Forres Flower Show 2020 cancelled
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A TRADITIONAL local event that has been running for 89 years has been cancelled due to coronavirus restrictions.
Forres Flower Show will not go ahead at the town hall on September 10 as planned while the pandemic is ongoing for safety reasons.
Organising committee chairman Bill Shand pointed out that similar events in other north east towns have also been postponed in the hope that they too will be up-and-running again next year.
He said: "There is not a lot of space for movement in the hall when all of the show staging is in place. It is also not suitable for a one-way system. Afterwards, there would be little social distancing as everyone removed their exhibits plus the display vases etc would have to be sanitised beforehand and afterwards. To be safe we would need to drop at least half of the tables for teas. Also, the lesser hall is full when I do the raffle and auction, so again social distancing would be a problem."
He added: "Wearing masks would be difficult for some as the event is a bit like a social club where some folk meet for the first time since the previous year."
Mr Shand asks that all trophy winners call him on 01309 61636 to organise recovering last year's prizes.
He said: "We are not happy having about having to cancel because entrants showing exhibits started growing their plants early in the year, some as far back as December last year.
"During lockdown, a lot of crafts were done which would have been displayed on the show tables too. Unfortunately for this year, more exhibits would mean more people so potentially less distancing."
Mr Shand is grateful to his fellow committee members and everyone involved in Forres Flower Show for their understanding.
He said: "We couldn't win whichever way we went. We wish all our past, present and future exhibitors to well and hope to see them all again at our show and the others in the region next year."
