BCSS - Forum

Tickets are priced at £17 (2019 was £18) include a buffet lunch plus morning & afternoon refreshments and are only available via Chris Backhouse. For payment options, email kaktuskris123@gmail.com or WhatsApp or text 07484 722657. Admission by ticket only, available up to Tues 12th July.

Join us upstairs at the Hamilton Centre, Brunel University London, Kingston Lane, Uxbridge, Middlesex, UB8 3PH in north-west London: https://www.brunel.ac.uk/about/finding-us. This convention centre is easily accessed via the M25 & M4J1 - use satnav UB8 3PN. N.B. no access when driving via Cowley or Cleveland Roads. Free parking adjacent to Towers A & B, see: https://www.brunel.ac.uk/about/document ... p-2021.pdf.

Local attractions for spouses: Battle of Britain Bunker, underground operations room at RAF Uxbridge (25 mins. walk) http://battleofbritainbunker.co.uk/ or Uxbridge shopping centre (20 mins. walk).

Don't forget to get your tickets now, should be a good event

Cactus Convention in London

It has been good to get out and about again. So far this summer, I've found that BCSS branch meetings and shows have got back to near normal attendance levels again after the pandemic. 

Tickets will be available for another couple of weeks (until 12th July) for this Zone 6 Convention. We have travelogues to enjoy from Mexico and South Africa, plus a more in-depth look at some of the most popular South American cacti. Publicity photos of the Hamilton Hospitality Centre at Brunel University are attached below to give an idea of the venue. We will be using the University's catering service for refreshments. However, the unexpectedly high price of petrol means that car sharing is strongly advisable. I've noticed a typo above and it should say access is easy via the M40/J1 junction. The campus is also easily accessible via bus from Uxbridge Underground station - see the University's website for instructions.

Best wishes,
Derek Tribble,
Chair Harrow Branch

Things are coming together nicely! We visited the convention site again this week, two years after the original booking. For lack of other events, the University has given us a much larger room, so we will have lots of space for circulation. As you would expect at a professional conference centre, there are excellent projection facilities. We can welcome more BCSS members than originally planned please.

It had already been decided to dip into Zone 6 reserves, so as to reduce the previous ticket price and encourage people to come out again after the pandemic. So this event is wonderful value - I can only see such BCSS events being more expensive in future years. Don't miss out on this one!

Best wishes,
Derek Tribble

We have to give numbers for catering to the University today, but can probably issue a few more tickets until Friday if there are any late comers. We do have lots of space.

The programme has now been arranged:

10:00 am    Doors open for plant and raffle ticket sales
11:00 am    Introductions & Andy Young "Poaching in South Africa - are any succulents left?"
12:30 pm   Buffet Lunch
 1:30 pm    Ian Woolnough " Mexico 2016 - Puebla, Oaxaca and More "
 2:45 pm    Break for refreshments
 3:30 pm    Draw raffle
 3:45 pm    Roger Ferryman "Eriosyce - Home & Away" 
 5:00 pm    Closing remarks

Here are more precise directions for access. Entry to the campus when driving is only possible from the east via Kingston Lane. The ring road within the Brunel campus can be used going either north or south. You will find a security barrier across the road, but just drive up to it and at weekends it will open automatically. We will put BCSS direction signs up on lampposts to make it easy. From the north-east end of the car park (free at weekends), it is a short walk past the Bannerman Centre building to the Hamilton Conference Centre, where we will be upstairs.

Please remember to bring a tray to carry plants, as few will be available on-site.

Best wishes,
Derek Tribble

Don't forget your tickets

Unfortunately C&V Cacti will not be selling plants at the convention tomorrow. Chris felt unwell today after covid spread around staff at his workplace during this last week. Vicky sends their apologies, but obviously they have to stay away to avoid spreading it further. We wish for a speedy recovery.

Otherwise, everything is in place including dry weather and it should be good day out!

Best wishes,
Derek

Thank you to Derek, Rodney, Martin, Chris and the 'Team', was a really nice day, talks were good, food plentiful, venue is nice and great catching up with so many people.

To everyone that helped get this running was a nice Day with some nice talks and nice chatting with some faces we haven't seen for a while.

Jamie