2009 is fast coming to an end now but we have had a busy year.  At branch meetings we have restored the table show which had been discontinued due to lack of enthusiasm some ten years ago and it has been a splendid success.  Our two mini shows were well supported and the assembled members had a great deal of fun sorting out which plants they "liked best".  My vote was held over as a casting vote in the case of ties which was very rare.

October brought us to the third showing of the North West Mesemb Show which was again well supported with well over 400 plants on show from 18 entrants.  People brought plants from as far away as the Glasgow area, Coventry,  Newark, as well as places nearer to Manchester.  One of our regular entrants was prevented from entering this year due to knee replacement surgery but even he came to support thanks to his wife driving him to Middleton from near Shrewsbury.  Plenty of visitors filled the hall to study the entries, buy plants and partake of the splendid refreshments on sale.  One visitor in particular needs special mention as she came all the way from Almeria, in southern Spain, and had a thoroughly enjoyable day at the show and the branch meeting in the evening.  Congratulations to our kitchen team as they had to step in late on due to family commitments that prevented our usual duo from being able to participate.

The judge had a hard task as he progressed round the exhibits but he coped admirably with the task.  There were many miniature, highly succulents plants on display that attracted his eye and those of the visitors, especially the genus Conophytum which was the judge's speciality.  But entrants must be commended for bringing plants to the show that only appear in a limited number of collections up and down the country.  The shrubby mesembs are not everybody's cup of tea but it was good to see such variety on the show tables.  The photographs taken by Chris Leather are available to view elsewhere on this site.

In the afternoon our Judge, Andy Young, treated to a feast of digitally projected pictures of plants in their natural habitat in South Africa.  It was entitled 'Conophytum Highlights' and they certainly were delightful.

Next year is already planned and the fourth North West Mesemb Show will be hosted by Manchester Branch on Saturday 9th October 2010 at St Thomas More Church Hall, Kirkway, Alkrington, Middleton, Manchester M24 1PP.  Doors open at 10.30am and the show closes at 4.00pm.