Les Simpson, NZBA President
Les commenced his interest in Bonsai in Tauranga about 1990. His wife Melody and mother in law Kath had already joined the BOP Bonsai Society and stimulated his interest. Shirley Faull was the President of the BOP Bonsai Society at that time.
Later followed a move to the Waikato. He has been the President of the Hamilton Bonsai Club from 2001 to 2007 and 2015 to 2018. He has also been the Treasurer from 2007 to 2015. He was elected to the NZBA committee about 2002 and was the Treasurer of NZBA from 2015.
He has taken the opportunity to attend Bonsai Courses with Dorothy Koreshoff, Lindsay and Glenis Bebb in Brisbane Australia, Joy Morton in Dunedin and numerous workshops arising from international Bonsai Artists visiting NZ including John Marsh, Craig Coussins, Lee Wilson, Gary Marchal, Tony Bebb, Robert Steven, Peter Adams and Nobuyuki Kajiwara. He has also attended a number of conventions overseas in Taiwan, Hongkong, Indonesia and numerous AABC conventions in Australia. He has demonstrated at two national conventions and done a number of demonstrations for clubs.
Les has had exposure to styling conifers and deciduous trees including saikei and group plantings. He is also familiar with most styles and sizes from Shohin to big ones. He has not however got his hands to produce a mame yet.