Shiten Successes Successfully Secures Sponsorship Scoop

They say that “Success breeds Success” and I’m sure that our 2 new exciting Club Sponsors will be hoping that Shiten’s meteoric, and highly surprising, success in 2014 will rub off on these 2 fledgling Bonsai businesses.

Firstly, we are proud to announce that an agreement has been reached between SBS and an up and coming UK ceramic artist, Stone Monkey Ceramics that will see them support each other’s projects and work in collaboration together for an unspecified duration.  Exact contract details at this moment are sketchy but this is seen as an excellent opportunity for SMC to be associated with such an exciting and hunger driven Club.  It was put forward that ALL Shiten trees should be displayed in Stone Monkey pots and maybe this will be looked at again as and when they achieve a high enough standard.*

Secondly, serial second-rate supplier SUTEKI! has agreed to supply all Shiten’s pot (ceramic not organic!) and Accent plantings for Club displays.  Seen by many in the Bonsai world as a highly risky move we at Shiten feel that we are an inclusive Club and keen to nurture home grown, if wayward, talent.  Their work will be closely monitored and SBS hope that under their guidance SUTEKI! will improve to an acceptable standard within the UK although we fully understand they will never make an international contribution to the Bonsai scene as a whole.

(*Although some success has been attained using SMC containers it was agreed that the “sai” transcended the “bon” in all cases)

Successfully Shiten Society Show Steady Swelling

Interest in the SBS seems to be growing within the UK Bonsai Community and so far since the launch we have seen a 50% increase in membership numbers which in this current climate is excellent!  One of our latest recruits is a local lad who’s been pottering around with sticks in pots for a few years and seems like a nice bloke (not too sure about the beard though) and it has been agreed that he can join us for a probationary period.  

I’m not too sure how well he is known outside of the area but I’d like to formally welcome Andy Parsons, Peanut, Pearson (whatever his name is!) to the Shiten Squad and hope that he enjoys the journey that this Society is taking and he knows how to make a good cuppa tea!

Wonderful Wisley weekend with Sutton Society Show

Part of MBS's display

Just got back from another Shiten Society road trip where half of the society, the disabled one, participated on displaying some trees with Maidstone Bonsai Society.

The show organised by Andy Jordan and his crew from Sutton was well presented on one on Britain homes of horticulture, Wisley.  The venue itself was pleasant and no too far for the crippled to hobble to get their caffeine and cake fix, although mortgages were needed to purchase a "free range" sausage, I am told battery sausages can be hazardous to the health!

The quality of trees was excellent and in the main well presented, however it was disappointing to see trees presented by one professional to be less than PC.  I could be wrong but maybe he was trying to show what trees looked like before being prepared for display, i.e. dirty pots, bad wiring, dusty tables and not properly mossed up, there was some moss but that was there by accident rather than by planning!!!  

Dave's lovely Olive

Some flowering trees did behave themselves!

However this lack of preparation by one individual and lack of respect to the rest of the contributors was more than made up by the effort put in by the rest of the societies and individuals at the show.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly!

I had an enjoyable weekend catching up lots of the bonsai community and in some ways it compensated for me missing Swindon, I had an appointment with the surgeons knife on that day.

On the second day I was joined by the other half of Shiten who decided to grace us with his presence so a sense of normality was restored on the journey to and from Wisley where I was able to educate him on the finer points of bonsai display! I have to say the Maidstone display area looked good with a range of mature, well presented trees showing a wide range of species, sizes and styles, well done lads.

Another thing that annoyed me was my Blackthorn, I had thought that at least one flower would have opened during the show but the obstinate thing waited till after the Show closed before it opened, the Show closed at 4pm and when we got back to Lenham at 5pm there it was fully open bl@@&y thing!

Left:- At the end of the Show   Right:- Arrival at Lenham!

Shiten Summer Scroll Secures Scousers Silverware

Seen by some in the UK Bonsai community as self-centred, string-pulling and self-indulgent SOB’s Shiten had a fruitful collaboration between themselves and Wirral Bonsai Clubs to win the Most Artistic Display award at the BSA Show at Willowbog. During a conversation between Jack-o-Storey and the tree owner along with UK Accent Guru Simon “SUTEKI” Haddon we helped the newcomers at the Wirral to understand the finer details on Bonsai display. This resulted in us being involved in another “gong” which was rather flattering. 

After the awards Shiten Bonsai approached the Wirral Chairman and offered to do a talk at their Club in the art of Bonsai Display but we were politely instructed to “jog-on” – “calm down” guys! You may also be interested to note that we are also available for weddings, funerals & barmisfars.

Saturday Shock: Shiten Southern Softies Somehow Secures Surprise Shohin Show Successes!

As probably the smallest Bonsai Society in the Country with only 1 active member (the other one has a bad knee) it came as a real surprise that it scooped any Awards at the UK’s premier Shohin Show let alone 3. Going against our usual Shiten standards seemed to pay off although I’m sure that normal service will be resumed soon! So here they are (in presentation order),

Best Work in Progress

Best Tree and Pot Combination
(pot by Shiten sympathiser Stone Monkey Ceramics) 

Best Mame Display 

No doubt drunk on our success our Society nearly had a James Dean moment, caused by a pheasant disguised as a log, as we hit a patch of mud a skidded sideways along what is laughingly know as a “road” in Northumberland. Not content with doing it once the silly old fart had another go this time without the pheasant – Shiten Society Scared Shitless (in) Suicidal Skid Shock! 

Finally the Chairman would like to congratulate ALL Shiten members on putting together such fantastic displays and hopes that this success will help elevate the Club’s standing in UK Bonsai.

Shiten takes flight at Heathrow Show

Due to circumstances beyond our control the SBS’s roll-out was last weekend at the Heathrow Bonsai Show at Harlington in Middlesex. This is a delightful, relaxed and well attended Show with many different Bonsai Clubs, as well as individuals, exhibiting. As Gerry Anderson had unexpectedly gone up to the Wirral for a refresher course on “Advanced hub-cap robbing” it was left to me in Thunderbird 3 to fly the Shiten flag. Fortunately for me our “Stand by for Action (Man)” (and pilot of Thunderbird 2 with the larger trees and tables) was none other than UK New Talent Contest finalist, Maidstone Bonsai Society Chairman and all round good egg Jose aka Sam. 

Although we didn’t have the guidance of Sensei Storey I think we made a great team with Sam helping with the humping and bumping and leaving me to do the arty-farty stuff – all in all we were more than happy with what we achieved. So here you have it, Shiten is Go! Sorry about some of the photos but the hall was a bit narrow to get a nice panoramic shot. 

Thankfully, this year we were blessed with a sunny, if chilly, day unlike the cold and wet of last year. The organisers of the Show Mark & Ming put on a fantastic event year on year and it is proving to be very popular. They really look after everybody there and should be congratulated on putting together such a great day. Well done both of you (plus all the un-sung volunteers of course!) So if you ever get the chance, pay them a visit, you’ll be very glad that you did!

What’s in a name?

Shiten, (pronounced sch ten) means "branch" of a bank or group of shops, as we are branching off from mainstream clubs we thought this word was appropriate.  Also the anglicised spelling of the word gives any detractors an opportunity to say that we both, and our trees, live up to our name!

Since the “launch” of the SBS there has been some interesting alternative names being bandied about, here’s just a few:-

Secret Bonsai Society
Special Bald Squadron
Stupid Bloody Slackers
Storey Bashes Simon
Secret Bonsai Squirrels
Silly Buggers Society

…………. and the most convoluted,
Simon Haddon's Impeccable Tree ENsemble

Seems like some are having too much fun at our expense but what the hey, you only live once (although the evil one’s tend to live forever!)