What will we be covering
Who set up the Society
What happened after World War 2
The Society grows
Publications
The committee and its make up
Website
A group of enthusiasts in the lake district
set up the Society in 1891 It was
originally called the
Northern British Pteridological Society
This
picture
was
taken the
next year
in1892
1892 it changed to The
British Pteridological Society
The name changed
as SOME of the most
prominent fern men
came from Ireland
and further south
The membership
was about 40
Stansfield was
invited to be the first
president
Dr W.F. Stansfield the first
President
The beginning of a
long family
association
He and his son in
law Percy
Greenfield were
very important
members
The man himself
Ran his own nursery at
Todmorden and then
qualified as a Doctor
President 3 times
1892-1897
1902-1904
1907-1908
Secretary 1926-1937
Editor of The Fern
Gazette 1917-1937
As well as Treasurer
in1926
Charles Druery
Polystichum setiferum
‘Plumosum Druery’
Raised1900
The power house of the
early society
Set up The Fern Gazette
issued quarterly
Did most of the writing
And the spread of
information encouraged
more people to join
Numbers of members
increased due to the
Gazette
Born 1843 died 1917
He was also an excellent
grower
More of Druery
He published many books for the
Society
British Ferns and Their Varieties
still used as a cultivar bible today
The Book of British Ferns
As well as Choice Ferns
Also President of the Society
1898-1901
Set up and edited The Fern
Gazette from 1909 to 1916.
Do not Panic!
We are not
doing a Frond
by Frond
account !
Cranfield president 19201948
Collector of fern
collections
Lot of his ferns were
lost
A lot were at the
back of his garden
and were ‘flame
gunned’ for growing
veg.
Southport Flower Show 1938
Cranfield exhibit – Challenge Trophy
For a 10x10ft display of ferns
Time was running out or
was it!
1938 was a point were the Society was
showing its age
Membership was in decline
The Society stops everything from 1939-1946
1944 a close run thing
Jimmy Dyce the ‘Fern
Maniac’ (his words)
What was left of a
committee, 6 members
Some decide it might be
best to let it die
gracefully
Jimmy Dyce supported
by and Percy Greenfield
persuade the committee
to continue
Greenfield and Dyce
Within a year Jimmy is
the Treasurer and
Membership Secretary
He raised the
membership to 100
Percy Greenfield is
Secretary and described
as the greatest
President we never had
Scientific President
A.H.G Aliston
President
A professional
botanist at what is
now the Natural
History Museum
After this, Presidents
would alternate
between scientific
and horticultural
Southport Flower Show 1949
Exhibit by BPS member
Mr. C. W. Grubb (he
joined in 1934!) who
won many prizes for
BPS at Southport and
later became a judge.
Irene Manton President
Brilliant scientist
Sorted out the
chromosomes of many
ferns especially
Polypodium
Society starts to change
Left to right
Jimmy Dyce,
Reginald Kaye and
R E Holltum
The Society starts to
become more
scientific than
horticultural
Clive Jermy 1960s onward
Changes The Fern
Gazette from an inhouse catch-all to a
scientific journal
The Bulletin
becomes the new inhouse magazine
Head of ‘ferns and
allies’ at the Natural
History museum
Martin Rickard
Well known fern expert and
fern grower
Martin on the Bowdens
stand at Chelsea
Polypodium cambricum (semilacerum
group) Rickard
President in 1997-2001
Martin the Fern Man
His knowledge on
cultivars and species
is exceptional
He started the
Pteridologist
magazine which is
the most eagerly
awaited publication
of the year
Jimmy leaves us
Was active in the Society
In his 90s
And died in 1998
The Society grows
With a big mix of science
and ecology the Society
grows
More institutions join the
Society
The membership
increases to 700-800
Alison Paul has edited
The Bulletin since 1987
Regional Groups
Matt Busby set up the first
regional group in the Midlands in
1975
These groups are the power
house of the Society
Also was secretary for 20 years
Now we have the following
groups, in
Scotland
North-West England
Yorkshire
Manchester and North Midlands
Midlands
East Anglia
South Wales and Borders
Cornwall and Devon
Wessex
South-East England
North Wales
Four publications a year:
Pteridologist – a full colour magazine.
Bulletin – an annual account of the
Society’s activities.
The Fern Gazette – a twice yearly peer
reviewed scientific journal.
Occasional Special Publications.
+ electronic mailings several times a year
The Committee
THE COMMITTEE
The Committee consists of Executive Officers, Vice-presidents, Officers (all three groups collectively are the
Officers of the Society), and Elected Committee Members, all of whom are elected and have full voting rights.
Co-opted Members and Committee Appointment holders may attend committee meetings when appropriate,
but do not have voting rights. All of the aforementioned groups receive all committee papers.
EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
President:: for 3 years (not eligible for re-election for 3 years following)
President elect
General Secretary:
Committee Secretary:
Treasurer:
OFFICERS
Vice-Presidents: (Max. 6, elected for 3 years, eligible for re-election on retirement)
Membership Secretary:
Meetings Secretary:
Conservation Officer:
Publications Secretary:
Editors for Pteridologist: Fern Gazette: Bulletin:
Web site co-ordinator:
Publicity and Marketing Officer:
Education Officer:
Elected members
ELECTED
COMMITTEE
MEMBERS
Max.10, annual reelection; retirement
after 5 years - not
eligible for re-election
for at least one year
thereafter.
Other appointments
CO-OPTED MEMBERS
COMMITTEE APPOINTMENTS
Spore Exchange Organiser:
Plant Exchange Organiser:
Book sales Organiser:
Fern Gazette Production Editor:
Review Editors:
Pteridologist Assistant Editor
Special Publications Editor:
Manager of Special Publications and
Back-Numbers of Journals:
Merchandise Organisers:
Horticultural Information Adviser:
Archivist::
Data Integrity Officer:
Recorder:
Reading Circle Organiser:
SUBCOMMITTEES
Publications Sub-Committee:
Meetings Sub-Committee:
Cultivar Registration Sub-Committee:
Education Sub-Committee:
Web team:
TRUSTEES OF GREENFIELD FUND
TRUSTEES OF CENTENARY FUND
BPS REPRESENTATIVES
Website and Internet
This is the future to
draw in more people
www.eBPS.org.uk
Face Book, Twitter,
blogs etc
RHS CHELSEA FLOWER SHOW FERN STAND 1991
Ferns were collected at Wisley and loaned by BPS members Robert Bolton;
Matt Busby; Ray Coughlin; Jimmy Dyce; Reg Kaye; Hazel Key; Martin
Rickard and John Woodhams from Kew.
2016 – OUR 125TH YEAR
We had lots of special events.
•
•
•
•
Chelsea Flower Show
Weekend display in Wisley Glasshouse
Week-long meeting in Cumbria where the Society began
Autumn Meeting at Harlow Carr with international speakers
• And special commemorative merchandise was produced
The plan for our 125th
BPS stand at Chelsea
Flower Show in May
2016
One of our members, Ann
Robbins, organises Chelsea
She coordinated
everything
The plan
The paper work
Transport
Build up
Break down
Many members helped
Ferns for house and conservatory by Tim Pyner
Ferns for damp places by Julian Reed