Monday 17 September 2012

September meeting- Post show talk

Hi Everyone

Back to reality and getting after our Annual Members Show on the 1st and 2nd of September

Chairman Ian.W opened the meeting with High Praise for everyone after our 4 day of working hard to produce a Great event  Before ,During and After the Show at Gordales Garden Center

 The evening get-together was about welcoming everyone to the society and concentrating  on how to start to Make  A Bonsai Tree for Newbie's and Intermediate members' chatting about the Concept, use of Raw Material, Creating, when to Prune, What to  Look, Think ahead, and  with Andy they both turns  up front  and drew Sketches on the Board  interacting with the members  who I sure learnt something new. I know I did..Looks like  I need a larger Back Garden to plant some of My Trees back into the ground as suggested  by Dave Y.

Also some future events were discussed and see who would be available  and if all goes well will be attending the Japan Day being held on the 13th, Oct at Birkenhead Central Library., the event are held 10.00-12.30 and 14.00-16.00. and some members will be attending the V-o-C-B-S for a Ceramic workshop in October more information about that and more can be found at 
http://vocbs.blogspot.co.uk/

The evening was attended with an audience of 19 in the room  and 12 trees with Mark K. of Green Dragon Bonsai on hand to supply members with would they need  for Looking after and working with their Bonsai Trees

That's it for now and our members will at the LAST SUNDAY OF THE MONTH WORKSHOP at the GGC on the  30th of September hope to see you there and bring your Bonsai trees along for FREE help and guidance

 Take care  look after each other and all your Bonsai Trees
 
Jim thelad

Ian reviews the show and welcomes new members
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 Tree critique
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 Ian sketches out a possible route for tree development
(the sign isnt an instruction BTW)
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 Is he or isnt he?

Wednesday 12 September 2012

Wirral Bonsai Show 2012 #2

I recognise that face!
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Wirral Bonsai Show 2012 #1


Hi Everyone  
This was the week-end that we were all looking forward too since last year as it was  our Annual Members Bonsai and Accent Plants Show at Gordales the Award Winning Garden Center here in the Wirral and by ALL accounts and the feedback we have had  it  has been Fabulous, Fantastic ,Fan-dabi-dozi or even Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!
It all started with the preparations on the Thursday and Friday 30th and 31st of August and Arthur and Stan were busy scrubbing and hosing the display area while The 3 Musketeers Sean, Steve and  Maker of the Display Benches and Assemble Co-ordinate  Dave Y  arrived after collecting the units from North Wales, on the Thursday Soon more members arrived during the morning and  afternoon when lots of hard works was achieved followed on Friday with dressing all the Display Benches, organizing what was going were , making sure everything was just right for the arrival of members trees later in the afternoon Once all was in pristine condition the Bonsai Trees Accents Plants and Tables were married up to compliment each other as one unit  it was time to head home before the Actual Show

The first of September was here at last and  everything that  the members worked hard to achieve was accomplished  and it look Brilliant in my opinion.
 Soon the public started to arrived and  it was great to see a Special Gentleman Mr Kevin Bailey and Moderator for the Internet Bonsai Chat Forum the IBC,  all went well with lots of ohhh's and aaaaa's look at that look at this and finally Mr Steve Tolley  head  Judge for the Event and a MASTER Of the  Bonsai Four Dimensional Art Supremo, arrived  with a huge grin and smile on his face  which was worth a gold medal in anybodies language as he was more than impressed on his first  sight of the complete Show Area

As time went past with plenty of toing and  frong  with his trusted notebook making notes and  trying to decide .
It was tension for some members and in the end we all had our minds settled  when Mr Tolley took center stage with his results and made what we could say was the best ever show that W-B-S  has delivered in the 10 years that the society has been  holding its Members only Annual Show at  this Outstanding  Venue  Gordales the Award Winning Garden Center here in the Wirral


During his selection MrTolley spoke about the members ,the society as a whole and praised us all for outstanding achievement and  pre-selected  15 various Bonsai Trees  for next years THE BEST OF BRITAIN  in May  2013.

The Honours were giving out  and went  as follows


Best Shohin
   ==            Pontentilla  Owner Tony F

Best Chuhin    ==           Escallonia  Owner Ian W


Best BroadLeaf == Acer Palmatum "Inaba Shidare" Discetum  , Approx 45 years of Age

( Documented ) and known as Skippy and was Rescued from a SKIP = DUMPSTER  = GARDEN REFUSE  WASTE CONTAINER  what ever you like to call them, in 1985  and Sean D  became the Custodian of Skippy in 2011


Best Conifer  & Best in Show    ==  Owner Tony  F 

 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 
Tony was head and shoulders above us all for his achievement  as Tony F collected  an almost clean sweep of Awards by being presented with  6 Awards  with Ian ,Bill G and Sean  collecting the rest So a HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to Tony from us all  you deserved all that came your way


Can you repeat this in 2013!!!!!  only time will tell


On the Sunday many members were at the GGC bright and early for a Sunday to make sure that the Standard was the same as on Saturday  and it was a busy time  and steady flow people coming to look at all the tees , stopping admiring ,picking thier favourite and buying raffle tickets for the wonderful selection of prizes that was available to win We had  a  great Bonsai Tree as first prize and a local couple Damien and  Patricia are now the owners of the tree whilst another couple won Bonsai group

During the day we had The Northwest Heat for the 2013 European Bonsai Association New Talent Competition  which was a nice bonus for everyone  and the final 2 contenders for this and such  GREAT GUYS , Bry from the V-o-C-B-S  and Mikey P from Leeds

Also there were 3 Distinguished Gentlemen Mr M Hughes , Most recently, he and his wife put on the first “Best of British Bonsai” event in Birmingham, which took place in April, 2009.  They are now both involved in planning the second such event, to take place in April 2011.and  more Best of British Bonsai in Future years to come more info  can be found  at

http://www.fobbsbonsai.co.uk/chair.htm

 Mr Andy Dolman from Walsall  one of the nicest gents you will ever meet and Judge of the
New Talent Competition along with our own Chairman Ian .W.

and the one and only Mr Tony Tickle who was responsible for organising  The Northwest Heat for the 2013 European Bonsai Association New Talent Competition, the competition, the  Heats and lots  lots more a task he is extremely  willing and capable of succeeding  in doing everything he turns his mind and hand to.

More info about   Mr T.T. can be found here at his Great website for all Bonsai Enthusiast  and you will not be disappointed  :  http://yamadoriforsale.com/


_________________________________________________________

The Chairman's Award's === Scots Pine === Tony F
 
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Chairman's Certificate of Merit To

Tony  F  ===Shohin Juniper 

Tony F  ===  Chuhin Yew

 Bill G. == Hinoki Raft Cypress

Sean D. ==  Acer Palmatum Deshojo


===========================================

Voted Best Tree By the Public and Awarded The Dave Mitchell Trophy By Lindsay Beautiful Daughter of Dave M.


Bill G. == Hinoki Raft Cypress 


============================================

Over the Two days  of the show it was exciting and a steady flow of people of all ages and  on the final day on Sunday it was down to Ian W to give  his view and expressed his gratitude to all members for sich a wonderful  performance  during the build up and the show itself but still encouraging us all to keep improving as we  MUST NOT let the standards  Drop also a Massive Thank-you to the owners of the GGC Mr and Mrs Nicholson.Johnathan ,Karen,Becky and  ALL Staff for their kind hospitality welcoming W-B-S into their Award Winning Center here in the Wirral 

We like to thank and hope Everyone who attended our show enjoyed  and liked what was on display and spread the word and good news about Wirral Bonsai Society and other Great Bonsai Societies here  in the Northwest and in North Wales and  inviting you all back to Gordale's Garden Center for we will be BACK in 2013 and if all goes well with a big and better display of Bonsai Trees and Accent plants even tho I personally  believe this years show will will take some beating  but this is what we are ALL aiming to achieve

More images of  our W-B-S Annual members show will be on  Face book 


 
Take Care and look after each other and all your Bonsai Trees

 
 Set up day 1
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 location? location! location?
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 Never seen a skipping bonsai before!!
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Nearly ready


Jim thelad

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).

  • 13th January
  • 10th February
  • 14th February Workshop - Port Sunlight GC
  • 28th February Workshop - Gordale
  • 9th March - Monthly meeting - Topic TBC
  • 13th March Workshop - Port Sunlight GC
  • 27th March Workshop - Gordale
  • 13th April - Demonstration - Andy H
  • 17th April Workshop - Port Sunlight GC
  • 24th April Workshop - Gordale
  • 8th May Workshop - Port Sunlight GC
  • 11th May- Monthly meeting - Topic TBC
  • 29th May Workshop - Gordale
  • 4-5th June WBS Flowering Bonsai Show - Port Sunlight GC
  • 8th June - WBS Member trees critique
  • 12th June Workshop - Port Sunlight GC
  • 26th June Workshop - Gordale
  • 10th July Workshop - Port Sunlight GC
  • 13th July- Monthly meeting - Topic TBC
  • 31st July Workshop - Gordale
  • 10th August- WBS Show tree selection
  • 13-14th August - Wirral Flower Show
  • 20th August - Japan Day, Liverpool
  • 27-29th August WBS Annual Show - Gordale
  • 14th September- Monthly meeting - Topic TBC
  • 11th September Workshop - Port Sunlight GC
  • 25th September Workshop - Gordale
  • 9th October Workshop - Port Sunlight GC
  • 12th October- Monthly meeting - Topic TBC
  • 30th October Workshop - Gordale
  • 9th November- Monthly meeting - Topic TBC
  • 13th November Workshop - Port Sunlight GC
  • 26-27th November - Potter Workshop with David Jones (Walsall Studio Ceramics)
  • 27th November Workshop - Gordale
  • 14th 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.