BCSS December 2022 Zoom talks

Our Zoom talks normally take place twice a month on the first and third Tuesday with BCSS members and friends all equally welcome. 

Please contact the talks team at bcss.talk@gmail.com if you have any suggestions or ideas for talks or speakers, or indeed would like to give a presentation yourself.

Topic: Graham Charles - Columnar Cacti of Peru

Time: Tuesday 6 December 2022 at 7:30pm (GMT)
Meeting ID: 861 6557 0597
Passcode: bcss
Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86165570597?pwd=eHA2UStJZTBsOWYrR2RyQzRBMFhoZz09

Graham Charles, the BCSS President, joined the then National Cactus and Succulent Society 60 years ago at the age of 12 and he has enthusiastically pursued the hobby ever since. He is especially interested in the study of South American cacti. During his 10 visits to Peru, matucanas became a particular interest and, with his travelling companions, a number of new species were found and described.

The Peruvian cactus flora includes 21 genera which may be considered as columnar, from the tiny Pygmaeocereus to the huge Armatocereus and Neoraimondia. Although there are many that are rarely cultivated, there are some which make very welcome additions to our collections. Hairy espostoas, golden-spined Haageocereus and dwarf Pygmaeocereus can often be found in glasshouses. Graham will show you spectacular plants in their dramatic habitats amongst mountainous landscapes and wild rivers. Travelling in Peru is certainly an adventure, and you never know what you will find if you venture off the main roads.

Topic: Anne Swithinbank - A Desert Plant Dilettante

Time: Tuesday 20 December 2022 at 7.30pm (GMT)
Meeting ID: 873 8017 3785
Passcode: bcss
Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87380173785?pwd=QXRrek02WDJUc2duRWxDRDA5cVBpdz09

Anne Swithinbank has been a freelance gardening writer and broadcaster since 1986 and is one of the patrons of the BCSS. For as long as she can remember, she has enjoyed a fascination for plants and the natural world and began to collect succulents and other windowsill plants at an early age. This early plant obsession survived her teenage years and, aged 19, she left home to study at Kew Gardens. After Kew, she was foreman propagator for Epsom and Ewell Parks and then Glasshouse Supervisor at RHS Wisley. To help her produce answers in her role as panellist on BBC Radio 4’s Gardeners’ Question Time, Anne grows a wide range of plants. Cacti and succulents must compete for her time but will always have a place close to her heart.

Although now viewed in a potentially negative light, the word dilettante once meant ‘devoted amateur’ and compared to many BCSS members Anne would prefer to describe herself thus. In the talk, she will ponder the meaning of the word succulent, reveal which ones have made it into her plant collection, how they manage to survive despite attention often being diverted elsewhere, and how they help with answering questions on one of the world’s longest-running radio programmes.

And then there was light!
Text and photos by Ðoan Tran

As an amateur grower, I have learned the hard way what low light intensity can do to my ‘children’: it causes them to stretch, shrink, rot and maybe die. Of course, there are often other imperfect conditions that contribute to their premature demise. Anyhow, for the past few weeks, I have been focusing on light, better light - the best light! Reading about lux, lumen, PPF and PAR makes my head spin. I think I understand it until I put away the reading material. I then instantly forget what I had just been reading.

Experimenting is best for me. Just put a bulb above the plants and see if they like it. So far, I have managed to get a few Conophytum and Lithops to bloom (but maybe they would have done that without my help). Nevertheless, what a joy it was to see my very first flowers. I even tried pollinating them, like Terry Smale used to do, with the follicle end of a hair (mine). Somehow my hair is not man enough for the job. Or my eyesight is not good enough. I didn’t manage to get the pollen transferred between the flowers. Need to find a cat, or better still, improvements to my eyes.

For the setup installed in the house (see below), the artificial lights were on only during daylight hours. But for the sowing that I plan to do at the end of December, they will be nurtured under 12 hours of lighting daily. But now I have also installed the lights in my outside Mini Wall Greenhouse (see below) that I described in eNews, August 2022.

Somehow the plants look happier. It’s probably silly to think like that but I’m sure the extra light won’t harm them. This urge to ‘brighten up’ the plants is becoming an obsession with me.

Then there is the matter of energy costs. Luckily our rate per kWh is still very low and, in addition, I am using LED lights. So, until February 2025 when our current contract ends, I don’t have to defend the extra costs to my better half (he did some frowning though). And I am wondering what the neighbours think while walking their dogs past the house. Thank goodness I am using just white lights and not those party purple-blue ones.

Next year all will be better and easier (I hope). I am thinking of buying a greenhouse. That would give them the best natural light they can get in this eastern part of the Netherlands. If that is not enough, I can still help them with the artificial lights. And if THAT is not enough, maybe I should think about taking up knitting…

How I became an Aeonium Addict
Text and photos by Sheri Zhang (BCSS Cambridge Branch)

My love of succulents, especially aeoniums, started with a half-priced pot of Aeonium 'Velour' that I bought in September of 2019. I knew it was an Aeonium but that was the full extent of my knowledge. To my dismay, I discovered that it was crawling with masses of small, grey insects. I learned later that these were mealy bugs. Instinctively, I knew that I must get rid of them, so I simply used the garden hose to flush them away. This treatment disposed of most of them and I used cotton buds dipped in rubbing alcohol to nail the remainder. They never came back.

Initially, I kept the Velour inside the house, but it didn't grow at all. After a few months, I decided that maybe I should try leaf propagation because the top side of the Velour was somewhat crowded. I had some leaf propagation experience but, unfortunately, Google told me that Aeonium doesn’t propagate easily from leaves: it’s much easier to take cuttings. So, I cut a few in winter, and one of them rooted successfully. I was thrilled and became more interested.

Aeoniums grow fast, and after just a few months, the cutting started branching. By June 2020, it looked amazing, and a few friends started making really good comments about my Velours. I repotted the original Velour and it started growing. So maybe it was just lacking nutrition. With this useful experience under my belt, I started more cuttings and eventually gave them to my friends who then became interested.

One day, I saw a pot of Zwartkop; it was like a little tree with just one strong stem and one lovely rosette. Without hesitation, I bought it. And it just surprised me constantly. It became taller and larger, every day!

By the summer of 2021, I already had a few amazing-looking aeoniums, this made me want to have more of them. Also, I like big ones and aeoniums can be huge. So, I bought 16 random varieties of unrooted cuttings and most of them are now doing well.

My trip to St Michael’s Mount in Cornwall, and its beautiful collection of succulents, confirmed my love of aeoniums. I dreamt that one day I would have my own garden of aeoniums. In the meantime, I took advantage of my visit to Cornwall and stopped by at Surreal Succulents where I acquired an Aeonium 'Medusa' to expand my collection.

In Feb 2022 I moved to my new house. During the move, I discovered that my Zwartkop had become rotten in the middle of the stem, which was sad. I cut it into two and removed all the rotten parts. Fortunately, it survived and thrived. Now I have a few Zwartkops! The same scheme didn’t end well for my original Velour pot. My dog knocked it over a few times, and each time branches snapped off. In the end, it lost all the rosettes and died…

In April 2022, I built a modest succulent bed in our brand-new garden. After a few months, I was overjoyed to see many of them grow into large specimens.

My birthday came in September and I surprised myself with a present of a few more rooted aeoniums such as Kiwi. And this time I bought a few more echeverias, which made an intriguing addition to my Succulent Garden.

Although my experience with aeoniums is limited, I realise that they are easy to grow. I put them outdoors after Easter and bring them back indoors before the first frost. When they’re outside, I don’t water them most of the time. When inside, I just check the leaf status: if they are soft, I water them. 

They are such beautiful plants that I am sure I will add more to my collection.

BCSS YouTube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/@BritishCactusandSucculentSoc

The BCSS YouTube channel now has a full set of videos of the Classes at the National Show. There are probably a few plants missing as some footage had to be taken before all the exhibits were on display. However, these will shortly be joined by slideshows of each Class, showing the winners and all of the entries. Many thanks to all those who helped with the identification of those plants that were separated from their name tags.

The other recent addition to the BCSS YouTube Channel is a slightly edited version of the Zoom talk that I gave at the beginning of September. This covered my growing experiences over the years.

I hope that you are enjoying the content and I look forward to receiving your contributions. If you have any questions or require further guidance on your video then please do get in touch.

David Ilett
YouTube@BCSS.org.uk

Mycorrhizal fungi
By Peter Berresford

I am always struck by the healthy appearance of cacti that are growing on porches in the southern States of the US (see below). It struck me that this was probably a feature of these plants, having been ‘rescued’ from habitat along with the substrate in which they were growing. But was there possibly something else at work here?

In 2022, I visited a location for black lace cactus (Echinocereus fitchii subsp. albertii) on a private ranch in McMullen County, Texas. Two or three years previously, Chris Best, State botanist for the US Fish & Wildlife Service, collected seed from the black lace on this same ranch. He propagated these seedlings at home and brought the results back to the ranch to be repatriated to their native soil. He was of the belief that the use of local soil was important in ensuring the health of seedling growth. He also believed that mycorrhizal fungi, present in the soil, may have a significant impact on the healthy development of seedling roots. His regime even extended to including native grasses alongside the seedlings in the 7cm pots. The results speak for themselves (see below).

This got me thinking that, in the potting-on process within my own greenhouse, there may be a benefit in adding powdered commercial mycorrhizal fungi to my potting mix. So, the fungi were added and thoroughly mixed into the potting substrate in the recommended strength, not ‘dabbed’ onto roots like hormone-rooting powder. I started to implement this plan at the beginning of 2022 and will report back if I see any beneficial effects.

Caring for Cacti and Other Succulents

This is the first in a series of articles covering the basics of caring for cacti and other succulents. The articles reflect the personal experience and views of the author, developed over years of growing many types of succulents. The newcomer to this hobby should benefit.

Watering

Text and photos by Elizabeth Maddox

Most succulents grown in the UK go dormant in winter due to low light levels and cold weather. As a result, regular watering is no longer needed. Those succulents in a cool or cold greenhouse will not need watering unless they are winter growers (that’s another subject, not discussed here). Those growing indoors, where it is warmer, need the occasional light spray just to prevent desiccation. Mostly, they shut down to wait for warmer and brighter times. They can adapt to their conditions, as long as the undesirable conditions don’t last too long. Many cacti will survive for two years without water. However, most non-cactaceous succulents need more water than that and can survive for only a year at most.

Water is a necessary requirement, but it must be applied at the right time and in the right quantity. At the beginning of the growing season, usually around April, regular watering is resumed after a winter of abstinence. In order to awaken the plants from their winter slumber, they need a good soak followed by a period of drying out. Don’t re-water until the plant is quite dry. Some use a soil tester. I use the plant label by taking it out of the soil and inspecting it. Dry all the way down? Water! Still damp? Leave for a few more days. A significantly larger amount of damage is done by overwatering than by underwatering.

Once spring has arrived and the days are longer and warmer, the plants will all start to show signs of growth. When the fear of hard frosts has gone, they can be cautiously watered, then again a couple of weeks later. Soon they will be in full growth and I find that when that happens and it is warm, dry and sunny, they can take up amazing amounts of water. In the greenhouse, where I keep most of them, watering becomes a large chore for several weeks, as they take up so much of it. As soon as I can put some of them outdoors – mainly the succulents and the larger, stronger cacti – it becomes easier, as the UK weather invariably supplies plenty of rain.

After the plants have flowered, they generally need less water, so by July things relax somewhat. Then in late September, I cut back severely on water so that by mid-October I have stopped watering all but the winter growers. It is very tempting to continue watering if it is still warm and sunny in October. Unfortunately, it is the worst thing you can do, as the frosts can catch you out and then: goodbye plant! If your plants are on a sunny windowsill overwinter, they will still go dormant as the light levels decrease so drastically in our winters. You may need to spray lightly to stop them from drying out too much but don’t soak them, as in a warm room this would encourage them to continue growing. With reduced light, they will grow leggy, pale and weak.

I use rainwater, which I collect in water butts, and which drains down from the roof of my greenhouse. You can also collect water from a rainwater drainage pipe, using easily obtainable equipment from a nursery or garden centre. In summer the water butts drain frighteningly fast at times and once empty I usually fill all my watering cans with tap water and leave them to stand in the sun for a few hours or overnight. This allows the chlorine to evaporate, making the water more suitable for use. Those who live in chalky areas or have more alkaline water can add vinegar to increase the acidity of the water. The amount of vinegar is small but the use of litmus paper (available from garden centres or online stores) will enable you to determine the correct amount for your location. Usually, a mixture of between 2 and 10 tablespoons of distilled vinegar per 10 gallons of tap water will produce a neutral pH of 7 but do use litmus paper to determine the correct amount.

Coming up in your December issue of CactusWorld

The December issue, which should arrive just after the 12th of the month, contains a veritable buffet of articles. As befits the end-of-year issue, many of these will be easy reading and anecdotal, rather than dry and serious – after all, once your seed order has been posted there is the busyness of the season what with Christmas shopping, visiting family and friends and the big day itself – so something light to read over the hols is just ideal.

But even with so-called light reading, snooping around someone’s greenhouse or hearing about how they took huge plants to the National Show, or even how they got into the hobby in the first place – can all provide us with useful hints and tips on how we can improve upon our own growing techniques. We are never too old to learn. And speaking of age, many of our authors in this issue are younger people.

So, with 16 articles, plus a dose of CactusTalk and a look at some new literature, we have articles on Quaqua, Dudleya and Orbea for those more excited about non-cactaceous succulents. We look at Turbinicarpus in depth for the spiny fanatics, astrophytums to grow and enjoy, and Melocactus myths. But even more than this, we have articles for newcomers to the hobby, one that explains how plant names work and what they mean, and of course, most articles have a section on cultivation hints and tips that are specific to that particular genus or species. We briefly review the successful National Show with the promise of a longer feature in the March 2023 issue that will showcase many of the best plants exhibited. And, as already mentioned above, we find out how the ‘Beast’ made it to the National and what happened to ‘him’ afterwards!

In My Greenhouse features a grower from Ireland this time, and indeed, another Irishwoman tells us about what inspired her to get into succulents and her journey so far.

As expected, the annual seed list will accompany the journal, together with the Cultivation inserts, and the all-important Membership renewal form. I urge you all to renew promptly, and by Direct Debit as suggested, in order to claim your discount.

BCSS SHOWS COMMITTEE NEWS
National Show Best Cactus and Gold Medal winner

We continue our series of articles looking back at the National Show 2022, focusing on some of the exceptional plants. As we had two other succulents last month, this time we have two cacti, starting with the Best Cactus in the show, Ariocarpus fissuratus, grown and exhibited by Tina Wardhaugh.

Ariocarpus fissuratus – winner of Class 1, a BCSS National Diploma and Gold Medal for Best Cactus in the show.

Ian Robinson, Secretary of the Gold Medal Panel has provided the following comments from the Panel.

“There were two very good Ariocarpus fissuratus plants that came into consideration for higher awards. The winner of class 61 was a worthy three-headed specimen that achieved an Award of Merit. On consideration, the plant in the Ariocarpus class (Class 1) had no defects and despite its considerable age, was in perfect condition all the way down to its base. A clear winner, ahead of the winners of the four Gold Medals for cacti.”

Tina has given us an insight into how she has cultivated this fine plant:

“This plant came to me in the summer of 2013. It was very well travelled, having originally been grown in Japan. It was then sent to the Continent and eventually came to me as a gift. It had lost most of its roots during this time or had them cut off and it was a bit desiccated. It spent nearly two years not really waking up or doing much. I was too scared to water it other than an odd spray. Eventually, I dunked the root in water and repotted it in pumice with added mycorrhizal fungi. After a few months, I could see it plumping up a little and could start light watering. By the next growing season, it was treated as normal with the rest of the cacti. It is now in a 24cm pot and grows steadily. I do give generous soakings in the summer, and they can take up a lot more water than we think. I don’t feed that often but I find they do appreciate a repot with fresh soil every few years, even if it’s back in the same size pot."

And now a Gold Medal winning Copiapoa solaris, exhibited by Simon Snowden.

Copiapoa solaris Winner of Class 9 and a Gold Medal
Ian has provided the following comments from the Panel on this plant: “Copiapoa solaris was previously known as Pilocopiapoa solaris. A  member of the Panel said that this was the best specimen of this species that he had ever seen in cultivation. It is an exceptionally slow-growing plant, which cannot hide imperfections. It is also prone to dropping one of its heads at times. The plant on display had eight perfect heads with no sign of any 'missing' ones. Undoubtedly a worthy recipient of one of the four Gold Medals for cacti. A credit to its owner.”

Simon has provided the following comments on his achievement. He was surprised by the success of his plant and says:

“I grow the plant in nothing more glamorous than 50% grit and 50% John Innes No.2. But I do water with a half-strength balanced fertiliser regularly throughout the growing season.  The plant is extremely slow, with the smallest new head taking around three years to attain the dimensions of a 5-pence piece.  I try to provide as much light as possible but have never flowered the plant.  I'm a big believer in creating air movement within my greenhouse and additionally run a fan 24/7 which helps to prevent scorch in summer.  I have around a dozen Copiapoa solaris plants all with varying spine densities and colours, but this one, with gingery spines against a lime-green body, is definitely my favourite.”

Showing and Judging Weekend 19 & 20 August 2023

Inspired by these stories about our best National Show plants? Then you may be interested in coming to our Showing and Judging weekend where we talk about what to look for in the best plants and how to show them to their best advantage on the showbench. Please let Bill Darbon know at william.darbon77@btinternet.com if you would like to come to our Showing and Judging weekend next year.

Nominations for Shows Committee – don’t forget that nominations for Shows Committee to be put forward at the 2023 AGM need to be submitted to the BCSS Secretary at secretary@bcss.org.uk by 7 January 2023. If you would like to know more about what is involved, please contact the Shows Secretary at hazeltaylorcs@outlook.com

Hazel Taylor
BCSS Shows Committee

Prickly prospects
for cacti under climate change
Michiel Pillet (mdpillet@gmail.com) Photos by the author

Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA.
International Union for Conservation of Nature, Species Survival Commission, Cactus and Succulent Plants Specialist Group, Cambridge, UK.
Prickly Prospects Cactus Nursery, Tucson, AZ, USA.

To say that the membership of cactus and succulent societies is diverse would be an understatement. Members may be interested in a single genus, a single family, any succulent plant, or the communities in which these plants naturally occur. Likely, the only interest that all members share is the conservation of these plants. While I am broadly fascinated by succulents, cacti have always held a special place in my life. I first started growing cacti as a teenager in Belgium, just after the turn of the century. Almost twenty years later, I live in Arizona in the United States where I operate a conservation succulent nursery, Prickly Prospects. I am simultaneously finishing up my doctoral degree at the University of Arizona studying cactus conservation ecology and am a member of the IUCN Species Survival Commission Cactus and Succulent Plants Specialist Group.

To many Europeans, 'threats to cacti' is synonymous with horticultural pests. Mealy bugs, spider mites and various fungi threaten our favourite plants daily. Across the ocean, however, natural populations of cacti are severely impacted by habitat destruction, development, and poaching. Many are familiar with the near extinction of Kroenleinia (Echinocactus) grusonii resulting from the construction of the Zimapán Dam in Mexico or the rapid decline of Aztekium species, following their discovery, due to unscrupulous collectors.

Other threats are more subtle. All organisms are in some way adapted to their natural environment. This includes their pollinators, seed dispersers, herbivores, as well as the climate they experience. Their environment determines how well they do, as captured by survival, growth, and ultimately, reproduction. Contemporary climate change, operating much faster than climate change before the advent of modern humans, changes the conditions to which species are adapted. When climate changes too rapidly for species to adapt, natural populations may experience poor growth as well as reduced survival and reproduction. If you were to ask people on the street how cacti will fare under climate change, most will likely say that as cacti live in the desert, they will prosper in hotter and drier weather.

Will cacti tolerate climate change? This is the question my collaborators and I sought to answer. While it is fairly straightforward to ascribe the death of a plant to factors such as herbivory or fire, the impact of climate change is much more difficult to assess. One can observe populations over the years and see if they are increasing or declining in size, but this is logistically impossible for the well over a thousand cactus species out there. Furthermore, if our goal is to conserve these species, there is no time to waste. Instead, we used a technique called species distribution modeling (SDM). The basic principle of SDM is simple to understand. Why are there no saguaros in Alaska? Because it’s too cold. Why are there no Ariocarpus in the Amazon? Too wet. SDM uses statistics to pose and answer these questions. It combines existing data on where species are and climate conditions in those areas to build a model that describes the environment a species needs to persist. This model can then be used to make projections across time. Given forecasts of climate change, can species survive in the areas in which they currently occur?

The results, published in April 2022 in the journal Nature Plants, were sobering. For the 408 species for which we had enough data to build models, 60% are predicted to be unable to tolerate the climate within their range by the middle of the century. Over a quarter are projected to decline in over 25% of their distribution. Different climate change scenarios had very little impact on these numbers. Epiphytic cacti, which make up a surprising proportion of the cactus family, performed the worst. Species such as the Brazilian Uebelmannia pectinifera, already endangered, are predicted to decline by nearly 75%. Forecasts are most pessimistic in hot spots, areas where many cacti currently occur together, such as parts of Mexico and Brazil. While some plant and animal species can disperse or move to keep up with suitable climatic conditions, this is unlikely to be the case for most cacti, which often take many years to reach sexual maturity.

What can we do? Unfortunately very little. At the rate humanity is going, climate change is here to stay. Some species will go extinct in the wild, regardless of our best efforts at reducing impacts from development, habitat destruction, and poaching. As such, the importance of ex-situ conservation in botanical gardens will only increase. However, the wealth of knowledge amongst horticulturalists and the value of cultivated plants should not be dismissed. There are many more cacti being grown by enthusiasts than exist in botanical gardens, whose resources are often limited. Mammillaria scheinvariana, which is likely extinct in the wild, persists in large numbers in private collections.

National and international legislation to protect natural resources, while well-intentioned, has made ex-situ conservation and research increasingly difficult. The complexity and cost of legal and ethical international trade now endanger the future of cacti. To best protect these plants, a paradigm shift is needed. A core tenet of successful conservation practice is that all stakeholders should be considered, including native peoples, governments, conservation organizations, and also commercial enterprises and private collectors. This is the interest we all share: safeguarding the future of our prickly friends.

Christmas cactus

As we are now in the Christmas season, it's time for a lot of Schlumbergera (AKA Christmas cactus) to flower. So to celebrate, here is a selection of flowers for your enjoyment.
The first group is by Jane O'Brien
The second group is by Matthew Ayres
The third group is by Peter Berresford

From the Chairman

…and before you know it, it’s Christmas again. Comes around more quickly every year, doesn’t it? 2022 has been a great year for the BCSS as we finally returned to seeing each other again after a difficult two years. I think we can all agree that the National Show in September was spectacular and a particular highlight of 2022. For me, very little beats seeing plants up close with the growers nearby to ask questions. However, such opportunities to interact with experts are not only every four (six!) years: consider visiting your local BCSS Branch (if you don’t already). It’s brimming over with experts eager to share their knowledge.

Across the Society, volunteers have been working hard to deliver events, publications and content, and I’d like to thank every one of them with the greatest gratitude – the BCSS would be nothing without such fantastic members.

With a particularly testing winter ahead, I hope all growers will have no difficulty in accommodating their plants through the inevitable cold spells. Do remember to tell your spouse/parents/housemates that Christmas is the season of goodwill - preferably before you move all your plants into the living room and set the heating to ‘frost free.’ The impact of rising energy costs will most likely affect what new and established growers alike choose to grow; my Melocactus collection will just have to wait!

Finally, as we head into the festive period, I’d like to wish all growers a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year – may 2023 be a great growing year.

Season’s greetings,
Greg Bulmer,
BCSS Chairman

Branch Secretaries and
Other Event Organisers

Please send details of all shows, displays, conventions and other special events for inclusion in the BCSS Calendar of Events 2023 to  bcss@limax.co.uk by 20 January 2023 at the latest.

Please send details even if they have already been submitted online, as event details must be complete and accurate.

Please include:  
-  the nature of the event  
-  the Branch or Zone holding the event  
-  the date(s) with start and end times  
-  the venue with full address and postcode  
-  any other relevant details

Thank you

John Foster

BCSS Branch Meetings for December 2022

A list of BCSS Branch meetings for December 2022 can be accessed by clicking on the following link: https://society.bcss.org.uk/index.php/hidden/branches-a-k.html

It is hoped that readers will consider visiting their local Branch (if you do not already do so). They need your support NOW more than ever before. Most Branches charge a small admission fee (usually between £2 and £4) to cover the cost of hiring the venue and speaker’s expenses. A few Branches still run Zoom meetings for part of the winter and a couple offer a combination of face-to-face and Zoom.

The information here has been collated from the Branch websites. To the best of our knowledge this information is correct. Occasionally meeting times do change, so if you are visiting for the first time it is better to check with the Branch first. Each Branch has its own dedicated website and more information can be found by clicking on the Branch name in the abovementioned list.

After successful trials we are starting to update Branch websites to run using Wordpress and will be sending details out to branches shortly.

All meetings are open to any member of the BCSS and they are also open to visitors who are not members of the BCSS. For more details please visit the relevant Branch website via the above link. 

Is this your personal copy of BCSS eNews?

If not, you can subscribe (for free) at  https://www.society.bcss.org.uk/index.php/newsletter.html
It's free and available to all BCSS Members and friends.