The first day official day of the show: press and preview. There will be fewer people here today as the tickets are limited and more expensive.

My day began at 8.00am with the judging of the Borders without Gardens competition. This is a idea we introduced last year to encourage first timers and students to improve their plant knowledge. So, with my very important RHS judge hat on (while feeling rather fraudulent) we wandered around and pronounced verdicts and awarded medals. My big problem was that the pure, plants only concept was being heavily diluted by a lot of other stuff - ponds and hard landscaping etc. So much so that they were becoming small gardens rather than just borders. Some were good and a couple were dire.

The judging process is complicated but ultimately pretty fair. There were three judges, a chairman, a secretary and a moderator. Having awarded medals we then had to reassemble under the chairmanship of a grand moderator (Nigel Colborn) to vote again in a session where the observers could object to our awards and try to have them either reduced or improved. The overall winner was very well planted but a bit rubbishy in its construction: it was called Casino Royale and was designed by Inspire Gardens.

The next big event was the Malvern Debate. Men or Women? - who are the better gardeners.

This was a subject suggested by Chris Beardshaw and was always set to be entertaining. My brief to the participants was to be as outspoken as possible - they did not disappoint. The panel consisted of Roddy Llewellyn (whose speech was outrageous),

Jane Owen (who was amusing and erudite although maybe a little over reliant on phallic imagery for those of a sensitive disposition), Chris Beardshaw (who was so busy that his preparation was nil although delivery was, as always, immaculate) and Bunny Guinness (who was intelligent and provocative).

All went well in spite of the fact that Ms Owen has been spreading a malicious and unfounded rumour that the chairman was biased (see comments after the 7th May entry). In reality the chairman’s conduct of the debate was a shining example of balanced opinion and centrist diplomacy.

You will notice from the above photograph of the programme that, while the rest of us have submitted dignified headshots for publicity, Jane is sprawled across a Persian rug like a advertisement for the racier end of a casbah. (Even more disturbingly on closer inspection she is wearing a sky blue anorak).

In order to get a satisfactory end result I invited any women who thought that men were better gardeners to raise their hands - one hand was raised (my mother’s). However, there was a generous sprinkling of hands when I reversed the question and asked men to vote for women. Therefore the women won - they are the better gardeners.

In the afternoon I had this strange but compelling walk through Chris Beardshaw’s garden with him on the stage and me on the end of a live camera link in his garden. It is a new thing for this year and seems very effective - except for the fact that it involves me standing in the rain a lot and not being able to see what he is doing. It will be interesting to see how it pans out over the next few days.

Retreated, damply, to the hotel and watched that great masterpiece The Karate Kid

in the bath. I bought the DVD in Tescos the other day for £2. For anybody who has not seen this film it is classy rubbish starring Ralph Macchio and the late Pat Norita. The best bit, however, is the haircut of the main baddy (played by Billy Zabka) - it is an extraordinary hanging chad of a coiffure and should have won the hairdresser (Cheri Ruff) an Oscar.

The other great film that I like to watch in situations like this (or when ill in bed) is the Wild Geese. Starring Roger Moore, Hardy Kruger, Richard Harris and Richard Burton as well as a positive cornucopia of British character actors - Kenneth Griffith, Ronald Fraser, Ian Yule etc etc).

I am listening to Silent Sea by KT Tunstall and the main picture is of Chris Beardshaw’s Dorking hens.