Yapton Cottage Gardeners' Society annual show 2018

More than 400 items were on display at Yapton and Ford Village Hall and several of the 49 people taking part were making their first appearance with the society.

Show secretary David Donovan said: "The adverse growing season for horticultural produce, with its weeks of high temperatures and drought, broken by heavy squally showers on the eve of the annual flower show, inevitably led to a smaller number of entries than in an average year.

"However, the disappointment of the fewer than usual number of exhibits was transformed into pleasure by the excellence of the produce when seen on the show bench, staged as always in a large marquee on the recreation ground.

"There may not have been large numbers of exhibits in any class but the variety of form shown by the vases of dahlias and the array of differing vegetables demonstrated what was possible to achieve in this difficult year."

Other sections included the well-supported cookery classes, flower arranging, a varied handicraft submission, photography, a small wine and beer entry, and children’s classes.

The flower show was part of the community event, now in its second year, so it included a fun dog show, junior dance school presentation and musical entertainment from a ukulele group.

Classic vehicles were displayed by Double L-L Club members and children especially enjoyed the veteran agricultural tractors, two of them static and one running trailer rides up and down the field.

The Village Hall hosted separate model displays, while the Local History Group had a photographic display on the story of Ford Airfield and a slide show of Yapton over the years.

Sue Phillips, president, presented the awards at the end of the afternoon.

Mick Minton amply demonstrated his ability to grow fine produce and enter numerous classes. He produced the best vegetable exhibit with his potatoes and the best cut flower exhibit with his waterlily dahlias, which also won him the Silver Medal of the National Dahlia Society. He also won first prizes for his runner beans and his collection of vegetables, and took home trophies for most points overall and most points in the open classes, as well as the Royal Horticultural Society's Banksian Medal for most prize money.

Alan Humphrey had excellent dahlias, which won best cut flower in the members’ classes and the National Dahlia Society's Bronze Medal.

Noted grower Malcolm Paradine produced some fine potatoes for the Binns Trophy in the open vegetable classes.

Mr Donovan won best pot plant with his venerable succulent, retained the Ivor Smith Fruit Bowl and won the Collier Cup for cookery exhibits.

Elaine Cordingley won the three exhibit members-only Leslie Crowther Trophy and husband David Cordingley won the Ford Wine Circle Challenge Shield with his bottles of wine and beer.

Katharine Horwood won most points in the flower-arranging classes and David Day's remarkable evocation of farming life in the 1930s was judged best item in the handicraft section.

Ten-year-old Cerys Hier won all the trophies in her section of the children's classes, including best exhibit for her model elephant made from vegetables.

There was competition for the Frost Junior Cup for the first time in several years and sisters Alice Wright, six, and Lucy Wright, three, were given equal first for garden in a seed tray.

First prize winners were: Mick Minton, Ted Love, Malcolm Paradine, Terry Butcher, Irene Jordan, David Donovan, Roy Phillips, Margaret Elkin, Alan Humphrey, Diane Booker, Mike Millis, Elaine Cordingley, Jenny Pay, Mary Carmel Pardi, David Cordingley, Nora Trigger, Anne Hollis, Gill Crowley, Katharine Horwood, Julia Smith, Eva Pendreich, Liesma Mezulis, David Day, John Knight, Dennis Barratt, Lisa Elkin, Alan Thew, Annabelle Heath, Judy Barratt, Alice Wright, Lucy Wright AND Cerys Hier.

The society's autumn flower show will be held in the Village Hall on October 6.

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