Where Shall We Meet?

There's around 25-30 of us going to the show this year, mainly on the Thursday and Friday. As I warned at the beginning of the year, Helen and I simply haven't had to do much in the way of organising things like we did last year. A more informal meeting worked in September, so here's hoping it works again in a few days time.

Besides, the show is HUGE, so you'll need oodles of time to get around it all and make the most of the day.

We don't have our own meeting place this year, so there's no central place where you can be assured another friendly face will turn up and see you there. Last September the Design Theatre turned into the natural meeting place and looking at the weather forecast for later this week, it seems the Garden in Harmony Theatre will perform the same function this time.

I'm there on the Thursday and Saturday and I'll make sure I'm around at 3.30pm just inside the tent door on the right as you face the stage if you'd like to come and say hello. If it's hot and sunny, I'll be in the same spot, but outside!

I've contacted TCAS to see if there's somewhere we can leave messages - I'll let you know if I find out anything. Otherwise, do DM me on @Malvernmeet or email me at Malvernmeet at gmail dot com if you'd like to arrange something more definite. Please keep this to the pm - I hardly saw anything of the show last year and I'd like to this time!

Updated List of Who's Coming...

Here's the latest list of who's coming so you can check the information I currently have about your attendance and do let me know of anything I've got wrong. See yesterday's post for our events programme.

It's particularly important if those of you I've listed as provisional attendees for something will get in touch ASAP via malvernmeet at gmail dot com and let me know whether or not you are coming. This is because I need to give the Malvern show people an updated list so they can make sure they've issued everyone with their pass to our Bloggers' Meet area. Helen also needs to confirm final numbers to the pub and Ask meal social events and to make sure she can fit you all into her house of Friday evening.

I'll put a link to this post in the sidebar under Malvern Links so you can find it again more easily. This is the version I'll keep updated. If you don't know any of your fellow attendees already, you'll find a link to their blog in the sidebar under the Attendees List. I've also listed those people attending as a friend or family member alongside each blogger as appropriate.

If you want to get a better idea of the people attending the same time as you, then the Doodle link on this post will help you to do that.

• Ann (Wild Somerset Child) - Friday show
• Anna (Greentapestry) Friday show and social + Himself - Friday show and possibly social
• Anne Wareham (ThinkinGardens) + Charles Hawes - Thursday show and social
• Camilla (Country Lite) - Friday show
• Carrie (Grow Our Own) and Andy - Friday show, Friday and Saturday socials, plus possibly Johnstone Tours
• Claire (Plant Passion) - Friday show and social
• Dawn (Little Green Fingers) - Saturday show and social
• Denise (Easy Gardener) and The Digger - Friday show and social
• Elizabeth (Welsh Hills Again) - Thursday social + Friday show and social
• Ewa (Ewa in the Garden) - Thursday, Friday and Saturday socials, Friday show and Johnstone Tours
• Frances (Faire Garden) - Thursday, Friday and Saturday socials, Friday show and Johnstone Tours
• Frankie (Veg Plot) and Mel - Saturday show
• Gail (Clay and Limestone) - Thursday, Friday and Saturday socials, Friday show and Johnstone Tours
• Helen (Patient Gardener) - Thursday & Friday show, all social events and Johnstone Tours leader on Saturday
• James (Student Garden Designer) - Saturday show
• Jenny (Ethereal Monads) - Friday show
• Karen (Artist's Garden) + Dobby - Thursday and Friday socials and Friday show
• Lia (Midnight Brambling) - Friday show and social
• Maggie (@pilstone) - Thursday show
• Mark (Otter Farm) - Friday show and social, plus possibly Thursday and Saturday (both show and socials)
• Michelle C (Veg Plotting) - all shows and socials, Thursday to Saturday
• Michelle W (My Horticultural Ramblings) - all socials, Friday and Saturday shows, plus possibly Thursday and Sunday shows
• Nick (HabitatAid) - Friday show
• Rob (Mutterings in the Shrubbery) + Liam - Saturday show and social
• Ryan (Ryan's Garden) - Friday show and possibly Friday social
• Sally (The Constant Gardener) - Friday show and social
• Sarah (Frugeligus) - Friday social, Saturday show and possibly Saturday social
• Sharon (The Inelegant Gardener) - Friday and Saturday socials and one of the show days + dad - one of the show days
• Simon (Serendipity) + wife - Friday show and social
• Tim (Timmatchamgardendesign) - Thursday show
• Victoria (Victoria's Backyard) - Friday and Saturday socials, Saturday show
• Vicky (Love Thy Space) + Sean - Saturday show and social
• Yolanda (Bliss) - Thursday, Friday and Saturday socials, Thursday and Friday show and Johnstone Tours
• Zoe (Garden Hopping) - Thursday and Friday socials, plus Friday show

The following people initially said they were interested in coming, but have yet to confirm whether and when they actually are:

• Sue - Sue's Bluebell Cottage and Lodge Lane Nursery blog (probably Thursday show and possibly pub)
• Dave - Grow Your Own (any show day)

Phew - I think that's it for today!

A Vague Plan is Emerging...

As of yesterday afternoon we have 17 people confirmed for Meet @ Malvern, with another 17 interested. This includes James, Claire, Deb and Cleve who will all be working at the show in some capacity. Helen and I are planning to be there most days and the rest of you will be mainly popping along for a day.

Of the bloggers not working at the show, the potential attendance numbers are looking like:

• Thursday = 4 confirmed + 10 possibles
• Friday = 12 confirmed + 10 possibles
• Saturday = 7 confirmed + 11 possibles
• Sunday = 0 confirmed + 9 possibles

On the basis of these numbers Helen and I have devised the following cunning plan:

Thursday 6th May

• Daytime - at the show, where else? :) Highlights include the judges doing their stuff re the awarding of medals, there'll be the bestest selection of plants and the Chris Beardshaw mentorship will be awarded to one lucky designer
• Evening - optional pub meal. This is likely to be on the Colwall side of the Malvern Hills as this is the area where the majority of people who've said they're staying on Thursday night have booked their accommodation

Friday 7th May

• Daytime - at the show. The live debut of Three Men Went to Mow beckons. Details of further highlights to follow
• Evening - informal gathering at Helen's house. Bring your own drink, plus any nibbles you'd like. If you can squeeze in a cushion into your luggage/car (allowing for the fact you'll be stuffing it with plants later) that'll be most helpful as it's looking like seating will be at a premium. Takeaway menus will be available for you to choose a meal of your preferred international cuisine (or fish and chips). Helen will be providing puds... and cake

Now everyone (adopts stance like her mum does), you've got to promise you'll be on best behaviour at Helen's. She'll be frantically tidying up her garden, but blindfolds will be provided if you approach that area as she doesn't want you peeking and making rude comments. So there.

Saturday 8th May

• Daytime - at the show
• Evening - we've taken the plunge and booked a table for 15 at Ask. The usual pizza and pasta fare, but pretty good nevertheless. Apparently they were quite taken aback at Helen booking so early until she explained it's the Malvern Spring Show weekend!

Sunday 9th May

• Daytime - at the show. Helen's planning to flop, Victoria, Yolanda and I will probably be walking and chilling out in the lovely garden of our B&B, the rest of you will be either fighting over the bargains at the plant sell-off, or wending your way home
  

So Who's Coming Then?

I thought it was about time I attempted to put together all my 'virtual scraps of paper' (i.e. emails, blog comments, tweets and direct messages) into a summary and publish a first cut view of who's coming so you can see the information I have from you plus who else is coming to the show. I tweeted a couple of days ago I needed a spreadsheet summary, ideally to publish on here and the lovely Frugilegus came up with the goods by suggesting I try this simple scheduling tool. It's done the job, shame it can't tell me when I don't put something in alphabetical order - so sorry Anna and Dawn :(

If you click on the link at the top of the box below, you'll see a summary of who's coming and when. I've also split each date into two, so you can see who'll be at the show or meal each day. You'll also see most of it's in yellow which means I don't have firm information from you yet. It's also quite possible I've interpreted the information I do have from you incorrectly. Therefore, I need you to have a look at the schedule and confirm what you're doing and when. The most important events to clarify right now are who is coming to each meal. Helen needs to book this for us ASAP, especially as there could be rather a lot of us.

You won't be able to change the information online as I need to know who's responded with an update. I'd love to give you a free hand, but it would make it impossible for me to know who's updated, who hasn't and who's happy with what's on there.

Please email me at Malvernmeet at gmail dot com with the changes needed for you OR confirming your details are correct by 5pm Friday 5th February. I'll be chasing any stragglers after that! I'm be posting this over at Veg Plotting (my first blogging simulcast - imagine!) and tweeting this most important post shortly. I'd appreciate it if all my fellow tweeps could retweet the link, particularly as there's a danger I might have missed someone out (Frugilegus in particular?) who thinks they're coming. Many apologies if I have :(