on a blog site -see Urban Yamadori under 'members sites' on the right hand side.

At the moment he is only showing a few that have been photographed - the number and variety will undoubtedly increase in the coming weeks. As a landscape gardener he often comes across interesting 'finds' that need liberating.

So check it out and remember to pop back often, you never know when that little stump (??) you've always been craving may turn up!!!

BSA 2008 Show Pictures 1

The Willowbog show
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Ian's Privet

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Les's composition

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BSA 2008 Show Pictures 2

Dave Mitchell's Larch
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Andy and Dave's Composition

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Lee's Chuhin category winner -Itoigawa Juniper

Thanks to Les for the photo's.

(Probably more to follow when Dave Y kindly forwards his photos)

Wednesday, 5 March 2008

Blog visitors


This may be a bit 'anorak-ish' but you might be interested to know that the hit counter I added a few months back provides statistics on visitors to the blog.
(I know who you all are.!!!!)
My guess for most popular time for visiting the blog would have been the weekend or one evening maybe.....But the most popular time for visiting is....................Wednesday, between 2-3pm!!!
Why aren't you all at work????
.....there again........maybe you are, and this is a little midweek pick me up!


Don't let the boss see you though!!

Meeting Supplies -Green Dragon


As discussed at our last meeting and as highlighted in the message board, Green Dragon Bonsai have been granted the concession [ ;) ] for selling bonsai supplies at our meetings.
Mark Kennerley will be joining us monthly (?) and presumably can be tasked with finding anything bonsai related.
If you have any items that are required for next Wednesday's meeting email Mark via the link below and I'm sure he will be glad to help.
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Plus
(Plus I have added a link to his site in the 'interesting' sites list to the right.)
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(other bonsai suppliers are available..... but do they give a percentage of sales to our club.... I think not!)

Tuesday, 4 March 2008

Joys of spring

Flowering Cherry

By way of sharing the joys of spring, (or showing off, to you and me!!) Anthony has sent me a picture of a flowering cherry from his collection -so that his fellow club members can enjoy it too.
(As with all photos double click picture to enlarge it.)
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Nice one Ant!

Monday, 3 March 2008

BSA Show

I believe congratulations are in order for Lee [Best Chuhin (?)] and Ian [certificate(s) of merit] following this weekends BSA show at Willowbog.
More to follow.... with pictures....

Saturday, 1 March 2008

Bonsai Site of the Month -March



History's view of bonsai.

'A collection of small but representative images displays the development of the art. '

http://www.phoenixbonsai.com/Paintings/Paintings.html

Click on the link above for a journey into the visual history of bonsai pictures- as depicted in scrolls, woodblock prints and paintings.