THE NATIONAL AT SOUTHPORT AUGUST 2025
You are all aware that the Shrewsbury Flower Show was cancelled this year for Financial reasons, this of course was also the venue for the NBS National Show which also had to be cancelled.
After a considerable amount of work in order to find an alternative suitable venue, we were offered this by the SOUTHPORT FLOWER SHOW, after numerous telephone and emails an acceptable format was achieved for both parties, many thanks to the SOUTHPORT SHOW COMMITTEE.
The show will be held at Southport on August 14th, 15th, 16th & 17th 2025.
Schedules are obtainable by downloading from Southport Shows website, or by sending a stamped and addressed envelope requesting hard copy.
All entries will be made to Southport show, the closing date of the National Begonia Society section will be July 18th 2025, this is a week earlier than for all other classes, which SFS requested to allow additional time to arrange for design and the acquisition of additional staging etc.
Any information with regards classes, staging time parking, judges etc should be directed at SFS, not to the NBS.
NBS schedule of classes, this will be in addition the the SFS schedule due to the obvious late changes. It is a full national show schedule, with the majority of classes included with a few minor tweaks in order to accommodate us.
All three championship classes remain the same, together with their rules of entry.
All of the existing rules etc are posted in the ammended schedule.
Prize money for the begonia section will be funded by the NBS, as will the additional judges required.
No trophies will be awarded for the National this year for logistical reasons.
NBS officers will be in attendance for most days.
Finally I would apologies to any exhibitors for the change of venue which has been forced on us, for the additional travel involved, but there were only two options Show at Southport or no National this year !.
We researched other venues and offers that had been generously made, and considered, location, adequate provisions, logistics in delivering all the show itineraries, dates available, footfall etc, coming to the conclusion that Southport was the only choice bearing in time the time available to us to come to a decision.
Just to finish I would like to especially thank Mike Avis our show manger, for his unstinting efforts to make this all happen together with Terry Tasker our President and intermediary and Southport team for the generous offer of their venue for us to hold our show, also the officers of the NBS who assisted in any way they could to make this happen.
Just to show you how generous Southport were they removed all of their own Begonia classes to accommodate us.
All I ask of you is to support the show, I am sure the SFS will afford us a warm welcome as is expected from northerners.
Colin NICKLIN
National Begonia Society Secretary.