Flower Show

Today was the local flower show and we are exhausted!!

We spent a lot of yesterday morning picking, choosing and arranging. 

Seeing as we spent most of the afternoon and evening clearing and decorating the room for my expected new nephew, we were choosing fruit and flowers by torchlight and didn`t sit down til 10.15 last night. At which point Steve realises that he has prepared his onions the wrong way.

At half past seven this morning he was off to Freshwinds Garden to choose another six.

Then it was off to the recreation ground to set up all our entries. Setting up started at 

8.30 and went on til 10.15.

My brother James and his wife Julia, my sister Paula and her 2 grandchildren came too.

Here we are helping to get Jamie`s exhibits set up. It is the first time he has shown anything.
I felt strangely vulnerable leaving all my exhibits for scrutiny by judges and villagers alike.

Then it was home to pick 7 pounds of blackcurrants, water everything and have lunch.

At 2.15 we went for a swim in the sea and were very lucky not to get caught in the sudden downpour.

Luckily it eased off and was very hot until the evening when there was another storm.

We went back to the show to see how we had done.

Steve had seven firsts, two seconds and one third so he is very pleased with himself.

Here are a few of them.

The carrots....first prize.

The broad beans ...first prize.

The French beans....first prize.

The ridge cucumbers...first prize.

The frame cucumbers...first prize.

Steve also got Best in Show for the craft classes.

I had mainly seconds and thirds and some unranked.

Here are some of mine.

I got second for my jug of herbs.

I got third for my fruit.
That`s it at the front.

I got third for my annuals.

It was fun to walk round and see who had come first. Jamie got a first for his kohlrabi, third for his rose and highly commended for his blackcurrants. There were a lot of entries and it was well attended.

Thank goodness the rain stopped.

In the evening we ate all the first prize vegetables in a lovely terrine which Steve made.

All in all a very satisfying day.