Page 51 - Simply Vegetables Winter 2020/21

Scottish Branch
MEMBERS 30000 TO 39999
Chairman’s
Thoughts
So, as I write this, we are still in
the midst of this terrible Covid 19 Pandemic. It has affected us all in so many ways but hope fully we will soon be through the worst.
All our shows and events were cancelled in 2020 but we need to keep positive and look a wee bit ahead. Before we look ahead a
big thank you from myself and the Scottish Branch to Raymond Higgins from the Irish DA who organised a well-supported virtual show. I was asked by Jim Williams to judge it with him and I can honestly say it was harder than doing a “real” show. Raymond was awarded a well- deserved Banksian medal for his efforts.
Looking forward – if we can – a new event is being planned for the end of May at Scone Palace called Scotland’s Garden Show. The Branch has been asked to participate and
we have already had a lot of contact with Scone to figure out what we can do. The Branch Championships have been confirmed for the 4th September so that is also something to aim for and to look forward to. Most other activities and plans are still a bit in a state of flux but if we can organise Garden Visits, the seminar etc we will do so.
Being gardeners, we have always been optimistic in our outlook, so we need to transfer that optimism to the Society and help it get back on its feet after Covid. By the time you read this a new membership system and website should be up and running, which will provide the Society with the platform to push forward even further in offering our members the best experience
they can get. We hopefully can also get back to our regular meetings and talks and meet up with friends who we haven’t seen for months. So, stay safe and stay positive.
The Scot Abroad
Well 2020, as we all know, saw the closure of so many shows with everyone’s main focus quite rightly on staying safe and staying sane. Whilst many continued to still grow some exhibition veg, a few trials were also carried out with different mixes, timings and feeding. Our growers also took the opportunity to grow some different veg types. The main thing was that getting out in our gardens was a great escape and good for our member’s mental health as well as physical health.
One Scot decided that if he could at least still stage some of his veg in a show, it would really help him feel better mentally, during this Covid season. That Scot was Ian Simpson and so he searched for some shows that were still running and was
delighted to attend two; Firstly, the Blackhall Colliery show (in Cleveland). This was a very well-run show, set up with rules for Covid. Our congratulations
go to John Peace and his team of show organisers for their hard work in ensuring
Blackhall Show
everyone stayed safe and adhered to the rules. Ian entered 8 classes and achieved a 1st place with peas with Show Perfection, the yellow Tomato class with Mimi, the
red tomatoes class with Maisey and the coloured Potatoes with Kestrel.
In the long carrots, Ian came 3rd to Peter Holden. FYI, the Blackhall Show allows multiple entries and Peter came 1st & 2nd with some very high-quality long carrots. Peter also had success with many other classes, including the veg collection and the large onions.
Ian came 3rd in the Parsnips (Sabre), with Jim Dunnet 2nd and Peter Holden 1st (both with Countess). Ian also achieved 3rd in the 4 veg collection.
Thankfully, this show was also close enough that we could drive down and back home on the same day.
Simply Vegetables 51