Wednesday 17 October 2012

Best of British Bonsai 2013

One for everybodies diary.

Japan Day 2012

Hi Everyone

On Saturday the 13th of October W-B-S honoured its commitment and attended The  Japan Day at Birkenhead Library.The event itself is being used to raise money for the Library and St. John's Hospice in Clatterbridge. There were a few stalls including a Japanese Food stand and how to make Sushi in the Kitchen; Origami Workshop; Kimono dressing; Basic Japanese classes; a talk on Japanese Kanji Characters and a Kendo group from Liverpool.from W-B-S we had Andy,Bill,Tom and Sean. We had great display of Bonsai Trees and Accents plants and a Small workshop both which attracted  many admirers and question from everyone who stopped at the display and workshop
We all would like to thank Birkenhead Library.for thier fantastic welcome and looking after us and also to Natsuko and Paul C.for thinking about W-B-S and inviting us back to thier Japan Day once again

Take care  and look after all your Bonsai Trees

More images of The Japan Day can be seen online 

Google search  Wirral Bonsai Society  or  Wirral Bonsai thelad

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or if you have a Facebook Account  go to 
 
http://www.facebook.com/theweelad

Jim thelad

October meeting John Armitage- Shohin Styling/Japan Tour

 The tree before work started -with a very modern take on an accent
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 The Tollster has a lot to answer for!!
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An enthrawled audience looks on
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 Your guess is as good as mine -another Tollster description?
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The tree after the session


Hi One and All,
Another monthly meeting was held on the Second Wednesday of the Month on the 10th October- and Chair Ian got the evening started with a few announcements as looking a few months ahead it was time to mention the Swindon Winter Show which we as a society have been invited to and members were asked to put thier names forward  for taking part not only with showing trees but also the logistics and another event is a Local Japan Day Event which Paul from Friends Of Wallasey Central Library wrote and informed W-B-S.saying. "It's really good that Wirral Bonsai Society are able to attend. Your group was really popular at last year's Japan Day in Wallasey Wirral."
"The Birkenhead Event will be a bit smaller than last year, but we still hope it will quite enjoyable for people attending. So far we have a Japanese Food Stand and how to make Sushi in the Kitchen;Origami Workshop; Kimono dressing; Basic Japanese Classes;a talk on Japanese Kanji Characters and possibly a Kendo group from Liverpool."
All the activities will be held on the ground floor in and around the entrance hall. The event itself is being used to raise money for the library and St. John's Hospice in Clatterbridge.
Ian then Introduced our guest for the evening  Big Man (honest he is Bigger than Me ) Mr.John Armitage who did a Shohin Styling and spoke about his forth coming  Japan Tour starting  on the 31st December this year and what a treat the Big Man had in store for our members as he carried out his Shohin Styling and we all were informed it was being done to a Great Bonsai Tree belonging to another Well Known UK and Respected Bonsai Artist Mr Peter Warren whom we have had at our Society a few times
For me Mr Warren's tree look special in my eyes, but our guest stylist for the evening had other idea's and he explained was he was going to do and encouraged our members to throw lots of questions at him A few days before before the styling John also came across a image from the Bonsai Focus Magazine which was a cannae resemblance to Peter Warren's Bonsai Tree

It was a great experience once again to Watch and Listen to John A, as he made everything look so effortless and for me mind-blowing as he carried out the task of styling the Shohin Itoigawa Bonsai Tree
The evening went extremely well and quick,once more John had the members completely mesmerised,maybe Spellbound, plus some seem fascinated finding John's Styling of Peter Warren's Bonsai tree and in my case even gob-smack as he made it all seemed effortless and easy with his forward thinking and planing ahead of what he was going to achieve and by the end of the evening John achieved his objective and produced a Great Session for us all and as the saying goes "it's Great when a PLAN Comes Together and A JOB WELL DONE"

Just a reminder that our last Sunday of the month workshop in on at the GGC on the 28th October
so bring your Bonsai or bonsai related Question to our Workshop Tables and we all will do our ut most to help and advise you

Take care look after each other and all your Bonsai Tress

Jim thelad

Tuesday 16 October 2012

September Workshop

 Ryan getting useful advice from Andy....
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 then gets on with it himself.
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 Security at the workshop is stepped up another notch!
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Andy, taking somebody else under his wing......
......get it.....oh.. never mind

Hi Everyone,

On Sunday the 30th September with the weather not all that great how-ever it did not stop a few W-B-S members gathering thier Bonsai Trees and Tools and headed to our Monthly Bonsai Retreat at the Gordales Garden Center a Prize Winning Award Garden Center here in the Wirral

Getting stuck into the action we had Eddie,Tom, Bill, Andy,Ian,Les a (new member plus another   member) a Gentleman whose name I can't recall at the moment.On the Bonsai Workshop Tables we had good selection of Bonsai Trees such as 6 x Junipers all different sizes and Types,2x Chinese Elms,Larch,2 x Hornbeam's,Japanese Holly,Honeysuckle,Privet,Redwood,Ficus and a Wackoff (Large) English Elm belonging to Andy H

Starting us all of we had a Gentleman and his son waiting for us as we laid out the tables and chairs for the workshop.The Young boy was Ryan a local 10 year old who we had spoken to in past workshops and bought a few Bonsai Trees in the past and brought them back into the workshop for help and guidance which Andy was willing to help and soon had Ryan behind the desk working along side him,whilst Ryan's Dad stood Proud and Admiring his Young Son across the Workshop Tables.

It was not long before Ryan after listening and watching Andy,had the tools in his hand following Andy's instructions and later it was Dad's turn to work on the tree whilst Ryan watched and when it was time to go after they finished they both thanked Andy and we are all sure it will not be the last time we see this young boy and his Dad back at our workshops in the future

As the day went on it was rather quiet time with the guys working on thier own trees until around Mid-day when we had a few people stopping intrigued to see what was going on chatting asking questions and we also had a Success, a Lady whose Bonsai Tree was in need of some Drastic TLC    ( Tender Loving Care) a few months back and has visited our Sunday Workshops and our Annual Members Show Brought in her Bonsai Tree and was smiling and extremely happy with the Result after the Advice and Guidance she was given by W-B-S Members and for us it means a LOT as we are seeing the results of Our and the GGC's efforts of having our Bonsai Sunday Workshops.

 
It was a quiet day but very productive and we all enjoyed our session and would like to thanks everyone at the GGC for allowing Wirral Bonsai Society To hold another of our Last Sunday of the Month W and look forward to our next visit on the Workshop on the  Sunday the 28th of October BUT REMEMBER TO PUT YOUR CLOCKS and WATCHES FORWARD as British Summer Time Ends on 27/28th 

So until then take care look after each other and all your Bonsai Trees and anything Bonsai Related

More images of our Last Sunday of the Month Workshop can be seen on 

http://www.facebook.com/theweelad

Or just Google Search :   Wirral Bonsai Society  or  Wirral Bonsai thelad

Tuesday 2 October 2012

Steve Tolley's new Blog



http://stevetolleybonsaiblog.blogspot.co.uk/


Click on the link above to go to Steve's new blog that includes a very good review of Doug's table building skills.

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.