Just in case any of the exhibitors would like to see their plants captured for posterity, here are the photos I took.

I always start during judging, by taking views of the benches, and some of the multi-pan classes in situ.

Small 6-pan
A wonderful exhibit from Cecilia Coller, winning the E.B. Anderson Trophy. More photos of the individual plants later, when I was allowed to remove them from the bench.

3-pans rock plants in 19cm pots
Next to the 6-pan was the class for 3 pans of rock plants; three fine entries - left to right Anne Vale, Don Peace, Cecilia Coller. I think Don won.

3 large pans of Cyclamen
There were two entries for 3 large pans of Cyclamen, from Pat Nicholls and Bob and Rannveig Wallis.

Artistic Section
Rounding off the display at the other end of the hall was a large and colourful artistic section.

Pinguicula grandiflora
Caroline Jackson-Houlston was awarded a Certificate of Merit for a botanical illustration of this pinguicula.

Colchicum alpinum
This colchicum from Cecilia Coller's 6-pan entry was awarded a Certificate of Merit and won the Keith Moorhouse Trophy for the best plant in a 19cm pot.

Oxalis lobata
Also from Cecilia's 6-pan entry. The initial priority is always to photograph all the flowers which might close, or collapse. In the event, the day was so warm that the oxalis, crocus, colchicum and sternbergias stayed open all day.

Cyclamen hederifolium
Staying with Cecilia's 6-pan exhibit.

Sternbergia lutea
This is the last plant from Cecilia Coller's winning 6-pan entry.

Sternbergia lutea
This plant was exhibited by Joy Bishop as Sternbergia clusiana. Opinion among the judges and visitors appeared to be unanimous that it was a very fine form of Sternbergia lutea.

Sternbergia sicula
I felt this was the best of several pots exhibited as Sternbergia sicula, presented by Don Peace. As always at the autumn shows, there was much discussion over the wide variety of forms, particularly since the latest botanical opinion is that lutea, sicula and greuteriana are all variations of a single species.

Sternbergia greuteriana
Exhibited by Don Peace

Sternbergia greuteriana
A much smaller form, exhibited by Lee and Julie Martin. A neat, perfect potful.

Crocus salzmannii El Torcal
Exhibited by Don Peace.

Oxalis massoniana
Exhibited by Tim Lever

Colchicum macrophyllum
Exhibited by Bob and Rannveig Wallis

Colchicum corsicum
Exhibited by Lee and Julie Martin

Colchicum cilicium
This is a form I got from Bob and Rannveig Wallis, which I find very attractive with the yellow in the centre of the flower, and it has bulked up nicely. The pot would have shown better the previous weekend, when the flowers were a lot shorter, but it was still pleasing to be able to put it on the show bench.

Colchicum troodii
Exhibited by Bob and Rannveig Wallis

Diplodium coccinum

Now the ephemeral flowers were captured, I could turn my attention to the bulk of the show, and where better to start than this wonderful pan of Australian orchids exhibited by local member Tony Jenkins. This stood out as soon as I looked at the show benches, and was awarded the Farrer Medal.

I'm not sure what the species name should be. It was exhibited as D. coccinea, but D. coccineum seems a better bet, and I have a faint memory that it should actually be coccinum without the 'e'.

Cyclamen graecum ssp. graecum Rhodopou
Working my way along the heavy pot bench, this cyclamen was exhibited by Bob and Rannveig Wallis.

Cyclamen graecum
A deep pink form exhibited by Joy Bishop

Cyclamen rohlfsianum
I rather liked this deep pink form of C. rohlfsianum not exhibited by Bob and Rannveig Wallis (it was left on display but not entered in any of the classes).

Cyclamen graecum ssp. candicum
Outstanding amongst these big pans of cyclamen was this one from Pat Nicholls, which won the Saunders Spoon for the best cyclamen.

Biarum marmarisense
(Previously B. davisii ssp. marmarisense). This fine pan was exhibited by Bob and Rannveig Wallis. The light in the hall was fading now, and I ended up experimenting with my LED panel and taking some rather dramatically lit shots.

Acer palmatum Beni-hime
Autumn colour from Ivan Pinnick.

Miniature garden
A new entry to the miniature garden class from Michael Sullivan which elicited a lot of interest and comment. Not to the judges' taste however.

Cyclamen hederifolium
This deep purple form of C. hederifolium from Pat Nicholls also attracted a lot of interest.

Cyclamen mirabile
Don Peace exhibited several pans of Cyclamen mirabile. The second of those shown below won the Halsted Trophy for the best plant in the seed-raised classes.

Cyclamen cilicium
I rather liked this deep pink form of C. cilicium exhibited by Bob and Rannveig Wallis.

Eucomis Baby Opal
Exhibited by Anne Vale

Biarum ochridense
Another smelly, exhibited by Colin Rogers. I am still trying to work out what the smell reminds me of - similar to burnt toast, but I haven't quite nailed it.

Cyclamen graecum
A couple more cyclamen from the Intermediate section. This one was exhibited by local group member Pauline O'Leary.

Cyclamen graecum

Another Intermediate section C. graecum, this time from Audrey Dart.

Myrteola nummularia
Another exhibit from Cecilia Coller.

Haemanthus coccineus v. coarctatus
My other exhibit at the show. Normally this would have been over a month ago, but the South African bulbs all seem to be late this year.

Colchicum The Giant
Exhibited by Andrew Ward

Gentiana sino-ornata hybrid
Finally, the only gentians at the show. these two pots were both exhibited by Anne Vale as Gentiana sino-ornata hybrid; I'm not sure whether they are the same clone.