Club History

The club was founded in 1993. Originally there was a single monthly meeting (in Sutton-in-Ashfield), this was soon increased at the request of the members to two meetings a month.

Many more formal clubs depend on demonstrations, talks and slideshows with occasional workshops. At Ashfield the emphasis is very much towards the informal and "hands on". Members regularly bring their own own material to meetings. The club caters for a wide range of experience in bonsai and welcomes new members. Advice is available from the more seasoned and creative members and we try to foster a relaxed, "family feel" with everyone having a say in the clubs affairs. Each year we invite one or two speakers of international fame to present to us, and we occasionally organise weekend workshops with well known bonsai personalties. Presently our meetings are held in the comfortable and spacious church hall at South Normanton and new members are always welcome.

In 2019 the club members will continue to exhibit at major exhibitions both at home and abroad, with trees enterred for the Swindon Winter Image show in February (where the club has also been invited to present a display stand), and at the Bonsai Expo in April.

Members will also be attending the Trophy Exhibition in Belgium in February, the Doncaster show in March and other shows throughout the year

Monday 25 February 2019

ABC AT SWINDON WINTER IMAGE SHOW

a good turnout for the long and very foggy drive to Swindon on sunday, for their terrific winter image show, a good number of quality trees on display as usual.

This was our club display:




Also congrats to our JP who pretty much cleaned up with awards for: best conifer, best tree and pot combination, best accent, and best overall individual display. An amazing japanese maple won best deciduous, but his elm (see the post before this one) must have been a very close second. Well done pal.

Also appreciation to JB who was one of the judges, and last seen in the car park eating hob nobs....

CLUB WINTER IMAGE SHOW FEB 19

club night on Thursday 19th Feb was the usual workshop, but also our club winter image show.

First was John Pitts amazing chinese elm, in a pot he made for it:




Second was Pauls mulberry:



and third was my Deshojo, in a Reihou pot:



the eagle eyed among you will spot these photos are actually from our entries at the Swindon winter image show yesterday, (we forgot to take photos on thursday - our photographer was busy taking pictures of a bike rack...) But the strong club turnout and trees displayed at the Swindon show does show the depth of quality trees in the Ashfield club. 

Monday 11 February 2019

UNBELIEVABLE

Club Trip this weekend to the "Best of 20 Years of the Trophy" in Genk Belgium and we were all stunned by the high quality trees on display. No dodgy entries or charity cases this time, every tree on display was of the very highest standard.


Saturday afternoon found us in the demonstation hall and for me the highlight of the whole weekend: Ryan Niel flipped a juniper 135 degrees, converting a semi cascade into an upright for best use of the deadwood and amazing movement in the trunk. you can tell the original orientation by the pot angle.

Ryan went on to repot the tree on sunday to complete a stunning demonstration.

Congrats also to our John Pitt for having his Blackthorn accepted for the show.