One of the first MPG members to arrive was Nancy Ball, there on the dot of 6.30am, to enter the grounds in the peace and quiet of dawn, an hour and a half before the huge rush at the normal opening time for RHS members. Nancy is a professional gardener in Eastbourne. Apart from these privileged ticket-holders avoiding crowds, they had the added benefit of a Champagne breakfast in the restaurant. They were taken up by 20 members.