Page 62 - Simply Vegetables Spring 2022

Southern Branch
Chairman’s Report
Hoorah for the lengthening daylight hours and hopefully the start of warmer temperatures, as these past few months (as I write this in January) have seen some strange temperature fluctuations across the country, with northern areas getting higher temperature than here
in the south. Let’s hope now that we can get back to somewhat more normal temperatures and rainfall, wherever you live.
I mentioned in my previous message
(in January) that the Sussex DA were organising the Horticultural part of the 2021 Autumn Show at the South of England Agricultural Society Show. Owing to the lateness of the decision by the South of England Agricultural Society (SEAS) to hold the horticultural show, entries were not as high as when previously held in 2019 (no Show in 2020 due to Covid restrictions), which was somewhat expected. Sussex
DA will once again organise the 2022 Horticultural Show on behalf of SEAS
and this year it is being held not at the beginning of October as in previous years but on 24th and 25th September, as they are combining the Autumn Show with an international Equestrian Event, so it should be a good day out. Details and Schedule for the Horticultural Show will be published on the NVS website as soon as it becomes available.
The Southern Branch will he hosting a
Roy Spooner recieving the cup from Mary Masters of SEAS
Virtual Fun Show this year in addition to the Southern Branch Championships held as part of the New Forest and Hampshire County Show on 26th, 27th and 28th July at the show ground in Brockenhurst, details of this can be found on the NVS website. Further details about the Fun Show can be found in a separate article in this copy of the SV magazine and in the Events section of the NVS website.
As is normal at this time of year, final planning and preparation on the allotment has pretty much now been completed and the polytunnel and greenhouse have had their clean, both inside and out. I have a light meter and it is surprising what an increase in light levels are achieve by
cleaning the glass and poly covering even though visually there does not appear to be much difference. Technology can often be a great help.
The Southern Branch AGM will have been held by the time that you read this, and I will have a report for you in the Summer edition of SV.
And now for something in the future. The Southern Branch will be hosting the NVS National Championships in 2024, and we have been able to book the new Hilltop facility at the RHS Gardens Wisley for the Championships, scheduled for 20th after 6.00pm for staging and 21st / 22nd September 2024. We have also procured
a meeting room in the Hilltop for the
NVS AGM, so all in one venue. We are in discussion with a hotel local to Wisley to get good room rates over that weekend, more to follow once known. I do know
that this is a long way off, but had we not booked when we did, we may not have got the dates that we required, which avoid both the Harrogate Show at Newby Hall and the Malvern Show.
Norman Dickinson
Southern Branch Chairman
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