Autumn show 5.10.19

At 322 entries, the Autumn Show brightened the Village Hall with a splendid display of cut flowers, principally dahlias. The entry figure was the best for over 15 years; it took 45 exhibitors to amass this number. The roses produced a few late blooms, the pot plants were most interesting in their varied flowers and foliage and the fuchsia classes were well supported with flowering shoots and boxes of florets on the show-bench, before the dahlias were reached with their various forms and colours. The novelty classes featured the `runner bean race’, with lines of beans stretched across the bench.  Once more, the cookery section was well supported, with the judge commenting favourably upon the excellence of the entries. The few handicraft classes had three or four entries each, and flower arranging continued to attract more entries. The photography section was its usual attractive self and much discussion took place among the visitors about the various images. The children’s classes remain in need of invigoration; each of the three younger competitors staged two entries.

Barry Moore took most prizes in the horticultural classes over the season for the Village Criers Trophy, with the highest points total seen in the last 30 years, but on the day, it was Malcolm Paradine, who took the Edith Godfrey Trophy with most points, and added the Deegan Shield with the best vegetable exhibit. Alan Humphrey took both Silver and Bronze Medals issued by the National Dahlia Society; Eddy Brown and Mike Shambrook shared the Peter Crouch Memorial Cup with a single chrysanthemum entry from each, while the Yapton Society’s Chairman, Roy Phillips, regained the Fruit Bowl with his prizes over three shows. For her successes in the fuchsia classes at the year’s last two shows, Eva Pendreich took home the Joan Waddington Memorial Vase, and won the Photographic Championship, beating her husband by one point!

Other non-horticultural awards included the W.R. Trophy for the season-long flower arranging prizes, with the winner, Mary Liverman, returning to the art this season after a long break; another recent recruit to competition, Margaret Elkin, was presented with the Neil Baxter Memorial Trophy for her cookery and handicraft prizes. The final awards went to the children; for the day, the Junior Autumn Cup was shared by six-year-old Ted Coomber and Cerys Hier, aged 11 with two first prizes each, but for the year, it was Ted Coomber alone.

FIRST PRIZE WINNERS David Donovan, Jenny Pay, Mary Carmel Pardi, Mike Shambrook, Janice Shambrook, Alan Humphrey, Barbara Coomber, Eva Pendreich, Irene Jordan, Ted Love, Anne Hollis, Eddy Brown, Gill Crowley, Barry Moore, Mark Wilson, Malcolm Paradine, Graham and Sylvia Ebben, Roy Phillips, Andy Mitchell, Margaret Elkin, Annabelle Heath, Katharine Horwood, Derek Jukes, Diane Booker, Mary Liverman, Alan Thew, Claire Herbert, Gill Henry, Ted Coomber, Cerys Hier.

Summer show 31.8.19

It was an ill wind that stopped Yapton Cottage Gardeners’ Annual Flower Show from being staged at its traditional spot in the first half of August. In terms of numbers, this year’s flower show exceeded that of the previous year. The entries totalled just below 500, and significantly, exhibitors numbered 65, 10 above the figure for 2018; this year, 12 were first-time participants in Yapton.
There were excellent entry figures for the cookery and handicraft sections; flower arranging had its best outing for several years and photography was well supported too. Wine and beer classes and children’ exhibits completed the schedule of over one hundred and sixty classes.

Barry Moore received several trophies, his prize-winning exhibits including fine quality potatoes, aubergines, onions and sweet peppers. He staged the best vegetable exhibit for both Members’ [Warmere Cup] and Open [Binns Trophy] classes, and had most points in the horticultural element for the Members’ [George Harrison Cup] and Open [Booth Cup] sections, and unsurprisingly, the Royal Horticultural Society’s Banksian Medal for most prize money won on the day. The other major recipient of trophies was Alan Humphrey, who staged only dahlias in various guises. The best cut flower exhibit, Members’ classes, gave him the Stevenson Cup and similarly in the Open classes, the Woodard Trophy as well as both Silver and Bronze Medals of the National Dahlia Society. Ted Love had the best collection of vegetables for the V.H. Snell Trophy, and Graham Coomber brought the best runner beans for the Charles Millyard Trophy. Janice Shambrook staged an excellent and very prickly cactus for the best pot plant in the show to win the Tony Butcher Trophy. The Cottage Gardeners’ Chairman, Roy Phillips, was presented with the Ivor Smith Fruit Bowl for most points in the ten relevant classes.

The three-exhibit Leslie Crowther Trophy, intended to demonstrate the spectrum of interests covered by the show, was won by Eva Pendreich. The presentation of non-horticultural awards began with the Pannell Trophy being offered to Mary Liverman for her excellent flower arrangements, while David Cordingley retained the Ford Wine Circle Challenge Shield for most points in the wine and beer classes. Show Secretary, David Donovan, kept the Collier Cup for cookery while a first-time exhibitor, Rodney Brown, was adjudged to have brought the best handicraft item, one of his paintings, for the Stagg Cup. 

The children’s awards introduced thirteen-year-old Teagan White who took the Belmont Cup for most points among the younger element, and the `Teens’ Trophy as the only eligible exhibitor. For a miniature garden in a seed-tray, five-year-old Robin McCann was given the Frost Junior Cup while the judge’s choice for best exhibit by a child went to Owen Wadey, aged seven, for a flower arrangement in an unusual container, a cut-out treasure chest. 

FIRST PRIZE WINNERS 
Barry Moore, Ted Love, Liesma Mezulis, Terry Booker, Mike Shambrook, Graham Coomber, David Donovan, Roy Phillips, Irene Jordan, Alan Humphrey, Geoff Lintott, J Bradbeer, Mary Carmel Pardi, Graham and Sylvia Ebben, Jenny Pay, Janis Bryan, Anne Hollis, Elaine Cordingley, Janice Shambrook, Eva Pendreich, Mary Liverman, Diane Booker, Rodney Brown, David Day, Brannon Masters, John Knight, Margaret Elkin, Annabelle Heath, Alan Thew, Ian Watts, David Cordingley, Nora Trigger, Ted Coomber, Robin McCann, Owen Wadey, Teagan White 

Spring show 23.3.19

There was an excellent start to the season of friendly competition at the Spring Flower Show. The entry figure of 249 submitted by 39 exhibitors, several of whom were newcomers, were exceptionally high; quite the best in recent years.

The mild spring saw the early flowering of garden daffodils and there was a great assortment of narcissus blooms to be seen on the show bench; these were complemented by numerous hellebore and flowering shrub entries. There were potted plants and vegetables in variety, but with rather limited support for flower arranging. The cookery and photographic sections were well subscribed, attracting favourable comments from the judges. Slowly, the handicrafts are gaining support while three children entered their group of classes for a total of seven entries.

During the afternoon, there was the regulation number of eighty visitors; after admiring the display, people could then visit the side-stalls which included plant sales, baked items and preserves, crafts, tombola and the raffle. The kitchen offered light refreshments and a choice of cakes.

The afternoon concluded with the presentation of trophies, lead by the Society’s Vice-President, Stella Whitelock. First in line was the Show Secretary, David Donovan, who received the Harry March Cup for his points total in the horticultural classes, next was a relative newcomer to competition, Margaret Elkin, who took the Pratt Trophy for most points in the cookery classes and finally, ten-year-old Cerys Hier who with her prizes in the children’s section, retained the Junior Spring Cup.

The next flower show will be the Early Summer Show on June 29th, with roses and sweet peas to the fore.

FIRST PRIZE WINNERS

David Donovan, Terry Booker, Gill Crowley, Mike Shambrook, Jean Sykes, Anne Hollis, Diane Booker, John Smith, Mary Carmel Pardi, Roy Phillips, Graham & Sylvia Ebben, Irene Jordan, Gill Henry, Janice Shambrook, Malcolm Paradine, Katharine Horwood, Annabelle Heath, Margaret Elkin, Eva Pendreich, Jenny Pay, Heather Booth, Julia Smith, Alan Thew, John Knight, Ian Watts, David Vincent, Ted Coomber, Cerys Hier