The Flower Show

- Tue 5th Sep 2006

Well - we thought that we couldn't do
it a third time this year.  Hayling Island Horticultural Society runs 3
Flower Shows a year.  The Spring Show was great with masses of
daffodils and narcissi to delight the visitors.  Last year, the Early
Summer Show in June was very poor, so we had moved our 2006 entry for
the Hampshire Show of the Year to September.  The June Show was
magnificent - the best ever.  We'd got it wrong!  So it was with
trepidation that we approached the September Main Show on 2nd September
- our entry to the competition. 
 


The Hayling Flower Club had already
been booked to dress the stage for the June Show, but agreed to come
along and do it again for this important Show.  They chose as their
theme "The Last Night of the Proms".  The large exhibits echoed the
music played at the last night, with the conductor and his music in
front and a bust of Sir Henry Wood (actually a greek god!) wearing his
laurel wreath at the side of the stage.
 


By 1.30pm, the judging was done, the
trophies gleamed, the tables were tidied and tweaked and the assessors
and the public began to arrive.  The tea urn was ready and the homemade
cakes were being cut, the tombola drum was poised and the stewards were
in position around the tables.  We had over 170 paying vistors besides
all the helpers and exhibitors, so that helped a little with the
finances of putting on a show.
 


The exhibitors amazed us!  The judges
said that the quality of flowers, fruit and vegetables was
exceptional.  There were exhibition dahlias like footballs, but also
delicate pom-pom ones.  There were giant leeks and long carrots,
chillies in pots, huge pot plants and tomatoes galore.  The photography
entry was the largest ever with a Forum member, Andy, winning the
Spinnaker Tower photo class with a stunning sunset shot.
 


The children's entries were lovely
with most interest being taken in a beach scene in a seed tray
competition.  Great ingenuity was shown by the youngsters, especially
in the construction of breakwaters and other beach scenery.
 


There were over 50 cookery entries
with an extra judge being called in at the last moment.  Six men
entered their fruit cakes and the judge pronounced them all excellent. 
The prize giving was at 4.00pm, with Yvonne Hughes, the President of
the Flower Club presenting the trophies, medals and certificates, but
besides the trophies, exhibitors had won quite a lot of prize money to
help a little with their purchases of seeds, bulbs and tubers for next
year.
 


It was a great show but it could never
happen without the huge band of volunteers who work tirelessly three
times a year to stage a real local event.
 



Jan Mitchell
Publicity Officer

Hayling Island Horticultural Society

By forum user, Mat