Every so often, no matter how hard we try, no matter how well planned or prepared we are, life just grabs us by the arm and shakes us. January's meeting was one such evening.

The evening was planned as a society quiz night, working on the grey matter rather than the green, you might say. But it was not to be.

Given the set backs presented to us we battled on, showing a spirit that our forebears would have been proud of.

Following a very rapid discussion between various members, it was decided to encourage some of the members to stand up and put forward their suggestions for the development of the few trees present.

We all gathered around as Peter, George, Keith and others gave their comments, tips and opinions - some more serious than others - all given in an informal manner. This was not a night for formality, and I hope that we all learnt something - if nothing else, we learnt that no two people see the same things in a tree. Maybe this is proof positive that bonsai is an art form, I don't know.

After the break, we formed ourselves into little teams for an 'ad hoc' informal quiz.
Never intended to be taken seriously (like a lot of my trees, I know!) the quiz followed an A-Z format, some easy, some not so easy. I just hope that everyone there enjoyed it.

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Summer Holidays

Going away this year? Let me know where you're going, and I'll try and find the nearest Bonsai show, nursery or whatever. All I ask is that you drop me a few lines telling me about it. For that matter, wherever you go, please let me know your impressions relating to any Bonsai matters.

Club Subscriptions

All members are reminded that, with the coming of the new year, club subscriptions are again due. Please enquire about renewing membership as you come in . . . thanks.

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Book Review - The MacDonald Encyclopaedia of Bonsai

A smart little book, laid out in A5 format, this book is just what it says - an encyclopaedia covering most of the varieties of trees and shrubs used in Bonsai.

Beginning with a brief history of Bonsai, it then proceeds to guide us through the different styles and sizes. Covering things like planting positions, pots, different effects and sizes.

Then follows a guide to each tree and shrub, general uses and description before moving onto more specific care advice for when training as Bonsai.

I could not describe this as a book you can't put down - there is nothing in it that you would not find in most good Bonsai guides. However, its small size, easy layout, and concise, informative contents, make this a useful addition to any library.

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Bonsai Web Review:

TBE Journal
A fresh look at Bonsai, with a gallery, reports and all the sort of stuff you look for in a Bonsai web site.
Available in 5 languages, this site has the look of a truly international presentation of Bonsai. With info on retailers, teachers and clubs (sorry no we're not listed), this site offers links to lots of interesting places.

The gallery changes every so often, showing some fabulous trees. There seems to be themed presentations, with forest planting being shown as we go to print.

It also has an opinions section where readers can add a comment on a suggested topic. All in all I liked this site. Why not give it a go? Just type TBE journal into your search engine.

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Forthcoming Event

2/3rd march 2002
Joy of Bonsai:-
Admission:- Five Pounds
Who's there:- Dan Barton, Kevin Wilson, Mike Sullivan, Jean Paul Polmans (Belgium), Serge Clearance (Swiss) & Francois Jerker (France).
Venue:- The Pavilion, Bath.

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Next Meeting. 12th March 2002
"Repotting Workshop"

One of my favourite meetings. A chance for everyone, new and old, to bring along a tree to discuss - how you see it, how you plan to train it in the coming year - to listen to others, hear their suggestions and ideas. Remember though - it's your tree so it's up to you how you want to grow it.

Most of us need to repot some of our trees every year and it is nice to see how trees have progressed from the previous year.

There will be discussions on such things as planting angles, size of pots, the type of glaze that would suit the 'finished' tree - "I can feel Mick watching".

Every Bonsai grower I have ever met has their own ideas on compost - from the "I grow everything in acadama" right through to the "erm, I just stuck it into some garden soil" brigade.

Another advantage of having a workshop is if your tree is quite large - could you hold it in just the right position as you feed soil between its roots or wire it into the pot? Just ask, and a friendly pair of hands is always around - more to the point, just try and stop someone helping!