Chester daffodil show was held on Easter Sunday, 8 April at Harold Walker Nurseries. A good show with lots of flowers due to the early season.The show relied on a small number of keen exhibitors, the usual candidates of Mike Lewis, Ronnie Aldous, Charlie Clark and Ken Dear. A new grower, Eddie Critchley came from Hyde, Manchester with plenty of good flowers and made a big impact in only his second year of growing.The show was ably judged by Peter Royles who is still as sharp as a needle.
The Chester Championship six was won by Ken Dear with Sheelagh Rowan, Banker, Caribbean Snow, Dailmanach, Moon Shadow and Paean (this beautiful flower will no longer be available to us as the Dutch have apparently sold it all). See photo below
The Dailmanach was awarded the Daffodil Society Bronze Medal for Best Bloom in show. Mike Lewis was second with Gold Convention, Cape Cornwall, Badbury Rings, Royal China, Cherry Gardens and Purbeck.
A hotly contested class for three cultivars, three blooms of each was won by Eddie Critchley with superb vases of Broomhill, Lancelot and Liverpool Festival (see photo below). Ken Dear was second with a beautiful vase of Samsara amongst his three vase. Mike Lewis was third . Mike Lewis had many successes in the single bloom classes with some excellent flowers of Cape Cornwall, Moon Shadow and Hocus Pocus. Ken Dear won the miniature class with Fairy Chimes.
A good show with a number of the public visiting Barry Walkers Nursery showing a strong interest and asking us how clever we were to make such beautiful artificial flowers?
This report and photographs was contributed by Ken Dear
Good to hear Peter Royles managed to judge, I know Beryl has had a fall, best wishes for a speedy recovery. Question, who have the Dutch sold them all to? Good show, lovely flowers.