Nicky & Keith have been long time supporters of the South East section and made our guests welcome with a buffet lunch served with hot and cold drinks. But probably more importantly gave our visitors a chance to stretch their legs and see the type of koi favoured by members of the section.
The Phipps' property extends over several acres and contains two natural ponds each of several thousand gallons set in secluded woodlands, something that is not apparent when arriving at their front door.
Despite the temperature, the vistors spent a lot of the time viewing the fish in the sweltering heat of the fish house. For many this was their first sight of an English Koi Dealer and many commented on the high quality of fish on display.
For others, already familiar with the Phipps' reputation this was the chance to renew their acquaintance. For the Phipps' this was a day of rest before benching the fish at the show and setting up their stand.
The next stop was at the home of the Bunyans, Jackie & Graham, past winners of many trophies at our open shows and owners of some of the best fish in the section. Their pond of 7,200 gallons had featured in the NVN's magazine some three years ago and had been requested by them in advance. This pond was featured in Koi Carp magazine in September 2001. The crowds around the pond made photography impossible.
Then it was off to their hotel for a meal before resuming the tour the following day.
Saturday commenced with a visit to Show Chairman Terry Wells pond that also featured in Koi Carp Magazine (Oct 2001) where the NVN were allowed uninhibited access to Terry & Lynne's back garden on account of them being at the showground. Overnight the NVN group had been joined by a Belgian contingent consisting of BKKS judge Louis van Reusel, his wife Jose and their friends and long time visitors to English koi shows, Edith and Oscar.
Unbeknown to us we were looking at the future 2003 SE Grand Champion.
The next pond was that of our Vice Chairman Chris Ball which involved a long trek across the south of London that tested the driving skills of the coach driver, as well as the map reading skills of their guide. By the time we reached Chris's the Dutch were in the mood for some serious interrogation and Chris was kept talking for the duration of the visit and he enjoyed every minute of it, even though it delayed him catching and bagging his fish to take to the show. The crowd around the pond kept people from taking too many photographs but at Chris's there is always the garden and the bonsais to appreciate.
Lunch loomed and I'd promised them a real English pub lunch and threatened them (repeatedly) with warm beer to wash it down with. Our chosen venue was the Greyhound near Keston and the pub did us proud. I noticed that not too many of our guests tried the English beer choosing to stick to lager and soft drinks. I later found out that they had brought vast quantities of Dutch beer with them which they consumed on the coach.
Our next stop was at the home of our medical officer Alan Cooke and wife Margaret. Alan's pond had recently featured in Koi Ponds & Gardens, a copy of which I had provided for reading on the coach. Alan's high tec quarantine and treatment facility got a thorough scrutiny, so too did his collection of koi badges. Alan's pond was missing a lot of his fish as they were now at the show. Alan, although a long standing member of the club was showing his fish for the first time.
Our next stop was the Koi Water Barn where surprisingly they had probably the smallest number of fish in stock for a long time. However, this was only by the 'Barns' standard and there were enough fish of all sizes and varieties to keep our visitors happy. Especially the 1.3 metre Ki-matsuba.
Our final pond visit was to Janet & Peter Mitchell who happen to live in the same town as the showground. Their garden has been designed on a Japanese theme which of course includes a pond into which they have put some koi. They joined the section last year wishing to learn more about koi. In return our section members have learned a lot more about bonsai. As a result of the Mitchell's joining the club we now have a Bonsai display at the show which proved a popular attaction with our visitors.
Our final destination was the showground where another English treat, fish and chips awaited our guests. Thanks to some sterling work by the show committee and their helpers the show preparations were complete and everybody was relaxed and ready to enjoy a social evening with their visitors. Some thoughtful foresight by the Show Chairman had seen to it that our bar licence had been extended to include this get together.
The sun going down over the showground, caught on film by Guus Roijen brought the tour to an end. On Sunday the Dutch arrived at the showground early and spent the majority of the day at the show before returning home.
Before departing on the following day the Dutch Voorzitter (Chairman) told me that next year there would be two coach loads to contend with. I hope so.
Tot zeins.
