Sun shines for show in Thakeham

Entries were a little down on previous years but entrants were up.

Fruit and vegetable classes suffered from the long cold spring and as a consequence no one had tomatoes or runner beans to enter.

Flowers have also suffered by blooming late only to be scorched by the the last 6 dry hot weeks.

Despite competition from other local events we had several visitors who enjoyed the show and were able to sit outside in the sunshine with their refreshments.

The George Ballard cup for members only was won by Jean East, the Chairman, for the most prizes in the combined Fruit, Vegetables, Mixed Flowers and Pot Plants classes.

Jean also won the William Pricket cup for the overall Mixed Flower and Pot Plant classes. She won the J. Michael Walker cup for her beautifully decorated hat judged the Best lace exhibit and the Tom Dalman cup for her Floral Arrangement to celebrate a Ruby Anniversary.

Lastly she won a voucher for the most show entries and the Booby prize for her pot grown fuchsia.

Ann Currer-Briggs took the June and Ernest Wright trophy for her beautiful single rose and this rose so impressed the judge that it also won the Dorothy Brown Cup for outstanding excellence.

Anita Darlington won the Country Pastimes cup for her woven scarf in the Handicraft class and a voucher for her currants.

Roy Botting won the Brian Ely cup for his Sweet Peas, Maureen Sherwood the Peter Turk cup for her Penstemon, Peter Dowsett the Community cup for the best pot grown fuchsia from a cutting supplied by Village Nurseries, Nancy Stanisford won the Golden Jubilee Trophy in the Art section, Rita Benton the Douglas Ferris cup for photography and David Woodcock the Jubilee cup for the best exhibit in all handicraft classes.

The A G Linfield cup for most first prizes was won by Sandra Jenkins.

Finally a voucher from Flowerwise was won by Bruce Wallace for his flowering pot plant and Sandra Jenkins received vouchers from The Plant company for her spray of flowering shrub, Cestrum, and from Village Florist for her arrangement Storm in a Teacup.

The Margaret Denyer cup for cookery classes was won jointly by Patricia Wilkes and Peter Westrip, and Patricia Wilkes also won the Elsie Jessop cup for her preserves.

The Club would like to thank all its sponsors, the excellent judges, those who took the time to support the show by helping set up, steward, serve refreshments and most importantly everyone who entered exhibits.

If you would like to join our club you would be very welcome to come along to our monthly meeting in Thakeham Village Hall at 7.30pm on the second Monday of each month.

The next meeting is on Monday August 10 when Lesley Chamberlain will be talking about Secret Sussex Gardens. More information from Chairman Jean East on 01903 745846.

Report and picture contributed by Sandra Jenkins.