These Pocket Plum
fungi (Taphrina pruni) were found growing in Ledbury on 25th May,
2008. They are seen most years on the many Blackthorn bushes
lining the cycleway through New Mills estate.
Taphrina pruni - Pocket Plum (photo G R Spence)
BMS
SILVER-GILT AT CHELSEA
The BMS team led by Carol Hobart and Lynne Boddy were awarded a
Silver-Gilt medal for their stand at Chelsea 2008! Well Done!
BMS Roadshow gets another RHS Gold Medal !!!
BMS Roadshow, hosted again by Sheila and George Spence, was
rewarded with a second RHS Gold Medal of the year at Malvern Autumn Show.
Over the weekend of
29th/30th September the BMS Roadshow visited Malvern to attend the
Malvern Autumn Show on the Three Counties Showground. Helped by
many different people, from some of the country's top scientists in the
the field of mycology to keen amateur field mycologists and local group
members, they put on an amazing nine metre display covering everything
from wild woodland fungi to how fungi are used in the manufacture of our
foods and medicines and involved in our
everyday lives.
National Trust
Waxcap Watch 2007/8
Help the National
Trust learn more about their Waxcap Grassland sites by taking part in
their Waxcap Watch this year. Check out their website (www.nationaltrust.org.uk)
for more information or visit one of their many wonderful sites around
the country and download a recording form to let them know what you have
seen.
Also see what is on
locally on our Events page or visit a National Trust site during October
and Novembers to see some of the grassland fungi at their best.
Waxcaps in June! Global Warming?
Climate Change? orjust a 'Silly Season'?
About very early this year
(2007)
were several species of waxcaps, reported from as far afield as
Devon, Gloucestershire and Herefordshire. It is very early for these
normally autumnal grassland species but they have probably arrived now
due to the recent 'unseasonable' weather conditions.
Citrine Waxcap (Hygrocybe citrinovirens) Herefordshire
Fibrous Waxcap (Hygrocybe intermedia) found in North Devon on 22nd
June 2007 and Herefordshire 24th June 2007
These
glorious 'jewels of the autumn' grow mainly in unimproved grassland
between late August through till December (but have been recorded as
late at January) and are an important indicator of grassland quality.
There are about 50 different species in Great Britain some of which are
very rare or endangered whilst others are quite common.
GOLDEN SUCCESS AT MALVERN!
Sheila on the BMS stand as the show was about to open
BRITISH MYCOLOGICAL
SOCIETY STAND WINS GOLD MEDAL AT RHS MALVERN SPRING GARDEN SHOW 2007!
Following several
successful forays to RHS gardening shows helping with the BMS Roadshow
under the direction of Dr David Moore and his wife Liz, George and
Sheila Spence decided to follow in their footsteps and try to emulate
their wonderful achievements. David and Liz had previously finely
tuned the Roadshow with major successes at shows around the country
including RHS gardening/flower shows at Malvern, Tatton Park and
Chelsea.
All their efforts
proved immensely worthwhile when an RHS Gold Medal was awarded to the
stand on the opening day of the show, which ran from Thursday 9th
May until Sunday 13th May, 2007. It was the third time
the Roadshow had been entered for the Spring show but the first ‘Gold’
to be achieved, although Gold medals had been awarded at the RHS Malvern
Autumn shows in previous years.
RHS Gold
Medal
proudly displayed!
George handing out teaching material
At one end of the
stand the display was based on wild mushrooms, two baskets of dried wild
specimens including Ganodermas, Earthstars, Green Woodcup etc, another
basket of freshly picked wild fungi including Chicken of the Woods and
St George’s Mushrooms, whilst another two baskets were based on samples
of ‘supermarket fungi’; nine different sorts all bought locally. This
area followed through with a strong emphasis on education and then at
the other end, the display for the ‘Supermarket Challenge’. The
following morning saw George and Sheila back on the stand at 5.30 am to
complete the finishing touches and re-arrange the electrics for the
monitors which had been hidden away overnight. Judging was to be
between 6.30 am and 9.00 am, at which time the show would open to the
public, hence the very early start.
Some of the display baskets with fully named fungi
The day began with a
steady flow of visitors attracted to the stand on this first ‘Press and
Preview Day’ to be replaced by streams of visitors over the following
three days all eagerly wanting to learn a little more about the kingdom
of fungi. The ‘supermarket challenge’ brought its usual comments of ‘but
is there really fungi in this?’ and the many helpers on the stand could
explain the connection and send them away happily reading the
accompanying leaflets. We also had visits from two of the top RHS
judges during that first morning, making very favourable comments about
the stand and offering their congratulations – well before we even knew
we had Gold!
Many thanks to all
those who helped on the stand – without them it would have been very,
very hard work.
