Page 37 - Simply Vegetables Winter 2024/25

The Scottish Branch Championships, Aberdeen, a Right Royal Occasion
This year, the Scottish Branch were delighted to have been invited to hold their Branch Championships at Duthie park in conjunction with the celebrations of the 200th Anniversary of the Royal Horticultural Society of Aberdeen (RHSA). There was, however, even more excitement than usual in the marquee
as King Charles III visited our Branch Show alongside the RHSA show and followed this with the official opening and cutting of the ribbon with a pair of garden shears. The RHS Aberdeen were delighted that His Majesty had become their official Patron - following in the footsteps of his late Mother, Queen Elizabeth II and his late Grandfather, King George VI.
Brian Grant, Chairman of the Royal Horticultural Society of Aberdeen (and one of the Kings gardeners) said: “It has been an honour to welcome His Majesty the King to the Royal Horticultural
Society of Aberdeen’s 200th Anniversary Summer show. Brian guided the King around the show as he stopped to take
in the spectacle and chat to organisers and exhibitors, including Fred Stewart’s grandson, Oliver who had made a paper crown in the children’s craft section. Fred’s Granddaughter, Charlotte also presented his Majesty with a beautiful bunch of flowers. A very proud moment indeed.
During his walk around the show, the King was amazed by the quality and range of vegetables on display and was especially drawn to Alistair Gray’s and Neil Muirhead’s long leeks on the bench as well as the long leeks of Alistair Gray and Doug Gerrard displayed in the collections. The King was very eager to find out how to grow them,
so Neil Muirhead, Show Secretary happily explained the process. The King was also
quite taken by a vase of sweet peas, grown by Frank Taylor, which were on display. The variety was “King’s Coronation” and the King asked Frank where he got the seeds from and was quite tickled to find
out that Frank had bought them from one of our partners, “Kings Seeds”.
A wonderful start to the
show... and I think it’s the first
time that the show judges
had the additional pressure
of judging exhibits whilst
security personnel and sniffer
dogs worked their way around the marquee alongside them in readiness for our special guest.
In the show itself, we had some excellent quality exhibits, with Alistair Gray from Brechin, once again taking a high percentage of the spoils with
eight 1st prizes, namely the Four Veg Collection, Mini Collection, Cauliflowers, Tomatoes, White Potatoes, Coloured Potatoes, Blanch Leeks and Celery. Joining
Alistair with the red tickets was Doug Gerrard with three red
tickets from the root classes (Stumps, Parsnips and Long
Beetroot), whilst George Cumming scooped 1st place for the Long Carrots,
with Doug a close 2nd. Jim Gradie repeated his success
from last year by winning the peas in a well competed class
whilst Ted Low won the shallots and large Exhibition Onions. (Ted was also the 1st person to win the beautiful wooden onion trophy, donated in honour of Bill Rodger, back in 2014). Ian Archibald won the globe beetroot class
Simply Vegetables 37
Copyright of Aberdeen City Council, credit Norman Adams – Aberdeen City Council
Copyright of Aberdeen City Council, credit Norman Adams – Aberdeen City Council