It's Show Time!

 

A 1st

Living in a small town like Dorking, closely bounded on all sides by protected land, and without the pernicious ribbon of development that has turned our cities into urban sprawl, it is not surprising that the villages surrounding us have retained their own individual characters. One of these is the ubiquitous village fete and their flower and vegetable show (a bit like midsummer but without the bodies). Whenever we have visited such a show I have often said, as you do, 'I could better than that' but somehow never got round to actually doing it. Now all this has changed as at DAHA's Spring into Action event last March the lovely Lady who is the membership secretary of the Dorking Gardeners Club set out her stall to attract new members. I joined! albeit tempted with free membership until Christmas, but tell me an allotment holder who is not tight, well that's my excuse anyway.

 

and another

and another

The June show came and went (not into roses) but my sights were set on the late summer show at the end of August. However I must admit to a certain trepidation as the judging is to RHS rules and even worse the home produce by the WI. I decided as I had no idea what to do that I would ease myself into it with just 12 entries, avoiding the complicated tying up of onions and shallots sitting in a bed of sand etc. I had read that on the web and was surprised that was just about all I could find about judging as apparently it is all in the RHS publication they want you to buy (£7.95 from Amazon and probably a lot more from Wisley). I need not have worried as the other members were very helpful and put me straight as well as pointing out that this wasn't Medwyn Williams world (umpteenth winner of the Chelsea Gold Medal). They did however suck air when I mentioned that my jam, that I'm inordinately proud of, had a wax disc on top. I would, they said, get a note attached by the Judge from the Women's Institute. I did.

 

After judging the hall is thrown open to the public who are about 99%  those who had entered an exhibit (they are not huge crowd pullers), but how had I done. Well, rather well for a newbie with 5-1st, 3-2nd, 2-3rd, and prize money that covered the cost of entering, but not the obligatory cup of tea and a slice of cake. So now I have gone from 'if they wanted perfection they should have gone to Waitrose' to what else I can show to get my hands on one of those silver things they give out at the end. Mercenary!

 

One thing that was noticeable was a lack of young faces which I suppose should be qualified as to just what is a young face at a place like this, wearing a pair of sennheiser with an ipod stuck in your belt won't cut the mustered as they would think your deaf and just shout at you. It's like that walking down Dorking High Street when I humorously ascribe with that typical English double edged irony 'this place is full of old people'. Its been good fun though, can't wait for the next one.

 

 

for the sake of a wax disc!