Lavington Flower and Produce Show
I love this event which takes place every year in mid September. It is a quintessentially British event - competitive, yet very polite and gentle. All the competitors love to win, yet will do their utmost to help each other and are genuinely pleased if somebody else beats them. And with all this rivalry, it comes as no surprise that the visitors, who come to browse, see a first rate show.
You don't need to be any kind of expert to enter or even win prizes. Each year I make my one sponge cake for the show. Quite often I get a prize for it. The cooking can involve the whole family and each year we have our own personal competition to see which member of the household has produced the tastiest sponge, cherry cake, scones, fudge etc.
This year (1999) I dashed out and picked 5 pears from my tree. I got a prize for them. Anybody with an apple tree, who can match up 5 similar looking fruits, has a chance of a prize.
Vegetable prizes tend to go to 'serious' competitors but there is always scope for hope. This year my wife happened to grow some very good sweet corn and our friendly, neighbourhood badger didn't eat it. It got a first prize. My wife never claims to be much of a flower arranger but she virtually always gets a prize for a vase of mixed flowers.
Almost to my embarrassment, I once won a first prize for a picture in the craft section. I only enter that class so that visitors are sure to say, 'I can do better than that'. But we all enter photographs - though nobody in my house takes anything special for the show.
Even if you don't care to exhibit, then you can always enjoy seeing the best that Lavington can offer and then stay for the auction of surplus produce - a sure place to pick up some bargain fruit, vegetables and flowers.
What follows is a montage of show photographs from 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2001. I hope you enjoy seeing the competitors, the judges at work and the people looking at the show.
Cake judging - with a steel rule!
prize winners might get caught for a press photo - with Kooky Clown
Lavington Gardening Club's prize winning display in year 2000
The 2001 show was held on 8th September. Once again, the people of the Lavington area worked hard to produce a good show.
and that winning team from Lavington again!
