Chelsea Flower Show
At the end of May or to be more precise from 24 -28 May 2011 the Royal Hospital in Chelsea will play host to the worlds largest and most celebrated flower shows in the world.
The Chelsea Flower Show will be visited by hundreds of thousands of visitors all with one thing on their mind…………………. flowers!
The Chelsea Flower Show has been a staple of the British social and cultural scene for nearly 150 years. Did you know that;
• In 1862, London’s Royal Horticultural Society held its first Great Spring Show. The show was held in Kensington and featured an array of exotic plant species from around the world. By 1888, it was decided that the show would fare even better if moved to central London. They relocated to the famous Temple Gardens, situated between London’s Fleet Street and the Embankment.
• In 1912, the show was moved to the grounds of the Royal Hospital in Chelsea, which had hosted several successful rose exhibitions. The 1913 show at the Royal Hospital became known as the Chelsea Flower Show, though it is still officially named the Great Spring Show.
• From 1913 through 1916, the fair enjoyed unprecedented success. By 1917, World War I had devastated much of the region, and the fair was cancelled for two years. In the 1920s, London’s royal family began to visit the fair each year, starting a new tradition that continues to this day.
Even if you are not a keen gardener it is worth going along, purely to see the sheer spectacle of flowers and plants; For me, it is truly magical, so my advice is arrive early. The show opens daily at 8 am.
This weekend I read in one of my Sunday Magazines that in the last sixty years the Queen has only missed one year of the show, this must demonstrate how amazing and breath taking it is.
Finally, wear flat shoes, I know it is not stylish; but wearing the latest pair of Christian Louboutin however dazzling they might be, will be ridiculously impractical for this kind of show. Keep your heels for Ascot.
Enjoy the blooms!
Kay Shelford
Director of Sales
The Rembrandt Hotel
