英国 海棠协会 National Begonia Society – 英国历史最悠久的海棠全国性团体

协会源起

英国海棠协会 National Begonia Society 的成立,最早要追溯到 1945 年。当时 T.F.Burgess 去伯明翰探访同好 L.A.Simpson,看到 Simpson 温室里一棚开得极盛的海棠,两人当场议定要成立一个专门的海棠协会。这个想法酝酿了几年,到 1948 年正式落地 — 协会在英格兰和威尔士召开首届会议,S.C.Langdon 主持,L.A.Simpson 出任首届主席,T.F.Burgess 出任首届秘书兼财务,F.J.Bedson 当选首任会长,会费定为 10/6d (十先令六便士)。

名称沿革与早期组织

1949 年,第一届年度大会在伦敦皇家园艺学会 (RHS) 会所召开,登记会员为 76 人。同年,L.A.Simpson 在伯明翰城市展 (City of Birmingham Show) 上首次以协会名义展示海棠。1950 年,首届全国展览 (Annual Show) 同样在伯明翰城市展举行,会员数上升到 108。1952 年协会出版第一本多页 Bulletin (此前只是单页通讯),同年又推出第一本协会手册。1959 年曾有提案想把协会改名 “The British Begonia Society”,但因苏格兰海棠协会 (The Scottish Begonia Society) 提出异议而搁置,1960 年正式将名称定为 The National Begonia Society。

展览与会员规模

从 1950 年代起,协会每年举行全国展览,展品包括盆栽和切花两大类。1969 年的第 20 届展会有 258 盆、333 朵切花参评;到了 1973 年,协会开始在南海 (Southsea) 设展。会员规模也在稳步增长:1965 年 465 人,1968 年 526 人,1974 年突破 900 达到 906 人,1977 年达到历史峰值 942 人。1991 年,澳大利亚南部的巴拉瑞特市 (City of Ballaarat) 为协会设立了一个特别奖项,颁给在年度全国展上提交自育新栽培种的会员 — 首届得主是 J.Allely。

近年的展览与奖项

协会在 2008 年迎来 60 周年,2018 年则举办 70 周年庆典。受新冠疫情影响,2021 年协会年会被迫取消,全国冠军组改在 Bideford 举行。2022、2023、2024 连续三年,协会在 Shrewsbury 全国展上的展台都获得金奖;2024 年还在 Malvern 秋展上获得银镀金奖。2024 年,Ian Rhys Williams 以协会主席身份拿下 12 朵切花冠军 (12 Board Championship),Dorothy Williams 成为首位赢得全国栽培品种冠军的女性得主并与 Phil Champion 共同获评展览最佳。协会已宣布 2026 年全国展将于 8 月 9 日在 Worcester 举行。

会员与公众资源

协会现有英国国内会员年费 20 英镑 (经 PayPal 21 英镑),海外会员年费 38 英镑 (PayPal 40 英镑),每年 11 月 1 日至次年 2 月 28 日开放续费。新会员入会后会获得一本《National Begonia Society Handbook》,内容涵盖栽培、繁殖、参赛等多方面基础知识。网站公开栏目包括历届展览照片、会员图库和海棠科普文章;另外设有仅向会员开放的内容板块,涉及种植日记、温室实录、品种数据库和会员论坛。

Founding and early years

The National Begonia Society traces its origin to a 1945 visit. T.F.Burgess called on L.A.Simpson at his home in Birmingham, was shown a magnificent display of begonias in Simpson’s greenhouse, and the two agreed on the spot to form a society. The idea took several years to mature, and it was in 1948 that the society was officially launched. The inaugural meeting was held under the chairmanship of S.C.Langdon, with L.A.Simpson as the first Chairman, T.F.Burgess as Secretary-Treasurer, and F.J.Bedson as the first President. The annual subscription was set at 10 shillings and 6 pence.

Name change and early structure

The first Annual General Meeting was held at the RHS rooms in London in 1949, when 76 members were recorded. The same year, L.A.Simpson staged a group of begonias at the City of Birmingham Show. In 1950, the society held its first Annual Show, again at Birmingham, and membership had risen to 108. A multi-page Bulletin first appeared in 1951, and the first Handbook in 1952. In 1959 a proposal to rename the society The British Begonia Society was put forward, but The Scottish Begonia Society objected, and in 1960 the society formally adopted the title The National Begonia Society.

Shows and membership growth

The society has held an Annual Show every year since 1950, with both pot plants and cut blooms exhibited. The 20th Annual Show in 1969 saw 258 pots and 333 cut blooms on the benches. From 1973 onwards, an additional Annual Show was held at Southsea. Membership grew steadily: 465 in 1965, 526 in 1968, 906 in 1974 and a peak of 942 in 1977. In 1991 the City of Ballaarat in South Australia instituted a special award, given to the best un-named new cultivar raised and exhibited by an amateur member at the Annual Show; the first recipient was J.Allely.

Recent shows and awards

The society marked its 60th anniversary in 2008 and its 70th in 2018. The 2021 AGM had to be cancelled because of the Covid pandemic, and the National Championship classes were instead held at Bideford. In 2022, 2023 and 2024 the society stand at the National Show in Shrewsbury received a Gold Medal, and in 2024 it was also awarded Silver Gilt at the Malvern Autumn Show. That same year Ian Rhys Williams won the 12 Board Championship as sitting Chairman, Dorothy Williams became the first female National Champion (foliage) and shared the best exhibit in the begonia classes with Phil Champion, and Mike Avis took over as Editor. The 2026 National Show has been scheduled for Worcester on Sunday 9 August.

Member and public resources

Annual membership currently stands at GBP 20 for UK residents (GBP 21 via PayPal) and GBP 38 for overseas members (GBP 40 via PayPal). Renewals run from 1 November to 28 February each year. New members receive a copy of the National Begonia Society Handbook, covering cultivation, propagation and showing. The public area of the website carries historical show photographs, a member photo gallery and introductory cultural articles; the full member section adds cultural diaries, greenhouse galleries, variety listings and a members’ forum.

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