November Meeting -Tree Critique

 Ian critiques a nice looking Hornbeam (?)

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.... plus a tree with potential.

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 Dave Y talks about his large Larch........

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......while the tree wise monkeys ponder......

Hi Everyone

Hope you are all well and looking after your Bonsai Trees  as you never know what tomorrow may bring.
Right on with the news and gossip from our 14th of November Society meeting from the RAFA club in Oxton Wirral Before the evening session got under way Ian our Illustrious Leader reminded members about forth coming events such as the Fantastic Winter Show on Sunday the 24^th February 2013 at the Grange Drive Centre, Swindon more info 

  @     http://swindon-bonsai.co.uk/winter-show/

and the Major British Bonsai Event is The BEST OF BRITISH BONSAI 2013  held at The Birmingham Botanical Gardens & Glasshouses, Edgebaston, Birmingham, UK, on 12th-16th May 2013 as part of Gardeners World Live and more about that can be found as mentioned By our Web-master on the
previous post on  Wednesday, 17 October 2012

 @   http://www.wirral-bonsai.blogspot.co.uk/2012_10_01_archive.html

@    http://www.bbb2013.com/     and an Update of this event

@    http://ibonsaiclub.forumotion.com/t11664-best-of-british-bonsai-2013-update-october-4th

On with the show as the saying goes or Evening Session, which was a Tree Critique time and was very good with a fair amount of trees brought into the club and we got through 6 Bonsai Trees that were discussed before we ran out of time, The trees belonging to Sean who had a Hornbeam + Dena with her Bonsai Maple + Andy and his  English Elm + Brian had a Juniper and a biggie (Large)  Larch from Dave Y then the other Tree was a Maple belonging to Phil which allowed Bill G, Ian and Andy to gave their honest opinions and constructive comments on the good,the bad and ugly to the owners plus invite feedback from everyone

It was an interesting evening which went well and the Critique Panel  doing a great session with comments and a few Wise-cracks from both sides of the floor and for me the time just flew past and before I knew it was the end of the session and time to pack in

For the time being Wirral Bonsai Society are so sorry announce that there is

NO GGC Workshop for the foreseeable future at Gordales as in December its time for Santa and his Reindeer to appear  for everyone, and for the next 2 Last Of the Month Sunday Workshops W-B-S members will be at the  Greenhand Garden Center in Port Sunlight Between 10:30 am and 4:30 pm more info and how to find the Greenhand Garden Center For those who have a Navigation System the postcode is  CH62 5DY and the address Port Sunlight Garden Centre,
The Causeway, Port Sunlight Village, Wirral, Telephone: 0151 645 6244

or  @             http://portsunlightgardens.co.uk/contact-us/

Hope to see you there on the  25th of November 2013

Take care,look after each other all your Bonsai Trees

Jim thelad

October Workshop

a bunch of 'strangers' at play

" if you walk the footsteps of a stranger, you'll learn things you never knew you never knew." Pocahontas

 

 see above

 

Happy Birthday Tom

 

 

Hi Everybody
On the 28th of October Tom,Bill D,Rod (from Bolton),Andy H,Brian,Eddie,Sean,Bill G Dougie,Les.John and it was Great to See Tom G, after such a long time due to ill health and we all hope he will be up and running and back to attending our Society meetings and workshops soon and once again we had a good selection of trees as we had 18 Bonsai trees available to work on such as a Large Maple various Pines and Junipers,Elms, Redwood,Larch

It was a very busy day at Gordales Garden Center as a Halloween Event was taken place with many many Pumpkins being Carved out and taken home by excited children and happy parents and guardians.

Young Ryan and his dad Andy enjoyed a few hours at our workshop tables with Andy H being Ryans mentor for the day and they both seem to work well together and enjoying the experience

It was a bit quiet with the public to start with and that gave members a chance to work on their own trees and help and advise each other plus throw in the odd bit of Banter and few jokes not suitable for tender ears

Later on few more members arrived and after the initial "what time do you call this!!! or

Good Evening!!" all members had thier hands and minds busy with question and explanation from the public as to why and what has happened to thier  Own Bonsai tree. Bill had the pleasure of helping and Elderly couple who brought in a Bonsai tree belonging to thier grand children a young boy called Oliver and his younger sister Scarlett whilst Bill was checking out the tree I sought permission from the Grand-parent for thier names and being allowed to take thier images  whilst at out Bonsai workshop tables
Also a Day late BUT it did not stop our Birthday Boy Tom celebrating his 70th Birthday Cake with the members and having his Family ,grand children having thier images taken holding Tom's Bonsai tree.

It was once again and enjoyable day and we all looking forward to being back again in November the 28th for our last Sunday of the month workshop and look forward to seeing you with your bonsai trees or anything related to Bonsai pop in to Gordales Garden Center and see us at our Bonsai workshop tables also enjoy the exciting things that the Garden Center have on display during the time of year

Just a reminder that the images from the workshop will be on display on Facebook @

http://www.facebook.com/theweelad 

or              http://www.flickr.com/photos/thelad/

 or Google Search          Wirral Bonsai Society thelad

You should find information  about where to see our images of events and past shows

and on Youtube         Wirral Bonsai Society thelad       where you should find some short video clips of W-B-S  Members Annual Show 2012 and Octobers Workshop from GGC (Gordales Garden Center)  here in the  Wirral

Hope you are all well and enjoying all your bonsai trees

Take care of each other

Jim thelad

Post Comments

Hi Everyone,
Due to increased spam comments that need moderating I am suspending the ability to make comments on posts. Im currently getting 20 -30 per day to my email account and dont have the inclination or time to review and delete/accept. But to be honest its seldom used by genuine users anyway (debatable wether Les S counts!!!)
If you want to add something, email me and I'll add it.

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

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