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Welcome to the Southampton & District Branch of the British Cactus and Succulent Society

Contents


November 2024 Meeting

There are not expected to be any fireworks at our next meeting, to be held on Tuesday 5th November. Titled Cactus & Succulent Gardens in the Canaries, David Neville will be showing us a selection of the impressive, mature plants that can easily be admired in some of the Cactus and Succulent gardens that can be enjoyed whilst on your holidays in the Canary Islands. Outdoor plantings give the plants optimum conditions in which to flourish and grow, often at an astonishing rate, and the climate on the islands gives them the opportunity to grow almost all year round. In the UK we rarely see any large growing species enjoying free root run conditions, so maybe we forget just how large some of our favourite plants can grow when they are given a chance!

The hall should be open for set up from soon after 7pm, and the meeting will formally start at 7.45pm.


Monthly Meetings

The Southampton and District branch holds regular meetings on the first Tuesday of each month, at Saint James' Church Hall, Church Hill (A27), West End (SO30 3LA). The Hall is located on the A27, about one mile west of junction 7 of the M27. Access to the hall car park is from Hatherell Close - if this car park is full, you can also go round the corner and use the main church car park which can be entered from West End Road. There is no charge for attending meetings and visitors are just as welcome as members. In addition, the Branch takes part in shows and displays at other venues throughout the year.

Each monthly meeting starts at 7:30pm and finishes at 10:00pm, with a break for refreshments. The meetings generally consist of a speaker and slide show, or a practical demonstration or talk. A good selection of plants are available for purchase, and there is also an extensive library of books which can be borrowed on a monthly basis. There is also a table show, where members bring along plants from a nominated category or genus.


Newsletters

Each month, the branch publishes a newsletter. These contain summaries of the talks given at meetings and also provide additional information about forthcoming events. You can download these newsletters (in PDF format) here

50th Anniversary

2004 was a very special year for the Branch since it marked our 50th Anniversary. We held a special birthday convention to celebrate this occasion. If you are interested in the history of the branch, click here.

Library

The branch holds an extensive collection of books which can be borrowed by members. Click here for details of the branch library and for a list of the titles available.

Badge

The branch has available an enamel badge which allows members to show their affiliation to the branch. Click here for further details.

Additional Information & Links

Click here for some general information on the cultivation of cacti and succulents. It's also fun to try and raise plants from seed.
Click here for links to other Internet websites containing useful information on cacti and succulents.

Photo Galleries

Photos of plants, of some of the events we took part in during recent years, and of the 2004 National Show (which featured some of the best plants in the country).
Gallery 1   Gallery 2  
Events 1   Events 2   Events 3
2004 BCSS National Show   1  2  3  4  5  6  7
2005   2006   2007
2016 BCSS National Show   1  2  3  4  5  6 
ELK Conferences   ELK 2012  ELK 2013

2024/2025 Programme

Date Subject/Speaker Table Show
2nd Jan Members' Evening - A Selection of Short Talks by Branch Members none
6th Feb Brazil Part 1 - the State of Rio Grande de Sul (Cliff Thompson) TBD
5th Mar The Great Outdoors - Gardening with Cacti and Succulents (Paul Spracklin) TBD
2nd Apr American Shows, Nurseries & Collections (Stuart Riley) TBD
7th May Annual Cultivation & Propagation Evening - presentations & discussions TBD
4th Jun South Africa re-visited (Richard White) TBD
2nd July Defeating Drought - A Tour of the South African Veld (Derek Tribble) TBD
6th Aug Cacti of the Big Bend, Texas (Hazel Taylor) TBD
3rd Sep Plant Focus Evening - Thelocactus/Ferocactus and Haworthia TBD
1st Oct Recommended Cactus & Succulent Resources on the Internet (Vinay Shah) TBD
5th Nov Cactus & Succulent Gardens in the Canaries (David Neville) TBD
3rd Dec Annual General Meeting, followed by Christmas Social none
2025
7th Jan Members' Evening - Short Talks by Branch Members none
4th Feb Brazil Part 2 - Minas Gerais (Cliff Thompson) TBD
4th Mar To be confirmed TBD
1st Apr To be confirmed TBD
6th May Cultivation & Propagation Evening TBD
3rd Jun Title to be confirmed (Ian Woolnough) TBD
1st Jul Small Opuntias in Habitat and Culture (Mike Partridge) TBD
5th Aug Plant Focus Evening. Cactus - Astrophytum, Lophophora, Turbinicarpus. Succulent - Aeonium, Aichryson, Greenovia TBD



Contact Details

To obtain further information or for correspondence, please contact:
 
Secretary:
David Neville, 
Tel: 023 8055 1173
Mob: 07974 191354
Email: davnev at btopenworld.com
(replace "at" with @ when emailing)
Website:
Vinay Shah, 
Tel: 023 80261989 
Email: info at southampton.bcss.org.uk
(replace "at" with @ when emailing)

British Cactus and Succulent Society Calendar of Events.