Einstein could not do his tax returns. Why should I try to outshine a genius? Especially when the people in the local tax office are so helpful. Why? Well, because the tax office has redesigned itself and you can’t get to the people who used to be so helpful - without an appointment. Tragedy! Then the legendary ‘luck of the Reeses’ (Ha!) started up and an appointment was arranged for the day after tomorrow. We will see if they are still as user friendly as they have been for the last two years when they have guided me, like some sort of emotionally stunted savage who had recently been introduced to the concept of using marks to represent words! They did complete my return though. We will, indeed, see.
Today has been notable for the extraordinary experience that is the Awards Evening of the Cardiff in Bloom Competition. Toni has (again) been awarded (for the third time) second prize in the front garden competition for our electoral district.
During the summer a judge comes along and enthuses about the garden and then later awards us second prize. Blazes of colour in imaginative settings with the sound of astonishing water features – means nothing: second prize. Carefully orchestrated and structured paths through the garden, vistas of engaging vegetative texture: second prize. Bugger it! What do we have to do to win? [Insert your own tasteless, yet amusing answer to that rhetorical question.]
Sitting at out designated table in the Assembly Rooms in the old Cardiff City Hall with those massively extraordinary constructions of metal glass and light bulbs which constitute the chandeliers in that fantasy of marble, stucco, metal and gilding, you look around and think to yourself that this has to be one of the more extraordinary gatherings of civilians that you are likely to be associated with for a long time. The gathering is a mixture of the dedicated (usually very old) gardeners, who actually know what they are growing and are not surprised by what comes up in the spring; those gardeners who are rich enough to ensure that they buy the right plants and the right advice to ensure that their gardens are credits to the money they spend, and us. I am a great exponent of the Don Rees School of gardening. My father had few rules of gardening:
1. If it grows without care, buy it.
2. If it uses Rule 1 and has colour, plant it.
3. If it comes back the next year, encourage it and buy more.
4. Take credit for gardening success with grace.
Don’t knock them: they worked for him and we had a front garden of spectacular colour and interest.
Meanwhile back at City Hall, the evening started with the usual organizational chaos as Margaret Pritchard (she who got me a glass of water when I did my LIVE voice over from the continuity announcer’s kiosk in HTV all those years ago) attempted to announce the winners. As usual the list of winners that she had did not match the bodies waiting to get their plaques and a sense of gentle incompetence continued throughout the evening.
The photo they had taken to put up when Toni went to get his award was not a bad representation of the garden. This year the photographer did not come until we were in Catalonia, so he had to take the picture standing on the wall outside the fence. All things considered we had a much better representation than many, whose gardens looked lacklustre to say the least.
As usual as soon as the buffet had been eaten at half time, half the people left because the only part of the programme left was giving those who had already won prizes yet more prizes as these were the overall winners of the whole of Cardiff.
What, one speculates, will happen next year? Roll on Peter Alan, do your stuff and get me to Catalonia!
No comments:
Post a Comment