Joy three times over with victorious roses

Her haul of three trophies made Joy the most successful exhibitor at the show, in the Conservative Hall.

She was awarded the Renée Lawrence Cup for best specimen rose, the Lilian Hoskins Bowl for a display of mixed roses and the Pryor Cup for best rose in the show.

Joy’s treble ended Patrick Sims’ two-year run as the top exhibitor, but he still took home two trophies, retaining the Helen Cryer Memorial Bowl, for most points in the show, and the Butterfill Cup, for sweet peas, which he shared with Colin Crane.

Colin also received the Springett Cup for sweet peas and the British Fuchsia Society blue rosette for best fuchsia in the show.

For the second year running, entries were down, possibly as a result of heavy rain damaging roses just a few days before the show, said show secretary Primrose Buckley.

“It was a good show in spite of the entries being down,” she said. “It’s difficult to say why that was the case.”

The society’s rose show always used to take place on the second Saturday of the East Preston Festival, opening its doors to the public just as the carnival parade was coming to an end, but for the past couple of years the festival’s move to the week earlier had resulted in the show becoming a stand-alone event, possibly resulting in a fall in support.

“When the show was during the festival, people used to stand outside the hall, watching the parade go by, and then as soon as it was gone, they would come in to see the exhibits. But we don’t have any plans to move the show earlier, back into the festival week.

“There’s always something which affects the exhibits every year, you just don’t know what is going to happen with the weather.”

Certainly the society will be hoping for more sunshine when it holds its summer show at the village hall, Sea Road, on Saturday, August 2, combined with events on the Warren Recreation Ground, including a dog show, display by Owls About Town, and performances by the Worthing Silver Band and Robbie the Magician.

l Other first prize winners at the rose show were: Jocelyn Silk, Betty Durey, Sarah Hill, John Rankin, Jane Lines, Carol Longman, Amanda O’Shea, David Stubbings, Sue Baldock, Wendy Baker.