In Memory of Barry Tattersall

First Impressions

Barry was a quiet and unassuming man, appearing serious but with a wicked sense of humour.  When I first became involved in AGS shows in the early 1990s, he was already a legend.  I had grown up fascinated with British orchids, particularly the ones which grew on the chalk of the South Downs where I lived.  As I went to more shows I became aware that there was an exhibitor with the arcane skills to grow and exhibit British and European orchids.  In fact, he never exhibited anything else back then (although more recently we have seen a few of the trickier spring bulbs appear with his name on the card).  I was in awe of him, quite intimidated, and admired his plants enormously.

Achievements at AGS Shows

With such a relatively limited range of plants, Barry’s achievements were extraordinary.  He won a total of 573 firsts at AGS Shows, which translates to a Gold Medal and 10 Gold Bars.  This puts him in the very highest echelon of AGS exhibitors, and he did it all with hardy orchids.

In his career, Barry won two Farrer Medals, one Forrest Medal, and one Best in Show when a Farrer was not awarded.

Other Awards

The computer records of show results start in 1994, though I believe that there are paper records for the shows before that.  Since Barry started exhibiting in the early 80s or before, I do not have details of all the other awards he won.  But in the period from 1994 to 2022 he won cups for the best plant in a 19cm pot three times, and received 41 Certificates of Merit for outstanding plants.  Usually these are awarded to plants which are close competition to the Farrer winner, or to the best plant in a 19cm pot.

In addition, at the South-West show (one of Barry’s favourite shows), there is an award called the Graham Lovell Salver, originally awarded for the class for 3 pans of Orchidaceae, but latterly for the best pan of Orchidaceae.  Barry won this award 11 times since 1994, despite competition from Carl Hardwick, Richard Manuel and others.  Here is one of his three-pan exhibits.

Cypripedium calceolus var. pubescens

Barry’s first Farrer Medal came at the East Anglia show in 1988 with this wonderful plant of a North American variety of the Lady’s Slipper Orchid.  A really good photo too, with lovely backlighting, taken on slide film by my old friend Doug Joyce.  This was at a time when Cypripediums were not widely grown in this country, and were regarded as rare and exotic; to me, they still are.

AGS Medal

It was a surprise to me to find that Barry had won an AGS Medal for a large six-pan, but here is a photo of the entry from the Southport Show in 2006, taken by Martin Rogerson.  I believe the plants here are:

• Back (l to r) Cypripedium acaule, C. tibeticum, C. calceolus
• Front (l to r) C. palangshanense, C. bardolphianum, C. fargesii

When I started doing show photography for the Society, Barry’s plants were always on the list I wanted to photograph ‘for my own interest’.

So here are some of Barry’s plants, photographed between 2006 and 2022.  There are probably far too many, but I fear we may never see many of these species on the show bench again.

Anacamptis

First the genus Anacamptis, familiar to us for Anacamptis pyramidalis, the UK’s native Pyramidal orchid.  Some of the first pictures I took of Barry’s plants were at the Kent Show in 2006, where he exhibited Anacamptis longicornu from the Western Mediterranean, and A. syriaca from Turkey, the Lebanon, and Syria.  I was entranced by these little Mediterranean species.

Anacamptis papilionacea

Barry loved the Pink Butterfly Orchid, Anacamptis papilionacea, and exhibited several different forms of it.

Here are:

• Anacamptis papilionacea subsp heroica (Kent 2007). Very like the plants I saw in the Picos de Europa.
• Anacamptis papilionacea subsp rubra (London 2007)
• Anacamptis papilionacea subsp grandiflora (Wisley show 2018)

Anacamptis laxiflora

At the Kent show in 2019, Barry staged a magnificent pot of the Jersey Orchid, Anacamptis laxiflora, which won a Certificate of Merit.  This is a big plant, up to 2 feet high, and Barry’s pot was spectacular.

Anacamptis longicornu

At Harlow in 2020, one of Barry’s last shows, he exhibited again the little Anacamptis longicornu which I had been so taken with in 2006.

Cypripedium fargesii

Barry always loved Cypripedium – we have already seen his Farrer-winning plant from 1988, and his large 6-pan exhibit of Cypripedium at Southport in 2006.  This little plant is one I photographed at Exeter in 2002, on film, long before I had started doing the official show photography.

Cypripedium lichiganense

At the Wimborne show in 2012, Barry exhibited a similar species, Cypripedium lichiganense, along with a large pan of Cypripedium parviflorum.

Neotinea lactea

I am always surprised because this orchid is so small; much smaller that I am expecting.  But I always photograph it, because I love the delicate patterns of stripes and spots in the flowers.

I first encountered it at the Kent Show in 2006, where Barry included it in a three-pan exhibit with Ophrys cretensis and Anacamptis syriaca.  After that, Barry exhibited it regularly; the two following pictures from the Loughborough show in 2018 show a very similar panful.

I have been lucky enough to do the show photography at some of the Hardy Orchid Society shows recently.  Barry’s plants dominated this in 2018, where he had a deep pink form of Neotinea lactea, and in 2019 where he exhibited a white-flowered form.

Ophrys atlantica

Although I have been familiar with the UK species of Ophrys (Bee orchids) since childhood, Barry opened my eyes to the vast range of Mediterranean species.  Everyone seems to love this genus with their insect-mimicking lips, famously pollinated through copulation attempts by the insects they imitate.  Though some species seem to have evolved mechanisms to self-pollinate, in the event that they fail to attract insect suitors.

This species is from Spain, Algeria and Morocco, and I first photographed it at the Kent show in 2006.

Ophrys balearica

In 2018 Barry exhibited this species from the Balearic Islands at the Hardy Orchid Society show.

Ophrys bertolonii

I had photographed a very similar species, Ophrys bertolonii, at the Loughborough show in 2012.  Both form part of the twelve member ‘O. bertolonii group’.

Ophrys bombyliflora

This is a tiny species widespread around the Mediterranean, the Bumble Bee Orchid.  Barry exhibited it regularly; these pictures are from the Hardy Orchid Society show in 2018.

Ophrys cretensis

This species from the Aegean islands, was exhibited at the Harlow show in 2016.  It is superficially similar to our own Early Spider Orchid, Ophrys sphegodes; like that species, it is beautiful in close-up.

Ophrys ferrum-equinum

This lovely plant is a Greek species, which Barry exhibited at the Kent show in 2007.

Ophrys grigoriana

When I photographed this species from Crete at the Hardy Orchid Society show in 2019 I had never seen it before.

Ophrys kotschyi

This Cyprus endemic is a plant which Barry exhibited regularly; most of these pictures come from the South West Show in 2018.

Ophrys lapethica

This is an early-flowering species from Cyprus, which Barry used to exhibit at the South Wales or Harlow shows.

Ophrys picta

Ophrys picta is a species from the Iberian peninsula, with small but beautiful flowers.  Barry exhibited it several times – the pictures are from the Kent show in 2016 and 2017.

Ophrys regis-ferdinandii

This little species from the Aegean area was another which Barry exhibited regularly, but it was always tricky to photograph.  My best images date from the Harlow show in 2007, before I was doing the show photography there.

Ophrys speculum

The Mirror orchid is quite widespread around the Mediterranean.  Its flowers are a bit larger and furrier than those of its close relative O. regis-ferdinandii.  And more eye-catching, with their shiny blue speculum.  Barry exhibited it many times, winning the Graham Lovell Salver at the South West show in 2018 for the pan shown.

Ophrys tenthredinifera

Ophrys tenthredinifera, the Sawfly Orchid, is perhaps the most familiar of the Mediterranean Ophrys species at AGS shows.  Over the years I have photographed plants from several exhibitors.  These pictures of Barry’s pan come from the Harlow show in 2017, and Loughborough in 2019.

Ophrys vernixia

This is another little Mirror orchid, closely related to O. speculum and O. regis-ferdinandii, which grows in Spain and Portugal.  Barry exhibited it at the Kent show in 2014, and at the Hardy Orchid Society Show in 2018.

Orchis anatolica

Moving now to the genus Orchis, this is a plant I photographed only once, at the London show in 2006.

Orchis brancifortii

This is another species Barry exhibited regularly, though it was very sensitive to light, and always difficult to keep the flower stems straight.  The first plant here won a Certificate of Merit at the Exeter show in 2006, the second was the best in show at the Hardy Orchid Society show in 2018.

Orchis ichnusae

Barry exhibited this species from Sardinia at the Kent show in 2014.

Orchis italica

Orchis italica, widespread in the Mediterranean, is another more familiar species from the shows.  This exhibit is from the Hardy Orchid Society show in 2018.

Orchis olbiensis

This is a species from the Western Mediterranean, belonging to the O. mascula (Early Purple) group.  Barry exhibited this several times, including at the Hardy Orchid Society show in 2019.

Orchis provincialis

At the Kent Show in 2008, Barry exhibited this pretty, widespread species.

Orchis quadripunctata

Back in 2006, Barry exhibited both white and purple forms of O. quadripunctata from the eastern Mediterranean, the small flowers marked with pretty, distinctive spots.  The photos are from the Exeter and London shows.

Orchis sitiaca

At the Hardy Orchid Society show in 2018, Barry showed another little Orchis species from Crete.

Orchis troodii

At the Loughborough show in 2015, I photographed this graceful Orchis species from Cyprus.

Serapias bergonii

Barry was particularly fond of the genus Serapias.  This is one of the less flamboyant species, photographed at the Hardy Orchid Society show in 2018.

Serapias carica

This eastern Mediterranean species, exhibited at the Exeter show in 2006, is more eye-catching, reminiscent of S. cordigera from the western Mediterranean, which I never saw Barry exhibit.  He claimed the latter was tricky to exhibit, because it could not be propagated vegetatively.

Serapias levantina

This is an eastern Mediterranean species, which Barry exhibited at the Harlow show in 2016.

Serapias lingua

This species is one which multiplies relatively easily and which I have seen regularly at AGS shows.  Barry exhibited this lovely yellow and red flowered form at the London show in 2007.

x Serapicamptis capitata

The previous year, again at the London show, Barry exhibited a fine pot of the natural intergeneric hybrid between Anacamptis morio and Serapias lingua.

Serapias neglecta x Anacamptis morio

A similar hybrid, with stunning purple flowers, appeared at the Kent show in 2012.

Serapias neglecta

At the Kent show in 2016, Barry showed two pans of Serapias neglecta; one contained plants he had separated out as a ‘pale form’.

Serapias neglecta x lingua

Barry grew many Serapias hybrids.  We have seen some already, but here is Serapias neglecta x lingua from the Kent show in 2019, and the Hardy Orchid Society show in 2018.

Serapias x godferyi

At the London show in 2014, Barry exhibited a wonderful pot of the natural hybrid between Serapias cordigera and S. neglecta, which won a Certificate of Merit.  Doug Joyce took the photos because I was show secretary,

Diplodium coccinum

Barry also grew Southern Hemisphere Orchids, and it was one of these that achieved some of his greatest successes.  His pan of Diplodium coccinum (from Queensland, Australia) was the Best in Show at the Sussex Autumn show in 2005.  A few years later, in 2009, it won the Farrer Medal at the Loughborough Autumn show, and a Forrest medal at the Newcastle show.

Diuris maculata

Barry exhibited another rather exotic Australian orchid, Diuris maculata, at the Wisley Show in 2018.  But he grew many other species which I never saw in flower.  I dearly wanted to photograph his pan of the blue Thelymitra nuda, but he never managed to get it to flower for a show I was photographing.

Pterostylis nutans

Another Australian orchid, akin to the Diplodium, was a feature of the South West show in 2018.

Satyrium bicorne

This Satyrium, from the Cape Province of South Africa, won the Chairman’s Award at the Hardy Orchid Society show for Barry in 2019.

Satyrium coriifolium

Another Satyrium species, also from the Cape, was a feature of the Wisley Show in 2018.

Myrmechila truncata

At the Harlow and Loughborough shows in 2017 I managed to photograph this tiny wasp-mimic from Queensland.  I believe that this won the Best in Show at the Hardy Orchid Society show that year.  The pot exhibited is 5in in diameter – it was very tricky getting good close-ups of the fantastically intricate flowers, convincingly imitating wasps.

Non-Orchids

Just to remind you that orchids weren’t quite all that Barry grew, here are a couple of pans of spring bulbs he exhibited.

First, at Harlow in 2012, the lovely Fritillaria ariana.

And from the Loughborough show in 2011, a great pan of Pseudomuscari inconstrictum.

Wild Orchids

Barry wasn’t just interested in growing orchids.  One of his proudest achievements was to have found and photographed every UK species in the wild.  He spent many years writing a book about the orchids to be found within the M25, but sadly could never bring himself to steer this project to completion.

x Dactylodenia lacerta

In 2017 Barry published in the New Journal of Botany a paper with Prof. Richard Bateman describing a new British orchid hybrid between Dactylorhiza praetermissa and Gymnadenia borealis, which Barry had discovered the previous year on the Lizard peninsula. Barry named this intergeneric hybrid x Dactylodenia lacerta (lacerta means lizard in Latin).

Although I met Barry first through the AGS shows, it was our shared interest in wild orchids which made us friends.  Becoming aware of my lifelong interest, in 2010 he and a couple of mutual friends started to invite me on outings to visit some of the best orchid sites in Southern England.  This introduced me to several species I had never seen, nor expected to find.  It was not the plants we encountered which made these trips so special, but the kindness, friendship and camaraderie, the relaxed picnic lunches, and the true but improbable, and often hilarious stories Barry would tell.

Ophrys fuciflora

In early June this year, a couple of good friends and I travelled to Kent to look for Late Spider Orchids (Ophrys fuciflora) in Barry’s memory.  We had planned to make this trip with Barry in 2023, but sadly that didn’t happen.