Covid: Southport Flower Show cancelled due to 'uncertainty'

Organisers said the cancellation decision was taken with "an extremely heavy heart"

The UK's biggest independent flower show has been cancelled for a second year "due to the uncertainty of the pandemic", its organisers have said.

Southport Flower Show chairman Max Steinberg said the August event, which usually has more than 55,000 visitors, faced "too many" uncertain elements.

He said delaying a decision could have had "severe financial implications".

BBC gardening presenter Christine Walkden said she was "disappointed" as the show was "one of my favourites".

The four-day event had been due to take place between 19 and 22 August on the 34-acre site where it has been held for more than 90 years.

The pandemic also led to the 2020 event being called off.

The show usually welcomes more than 55,000 visitors across its four days

Mr Steinberg said the charity which runs the show had "closely monitored the situation over the past few months" and it had "become clear that, due to the uncertainty of the pandemic, we have no other option but to cancel the show for a second successive year".

"Despite the easing of lockdown measures and the progressive vaccination program, there are still too many elements that remain uncertain," he said.

He added that there was still the possibility that the date of the final restrictions being lifted, which currently stands at 21 June, "may be extended".

"If we were to go ahead and, for whatever reason, the show had to be cancelled at the last minute, it would have severe financial implications for the charity."

He added that the board had "not taken this decision lightly and we will return in 2022 with our best show ever".

Christine Walkden had been due to make an appearance at the show

Show manager Alan Adams said the "first consideration must be the health and wellbeing of everyone involved in the show and how we keep our visitors safe".

"The show has become a much-loved fixture in the horticultural calendar and in the region's summer events programme," he added.

"The decision to cancel for a second year has been taken with an extremely heavy heart but we believe this to be the only course of action."

A spokesman for the charity added that while refunds for those who had purchased tickets were available, those who instead rolled over their tickets to 2022 would help the organisation "through this extremely difficult period".

Ms Walkden, who had been due to make a personal appearance at the show, said the organisers had "made the right decision in the current circumstances".

The horticulturalist, who appears regularly on BBC Radio 4's Gardener's Question Time added that she was sure "they will come back in 2022 even better".

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