South Wales Evening Post - 20 March 2006
Gardeners are blooming furious after an annual Swansea flower show was scrapped - for the sake of just £4,000. The event has taken place in the Botanical Gardens every August Bank Holiday Weekend for the past 36 years.
But the council, which helps fund the show, claims it can no longer afford the cost.
Officers said it was a waste of money, insisting nobody was interested in these kind of events any more.But Jim Prosser, chairman of the committee, said today that many people would be disappointed by the news.
He has been involved in the flower show since its inception in 1969.The 74-year-old has been chasing the council for the past six weeks after hearing rumours that the show would be scrapped.
"It is terrible the way that the council has treated us," he added.
"I have written to them twice, but have not heard anything back.
"When it comes to flowers, you have to time these things.
"You can't just turn up on the day. You have to know months beforehand so you can start growing what you need.
"It is a shame that it is being cancelled - there will be a lot of disappointed people.
"It makes you feel so wild when you see the council wasting so much money elsewhere.
"The show only costs them about £4,000 or £5,000. It is a drop in the ocean for them.
"The trouble is you cannot fight the establishment."
But Mr Prosser is determined another flower show will still go ahead in November.
Swansea Chrysanthemum Society will be holding its own event in the city in November - despite a shopping centre in Southport pulling the plug on its local Chrysanthemum Society's show after five years.
A spokesman for Swansea Council said there was not enough interest in the summer flower show to warrant spending any money on it.
"The council has provided a significant amount of funding to the Flower Show over a number of years," he added.
"However, due to its declining popularity and the falling number of entries the council has reluctantly withdrawn funding.
"The council remains committed to supporting a wide range of community events and organisations across the city and county."
