I have been growing orchids, mostly species, for 47 years in the top, left hand corner of Wales. I currently have two wooden greenhouses, being replacements for one steel, one aluminium and several wooden ones that have been destroyed over the years by the gales that come from the sea at the bottom of the garden. Salt corrosion is also a problem on heaters, fans, etc. Nothing, except for the orchids, lasts very long here! If there is a sea mist on a warm day I open all the windows and vents and they love it.

Some of the very first batch of orchids I bought are still growing well - lycaste cruenta, laelia anceps and coelogyne christata. In the intermediate house are the lycastes, dendrochilums, mediocalcars, a couple of cattleyas, a bulbophyllum and some other interesting species. In the other house, which I keep cooler in the winter, are about a dozen varieties of laelia anceps, a few dendrobiums - mostly species - and some zygo hybrids. I like plants to be well spaced out with no leaves touching.

I have been selling a lot of my orchids at society auctions over the last two years as plants grow bigger and heavier and I grow older and more feeble. I belong to North of England OS and Cheshire and North Wales OS as well as OSGB. To my shame, I have only attended one Napier Hall meeting as they rarely seem to coincide with my occasional visits to London. I do enjoy, though, meeting up with the members I know at shows, symposia and congresses.