Tatton Park Flower Show

Stephen Bennett was quoted as saying, "We have long known that Scotland has enormous potential for a show of international standing, and response to the concept has been overwhelming."

It was publicised with a special issue of The Garden devoted to Scottish themes, and the first year was seen as a great success, with 260 exhibitors and 47,000 visitors.

Scottish horticulturists hurriedly formed a consortium to stage a replacement show, and the Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society became involved in its organisation.

The 2011 introduced a "Ladies Day" which encouraged women to dress stylishly and socialise at a fashion show and dinner from Fortnum & Mason.

The plots, each a standard 6×4 ft bed so that the local authorities competed on equal terms despite any differences in their size and wealth, were laid out on either side of a principal avenue: there were six competitors in the first year, 12 in the second, rising to 24 in 2003, by which time the competition was having a decided effect on the media coverage of municipal bedding.