Visitors who travelled the length and breadth of the country to see the Shrewsbury Flower Show have hailed it a credit to the town – despite some of the worst weather seen for years.
Attendance figures were still said to be slightly up on last year’s 60,000 gate even though the show was hit with a deluge of torrential rain on both days and a spell of thunder and lightning on the Saturday.
Organisers and visitors, some of whom travelled more than 400 miles, were really impressed with how many people still flocked to the event held on the Quarry showground and hailed its unique atmosphere as one of the reasons for its success.
Visitors flooding the show
John and Jennie Moss, from Sidmouth in Devon, drove 198 miles just to get to the event and said the Shrewsbury Flower Show never disappointed.
Jennie added: “Our son lives in Hodnet so we’ve been here before and it’s always been really impressive. I personally just like the whole thing – the atmosphere you get here – but especially the unusual varieties of plant life which give us ideas for adding to our garden.”
After travelling 180 miles on the train from Hornchurch in Essex, Steve Downton, 45, said: “I’ve been here a few times and I particularly like the array of vegetables they have on display.
“You get people from all over the country coming to this show which is probably because it’s a nice place, the people seem pretty friendly and the whole atmosphere is always really good.”
Andrew Pollard, who was at the show with his wife Lizzy, said: “We’ve come down from Bridgnorth for the first time in five years and we both think the show is a real credit to the town.
“The garden in the Dingle is immaculate and we were really thrilled by it.”
Sarah Oliver, 41, from Bayston Hill, said: “We’d all got our sundresses and flip-flops out ready for the show but its more jeans and poncho weather today.
“But you can still go indoors to the tents and we’re really surprised about how many people have still come out. Everybody just seems really together and the atmosphere is great.”
Mike Carver, chairman of the Shropshire Horticultural Society, said that early indications suggested the attendance had been higher than last year and that they were ‘delighted’ with its success.
By David Seadon