What's happening with Shrewsbury Flower Show? Society issues update as member voices frustration over delay
Five months after the shock cancellation of Shrewsbury Flower Show, the future of the historic event is no clearer.
The show has been a mainstay in the Shrewsbury calendar attracting thousands of visitors to the county town every August, and this year's event was due to be the 150th - a major milestone.
But in April the organisers, Shropshire Horticultural Society (SHS), confirmed that the 2025 event was being cancelled amid concerns over the financial viability of the show.
The cancellation came after a number of difficulties in recent years, including the impact of a bomb scare in 2023, the effect of the Covid pandemic, and the cancellation of the hugely popular fireworks due to hot weather and worries over dry ground conditions.
At an annual general meeting of the society following the show's cancellation its members voted for an extraordinary general meeting to take place to discuss the way forward.
But no date for that meeting has yet been set, with one of its members now voicing frustration at the delay.
The Shropshire Star has contacted the society, which says the EGM will be called once its committee has completed a review of next year's event and future shows, "reached its conclusions", and carefully considered "all options".
It is understood that Shrewsbury Town Council, which manages the show venue, The Quarry, has met with the organisers, who have said they did not need the dates set aside for the booking.
Asked about the current status of the show, and the planned EGM, the society's chairman Maelor Owen said a review is still taking place - and thanked people for their patience while they await a conclusion.
He said: "The committee is in the process of reviewing the future of the 2026 show and future shows.
"Whilst it may seem to be taking time to reach any decisions, it is as a result of the careful consideration being given to all options.
"Everyone’s patience is appreciated.
"The committee is aware that the society’s members are awaiting a meeting.
"Once the committee has reached its conclusions, an update meeting for members will then be called."
SHS member David Darrell said there was frustration at the delays, saying members were being "kept in the dark" over the position.
He said: "It is now over 11 weeks since the AGM of the Shropshire Horticultural Society when it was agreed that due to the debacle of the last-minute cancellation of Shrewsbury Flower Show there would be an Extraordinary General Meeting of the members of the society to discuss the way forward.
"I as one of the members of the society have heard nothing about this. I contacted the office six weeks ago to ask the position regarding the meeting and was told that it would be announced 'after a number of meetings'.
"This is after being told at the AGM that the Extraordinary General Meeting would be held as soon as possible and I certainly did not expect it to take more than 11 weeks to arrange one.
"To arrange a show for 2026 which is in the spirit of the usual show but with a much greater certainty of making a profit is going to take considerable effort on the part of all the members.
"It is now over one year since the last show, seven months since the date when the AGM should have been held, nearly three months since it was held and five months since the show was cancelled."
He added: "I will praise the trustees and the staff of the Shropshire Horticultural Society for their hard work and expertise in staging the show over the past years and through difficult times and I will not detract from this.
"The time has come however for a reset as was undertaken in the Percy Thrower years."
Mr Darrell urged organisers to "think outside the box" and get information on the plans to the members.
Meanwhile Shrewsbury mayor Councillor Alex Wagner said Shrewsbury Town Council was open to working to support future events.
He said: "It is a real shame we do not have the flower show in its 150th year but as ex-officio vice president I attended the AGM and members very clearly voted to have an EGM to put a plan together to get it back on track.
"Shrewsbury Town Council has also said it is open to playing a bigger role in the flower show if it helps return it to the town."
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