Wirral Bonsai Club Show

Just got back from a fantastic day at the Wirral Bonsai Club Annual Show and thought I'd post a few pics of the trees on show there.

Also wanted to say a huge thanks to all the guys I met today who made the trip so special - for putting the time and effort into making a great in the first place, for sharing the stories behind the trees and for making a visitor like me feel so welcome. A grand day out indeed!!

I didn't get pictures of all the trees (sorry!) so don't be offended if your tree isn't on here! - maybe some of the other IBCers that attended could fill in the gaps.

Also, despite Tony's tutorial on how to photograph bonsai, my piccies don't do justice to the trees so please don't be offended if your tree is shown on here and you feel not to it's best advatage ... I need more practice!

Anyway, thanks guys for a brilliant day, I'll definitely be back next year ... if you'll have me!

Matt

Here are some of the trees on show today (and tomorrow!)...

Japanese pine:



Acer palmatum "Deshojo"



Hawthorn:



Japanese White Pine

And here's some more...



Escallonia



Close-up of deadwood on Escallonia



Fuschia

Thanks for showing them. Some great trees there.

Nice! I'm off to the show tomorrow, so I'll try to get pics of the ones you missed.

How spooky is the deadwood on the escallonia!

Harleyrider wrote: How spooky is the deadwood on the escallonia!

A big growly mouth. See you at the show tomorrow. If you've got any strength, you'll probably be roped in to offload Lee's new "Shohin" from the back of my NAV.

Your club is obviously extremely serious about Bonsai! Wish we had this kind of quality and commitment down here. Lots of tea and biscuits and not much else. Thinking of starting a club in suffolk for more enthusiastic people. Anyway beautiful trees and well displayed. Thought id see more natives though.

What about the googly eyes!

Oh, I see! 'He's a typical 'airy-arsed northern biker: a bit dim but good for moving heavy stuff'. Just 'cos I throw a 1/3 of a ton of metal round on the road doesn't mean I'm strong of arm, y'know..........

Oh, hang on. Maybe it does.

*sniff* OK. No probs.

Thanks for sharing, very nice photos.

(I find the close-up of the escallonia very "Nick-Lenzish"...
)

I keep eyeing the fuscia with envy.

There is an old dear who lives near me with a fuscia bush in her front garden. The trunk (actually 2 or 3 joined together) must be at least as thick as my thigh. I've been trying to part her from it for about a year now, to no avail. Apparently her late husband planted it on their 1st wedding anniversary and she can't bear to part with it.

I'm under instructions from Cap'n Tickle to acquire this tree at all costs (to me, obviously!). Sadly, I don't think I stand much chance.

Harleyrider wrote: Apparently her late husband planted it on their 1st wedding anniversary and she can't bear to part with it.

Maybe he's under it. There could be a whole Brookside/Jordache-esque sub-plot going on here and you're right next door to it!

Anyway, if you want an unlimited supply of thigh-thick-trunked wild fuchsia, come over to my other home of Islay where they pop up all over the place. I have a couple ear-marked and hopefully in October I shall be coming back with at least one as an informal hedge of them is getting ripped out. Lovely peeling bark, multi-trunk (mostly) and scarlet flowers from May through to late September. And very handy for any one of the eight distilleries.

Oooh, madam ambassador, wiz your sigh-trunked fuscias you are really tempting me!

Places of alcohol manufacture interest me not a jot, but show me a well-shaped bush and I'm all yours. Ahem.

Right. We are seriously going to have to discuss this tomorrow. I think the Ardbeg may have to be re-instated.

will baddeley wrote: Thought id see more natives though.

To be fair Will, my photos are represent only a small selection of the trees that were on display and there were other native trees presented, as well as many wonderful accent plants. As I spent most of the day talking to club members about their trees I didn't manage to capture all the trees on camera .

Native or not, all trees were presented to very high standard in a high quality show .

Cheers!

Matt

Hi,
Will, Have you seen the Wirral boys collecting scars?, true locally collected and native wounds of honour.
Having worked along side and viewed their fine work i can say without fear of contradiction, these boys when cut in half have native yamadori thru-out.

Wish I could have been there to see for myself. Looks like a fine display. Cooking with gas as always.
(Hope it was uk natrual gas! )

I was fortunate enough to have a free morning and popped along to see this show. Must say i was impressed, there were some really great bonsai and the overall display was a credit to the club.

Wirral Boyz

Excellent as always just a shame I could not make it with Mr Warren to view your excellent display. What tree won best in Show

See you all soon at Burrs

Matt

Thanks for showing some of the trees

All the best

Andy

Stone Monkey wrote:Wirral BoyzWhat tree won best in Show

See you all soon at Burrs

The reverend Lee Kennedy won with his white Pine... the pic is above

Or, as complete with pots:



btw - this is a mere tiddler compared to his new fella! Go on Lee - give us a peek at it. If you don't, I will.

I managed to get along to the show, despite utter exhaustion and aches and pains from 2 days of felling 4 trees for my In Laws.

Wandered around the much bigger show and was very favourably impressed with the quality of both trees and display. It was obvious that there's been a huge effort to improve on both. The public were entranced and everyone attending was a credit to our (bonsai folk) community. I think you got the "pitch" just right, as people were getting lots of friendly advice and seemed to be going away happy.

Asking everyone to nominate their favourite tree prompted some interesting reactions, mostly studious and dedicated but with a few almost dismissive. Ken's forest was a worthy public vote winner.

The new shohin stands worked really well and all the displays were excellent. Douggie Mudds tables contribute hugely to the quality.

Just wish I'd had a little more energy in my reserves, as I met many of our members but missed Fionnghal, Mr Treevolution and no doubt a few other IBC'ers.
Great to see you Harleyrider and all the Wirral guys.

Well done! It was well worth the effort.

Its obviously far from grim up north! Excelent work, well done.

will baddeley wrote:Its obviously far from grim up north! Excelent work, well done.

Hi Will ask any of the Wirral boys and they will tell you 'Its Queer Up North'

Is there a North/South Divide... judging from this excellence of this display I think we can safely say there is

Thank you for posting Kevin.

Tony wrote: Is there a North/South Divide...

One of these half in jest wholly in earnest phrases I believe. However - I do think that the quality that is clearly coming out (apologies for that less than subtle allusion to Tony's 'queer up north' comment) is not just restricted to the Wirral but is evident where any group of like-minded people have the enthusiasm, drive and energy to push the boundaries even if only just slightly. What I saw last week at Dragon mirrors what is happening in Wirral and there are little pockets across the UK doing the same things. My next walkabout is taking me tomorrow to Maidstone to visit the Monkeys (why is Last Train to Clarksville going through my head!) and from their posts recently I think they are trying to do the very same thing. This can only be good overall for British bonsai. The caveat is that it could easily be if not ruined then certainly derailed by petty snobberies and bruised egos. Events like Best of British now need to pull this crop of talent together to ensure that the message that improving quality is well within the grasp of British bonsai is put across to a wider audience. If we can pick up and surf the waves of euphoria that swell up after these "local" shows then we are surely on the way and hopefully the detractors will either get hooked in or get washed away in the process.

fionnghal wrote:
btw - this is a mere tiddler compared to his new fella! Go on Lee - give us a peek at it. If you don't, I will.

Put my new "shohin" up then Fiona,i'm sure you'll have a better shot than me,cheers to everyone who's posted it was a great weekend

Fiona,
You got a way with words.

there are little pockets across the UK doing the same things.

I'd like to name one such group Tony many not know. , The Phoenix Bonsai Group.
A small bunch of talented and dedicated bonsai artists form the South with many fine trees.