Southport - the Classic Resort on England's North West Coast

2009

District

105BN

IT Award

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79th Southport Flower Show

21st, 22nd, 23rd & 24th August 2008

 

It hardly seems any time at all since we were selling copies of Harry Foster's excellent book celebrating the 75th Flower Show, and here we are, already thinking about the 80th, next year. But enough of that, the 79th Flower Show was favoured by several really pleasant days, and the good weather was enjoyed by tens of thousands of visitors, some local, and some who had come from many distant parts, even beyond Liverpool. Which is entirely appropriate as this year's theme was 'Liverpool '08 - the European City of Culture.'

Wherever you stood in the Park, thousands of people were going and coming, many of them to the three Left Luggage and Plant Crèche facilities operated by Southport Lions. Each year we have provided a safe place to leave lunch boxes, umbrellas, plants and gardenalia, and each year we have to tell a few potential customers that we can't accept unruly children or mothers-in-law, at least not at a realistic price!

This year saw the return of the Green Bag, an ideal tool for carrying the swag, which has proved very popular with our customers. Fortunately, it is the bag which is green, and not the customers, unlike some of the rather odd folk to be found on the ground, from time to time.

...but you might get a general idea from this charming chappie, in full H M Prison uniform complete with keys, which appeared on the display of one of Her Majesty's institutions! Now that I call imaginative!

 

Our charitable activities have benefited by some £2,300 from the donations, and the proceeds of Green Bag sales, this year, and we would like to give our heartfelt thanks to everyone who has put their hand in their pocket at a time of considerable financial difficulty, to help those less fortunate.

But, as always, it is the major displays, and the hundreds of stalls, which are the big draw to the show, and the exhibitors had really entered into the spirit of this year's theme. A prominent feature of Liverpool during '08, has been the prevalence of superlambananas. For those who may not know exactly what a superlambanana is....well, what an experience you have missed...

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