Yes it is different from Chelsea although very good, it has not got the same prestige as Chelsea. If you said winner of a Gold Medal at Hampton Court then I would say well done. However as you know when you say winner of a Gold Medal at Chelsea that is entirely different. When I won mine I was proud to say winner of a Gold Medal at Chelsea! It is to me like the difference between driving a Jaguar and a Rolls Royce!
It has not got that awe inspiring feeling of Chelsea, or the expectancy, as you know having been with Pru on many occasions. I know it is a young show and very big, but can it beat the legend that is Chelsea, I doubt it very much.
Hampton Court is fine for the Aston Martin and Range Rover brigade from Surrey, but Chelsea is a plantsman and plantswoman show. Which has the best in the world, and nobody can ever take that away from the most famous flower show in the world. The standards at Chelsea are immense, they lack at Hampton Court!
The Harrogate show is great as it a floral town, and there are many others as well like Tatton park and Southport!
But at the end of the day, Chelsea is where names are made or lost, and celebrities or heroes born.
Regards
Neil.
