Yorkshire gardeners dig Guernsey

Guernsey’s floral reputation is blossoming in the north, thanks to a top award at this year’s Harrogate Spring Flower Show.

Around 60,000 people visited this year’s show in North Yorkshire, where Guernsey received a Silver Gilt award in the garden design class. The event ran from 22 to 25 April at the Great Yorkshire Showground, in Harrogate.

Mr Tony Dawson, VisitGuernsey’s Marketing Manager Independent Travel, was delighted with the result: ‘We’ve promoted Guernsey at Harrogate several times but have never had a reception like this before. Guernsey was the only destination to exhibit this year and we were bowled over by the sheer weight of interest in the islands.

We were very busy indeed and the event was a tremendous success for Guernsey’. Mr Dawson explained why the show was important for the islands: ‘VisitGuernsey is focussing its marketing effort on areas with existing links to Guernsey. Harrogate is under two hours travelling time from Manchester, which has direct links to the island through Aurigny, so people who learn about Guernsey at the show and like what they see will find it very easy to visit’.

The island’s entry incorporated Naturally Guernsey branding, to promote the Bailiwick to potential visitors. Mr Dawson said that Guernsey had adopted a partnership approach: ‘This was the first year that we invited two major tour operators to join us on the stand.

Both Premier and Preston holidays sent representatives to promote dedicated Bailiwick holiday packages and were really delighted with the level of enquiries over the four days. They did terrific business and said that Harrogate attracts exactly the right market for Guernsey. They said they were busier there than at many of the mainstream holiday shows’. The Spring Flower Show is one of two annual events run by the North of England Horticultural Society, which has been organising horticultural shows in Harrogate since 1923.

Over 70 percent of the show is undercover and on hard standing, making it a popular all-weather event. Organisers said that visitors travelled up to three hours to see this year’s spring show. Guernsey’s floral beauty will be on show again from 25-28 May, at the Chelsea Flower Show, followed by the Hampton Court Palace Flower Show from 5-11 July. Ends For more information contact Tony Dawson, tel, 01481-726611 PHOTOGRAPH: FLOWER POWER – Guernsey received a Silver Gilt Award and attracted plenty of interest at this year’s Harrogate Spring Flower Show. Notes for Editors: 1. The Naturally Guernsey stand measured 36 square metres and was exhibited in the show’s landscape and garden design marquee. 2. For more information on Harrogate’s flower shows visit www.flowershow.org.uk