Every year we hold a "beauty contest" at which we judge our nerines and select the ones we consider the finest.  Last year these were the finalists. It was Sir Peter Smithers who instigated this method of selection, he wrote “The planned creation of new forms of life is a godlike pleasure known only to those who have experienced it.” He then selected his best blooms, for which he had devised a marking system, giving up to five points for colour, form, size of floret, number of florets, shape and size of the flower head and length and strength of stem.   To judge and select which seedlings were the best Sir Peter then invited a panel of up to forty friends, not necessarily involved in gardening, to form a jury and their criterion was solely beauty. The results are clear to see.