Can we have a surfboarder pleeze?

And that question set the tone for the evening. David Penny was guest speaker at Eastleigh Bonsai Society and started off doing a coastal scene for his saikei (Japanese tray landscape) talk. The coastal theme naturally sparked off requests for little figurines which included sharks, surfers and sunbathers. As opposed to clay figurines of fishermen and temples. Nope, not for saikei, folks.

However, the trees dictated the mood of the planting, and said coastal landscape morphed into an alpine lakeside. Still, requests for a surfboarder to replace Jaws were nixed in the bud. Or so David likes to think. (The seeds have been planted and the germination of an idea is starting to take place. Be very, very afraid...)

It was a relaxed evening, full of banter and one-liners. Note how at the start of the evening, the seating arrangement of the room was orderly; people comfortable in their chairs and enjoying a cuppa as the talk started:

The whole club really got into it as the evening progressed; no-one hesitated to get up close and inspect the planting:

Ah, but what was the general consensus on the finished product? Note the solemnity with which David's planting is being analysed. Or are they just waiting for the surfboarder to materialise?

Everyone weighed in, drawing closer and gathering in groups to discuss the merits of the evening's entertainment. It was now musical chairs all around:
The whole place became Paparazzi Meets Changing Rooms, and every electronic device that remotely resembled a camera came out. Here you have the first line of photographers, with several behind waiting to take their turn:

And here's the front runner of the second batch of digital-imagery-makers taking their turn to record the moment:

And just so that you know what everyone was queueing up to photograph, here is the coastal scene/alpine lakeside, albeit without the famous surfboarder: