Hi from South Sheffield

[Rockspeny]

Happy New Year to all growers! I am Spencer (or Spen or Rockspeny; not Sven, Ben or Steven thankyou) and my history with cacti goes back to my Grandad in Feltham giving my cutting of various opuntia, echinopsis and mammillaria he had in his lean-to back in the late '70s. That led to a growing interest through the mid '80s as these plants grew bigger and were slowly added to that hit a high point with a collection in the early '90s that filled almost half of my father's greenhouse and comprised a good many plants aquired from European sellers visited through trips organised by the Coventry branch. So, any older members here who remember Warren E. Withers and his wife Joan, Len, Mr Johnson and Asclepiad Vic from Coventry meetings in the early 90's I'd be happy to share memories of those trips. Back then I developed an unhealthy (for my fingers) habit of collecting tephrocacti and other opuntis with rotund pads as opposed to flat. That led to me being part of the tephrocactus study group for a couple of years and a couple of visits to the lovely Rene Geisler and his amazing collection of cacti in Slimbridge. Memries coming back as I am typing this out. Anyway, I had to give all that up as adolescent life and a need for a career took over, most of my plants were distributed around, I remember most of the opuntias went to a grower in Humberside for a princly sum which helped buy me my first washing machine. I was then without aereoled friends for many years until I rescued a baby gymnocalycium stenopleurum from the works purchasing department when they relocated office in 2017. That responded well to my dormant caring instincts and my good wife relaxed her attitude to plants in the house and allowed me to obtain another few from Westfields. As I was able to choise the species, I got aylostera, echinopsis and sulcorebutia, and the flowers they produced further melted my good lady's attitutudes, and then COVID! That's when the bug bit hard again, and I bought in seed to keep me entertained. Turns out I was good at raising seed, and the collection went from 7 to 150+ in a matter of six months! Trying to get rid of the tiny spikey freaks led to online friendships developing, that through swapping hasn't led to much of a collection reduction but I am utterly flabergasted at the range of choice secies I am now growing, and how much the internet has allowed the hobby to develop since the late '80s, and how damned friendly everyone is, worldwide! I have been in contact with Gods of my day such as Steve Brack, John Pilbeam and Graham Charles which I never thought I would as a late teenager.
Anyway, here I am, after 30 odd years being around cacti I am now a meber of the BCSS for the first time. I look forward to being a part of this forum and sharing my experiences of the hobby with you all.
Spen

[el48tel]

Welcome to the forum

[AllanA]

Welcome Spen.

[RayW]

Nice intro. and story, I am sure many of us can relate to most of what you have said.
Welcome to the BCSS and the forum.

[MikeT]

Hi Spen

You'll be very welcome at Sheffield branch; our first meeting of the year is in a week's time, Friday 12th. Full details on the Sheffield Branch website events page.
No admission charge. There will be plants for sale. We have a non-competitive table show each month, with 2 categories, firstly any C or S in flower, second category varies month by month and for January is any Aloe. So with sales and table show, there should always be live plants each meeting.