Caption: Village show
Last weekend was the local village show. Our show includes vegetables, fruit, flowers, baking, floral art, crafts and photography, plus children’s classes and is very much a community get together. It is such fun seeing how everyone talks down their efforts to produce an article – but who are in fact highly competitive! Mrs W always wins the Victoria Sponge and Fred’s onions are amazing!
So the day dawned bright and clear, my cakes had only come out of the oven at 10.30 pm the night before, and Jane was up at 5.30am to make her lemon cheese. (Why is it we work best to a deadline?) All the produce came flooding into the village hall – a bumper year and the tables were full to overflowing. The last entries are still arriving as the judges come to start deliberating – I would certainly not want their job, but most of them are not local so can escape before the inquest starts.
Our local businesses sponsor each section and with great secrecy the Best exhibit in each section is chosen and then the Best in Show – the ultimate village accolade!
In the afternoon the show opens to the public and everyone rushes in to see what prizes they have got (and who they have beaten). I am pleased to see my Sweet Peas (grown in Wool Compost for Seeds) have swept the board and my beetroot and duck eggs are winners too and Jane’s jams and pickles have got Best in Section. Afternoon tea is followed by the prize giving and an auction of the produce. This year the auction bids were bumped up by an imaginary online bidder….all proceeds go to a good cause.
Similar events happen up and down the country bringing communities together and promoting growing and using your own produce. If you don’t have one in your area – why not set one up for next year?
Linda