Hundreds enjoy Bath Spring Flower Show
The Royal Victoria Park was covered in a sea of tents and marquees to exhibit the work of some of the country’s leading gardening experts.
Visitors were treated to floral art exhibits, craft shows, lectures and demonstrations and cookery displays, as well as live music provided by the Just in Time big band.
It was also the perfect day out for young families, with a play area, punch and judy-style puppet shows, a bouncy castle and an animal tent organised by Bath City Farm where children could get close to chickens and goats.
One of the organisers, Sarah Giovannini, outdoor events officer for Bath and North East Somerset Council, said the weekend had been going well.
She said: “We are delighted we have had such good crowds, certainly the good weather has helped.
“We think the show’s continued success is because there is something here for everybody. There is lots to keep the children entertained and we certainly aim to be a family event.”
The food tent included exhibitions from the Bath Soft Cheese Co, Riverford Organic Vegetables and cookery demonstrations by Merchant Inns.
Chef Rob Clayton was showing audiences how to whip up a three-course meal and then getting feedback from members of the public about his recipes.
He said: “It has been brilliant. I love doing demonstrations at these type of events because it inspires people to cook more. Cooking is for everybody. You need to make sure you buy the right ingredients, and I would advise that they are locally sourced, but you can’t really go wrong.”
Rachel Priday, 37, who lives in Bath, had gone along with her one-year-old daughter Florence.
She said: “I haven’t been to the show before, this is my first time. It is really helpful that they have got things on for the kids, because the little ones get so bored.”
She was enjoying a picnic with her friend Jules Beaven, 40, and her three-year-old daughter Isabella, who added: “If the weather wasn’t so good we probably wouldn’t have come. It makes a big difference when you have kids.”
Shirley Hale, 73, had travelled across on the bus from Bristol and said she made sure she went to the show every year.
She said: “I have enjoyed all of it so far. I come every year because it is a nice day out.”
Inside the tents were an array of plant exhibits and floral art displays.
Sue Southgate, from the Floral Art Competition committee, said she had been impressed by the high standard of entries.
She said: “The judges all said that it was of a very high standard and we are very pleased with the way it looks. All of the visitors have been saying that it looks lovely.
“We are particularly pleased in the number of new entrants this year.”
The show finishes tomorrow.
RESULTS
Main Floral Marquee
C S Lockyer: Gold
Observatory Bonsai Nursery: Gold
Pennard Plants: Gold
Wiltshire College Lackham: Silver Gilt
Westdale Nurseries: Silver
Wessex Nurseries: Silver Gilt
Pheasant Acre Plants: Large Gold
T3 Plants: Gold
Dibleys Nurseries: Large Gold
Hutton Hostas: Large Gold
Craig House Cacti: Large Gold
Fibrex Nurseries: Silver Gilt
Garden of Japan: Gold
Floyds Climbers and Clematis: Silver Gilt
Ward Alpines: Silver Gilt
Blooming Hill Plants: Silver
Bodwen Nursery: Silver Gilt
The Botanic Nursery: Gold
Wilford Bulb: Silver
The Delphinium Society: Silver
Foxgrove Plants: Silver Gilt
R A Scamp Quality Daffodils: Large Gold
Hebron & Medlock Trophy awarded to the Best Floral Trade Exhibit in the Main Floral Marquee: Craig House Cacti
The Joyce Harding Perpetual Plate awarded to the Best Small Trade Stand in the Main Floral Marquee 20’ and under: Dibleys Nuerseries
The Fred Daw Trophy awarded to the Best Trade Exhibit in the Main Floral Marquee, showing plants of special interest or beauty or showing exceptional skill in cultivation: R A Scamp Quality Daffodils.
Honorary Awards
Bath and North East Somerset parks section: Large Gold
Bath Allotments Association: Silver Gilt
Outside Awards
Crisp Cowley Rose Bowl awarded to the Best Exhibit Outside Main Floral Marquee: Straysparks.
Admiralty (Bath) Horticultural Society Cup awarded to the most original and innovative trade display outside the Main Floral Marquee: Tom Clarke Stonecarver
Floral Art, themed Let’s Face the Music and Dance.
Club Class
1. Let’s face the Music and Dance
1st Downend Folk House Floral Arrangement Society.
2nd Chew Valley Flower Decoration Society.
3rd Chippenham Flower Arrangement Society.
Highly Commended Winterbourne and District Flower Club.
Commended Bath Floral Decoration Society.
Open Classes
2. Ring of Fire
1st Lynne Hayes.
2nd Wendy Williams.
3rd Jackie Crouch.
Highly Commended Marie Blackman.
Commended Margaret Baker.
3. If Music be the Food of Love.
1st Diane Clark
2nd Rosemary Stevens
3rd Rosaleen Harford
4. Tension
1st Janet Warden
2nd Glenda Martin
3rd Liz McLeish
Highly Commended Jan Jones
5. Saving on a Huge Scale
1st Shirley Preston
2nd Lynne Hayes
3rd Glenda Martin
Highly Commended Hazel Weaver
6. Masked Ball
1st Diane Clark
2nd Isabel Cooke
3rd Pat Hicks
Commended Maureen Sanders and Elaine Barwick
7. Poetry in Motion
1st Wendy Williams
2nd Janet Warden
3rd Evelyn Moore
Highly Commended Glenda Martin
8. Spring Melody
1st Shirley Preston
2nd Maureen Sanders
3rd C.Booth
Highly Commended R.Stevens
Commended Pat Hicks
9. All that Glitters...
1st Elaine Barwick
2nd Lynne Hayes
3rd Shirley Preston
Very Highly Commended Maureen Sanders
Highly Commended Marie Blackman and Isabel Cooke
10. Dancing Queen
1st Pat Hazelhurst
2nd Lucy Ellis
3rd Jackie Crouch
Highly Commended Hazel Weaver
Intermediate Class (An exhibitor with less than 5 years flower arranging experience)
11. A Few of my Favourite Things
1st Ann Bevan
2nd Alison Stubbs
3rd Carol Buxton
Very Highly Commended Christine MacMullen-Price
Highly Commended Lesley Wilson
Commended Sheila Bell
The Mallory Cup for the Best Exhibit in the Open Classes: Lynne Hayes
The Mannings Trophy for the best use of garden plant material: Shirley Preston
The Mary Bradshaw Cup will be presented for the best use of colour: Jackie Crouch
The Josephine Spinks Salver for the Runner Up to Best Exhibit in the Open Classes: Pat Hazelhurst
A book on flower arranging in memory of Millie Hook, to winner of Intermediate Class: Ann Bevan
People’s Choice will be awarded today (Monday)
Photographic competition - The Four Seasons
Class 1
1st Freya Larson
2nd Clare Kendall-Bohoslawec
3rd Oenone Bodman-Harris
Highly Commended Clare Kendall-Bohoslawec
Commended Oenone Bodman-Harris
Class 2
1st Saskia Cochrane
2nd Amy Wagstaff
3rd Juliet Carrick
Class 3
1st Christine Hough
2nd Mary Poad
3rd David Hargreave
Very Highly Commended Peter Clark, Reginald Poad, Mary Poad, Gerda Turmaine, Ken Goodwin
Junior Competition
Section 1
J1 Painting or drawing entitled A Picnic in the Park 30cm x 45cm max
1st Katrina Woodfield
2nd Anna Woodfield
3rd Ethan Cowie
Very Highly Commended Maisie Humphries
Highly Commended Meg Stratton
Commended Gabriella Tigoglu
J2 A decorated hard boiled egg
1st Jules Lonsdale
2nd Michael Sharp
3rd Ethan Cowie
Very Highly Commended Anna Woodfield
Highly Commended Ashling Hammerton
J3 An arrangement of flowers and foliage in a tea cup (not exceeding 30cm height in any dimension)
1st Harvey Matthews
2nd Anna Woodfield
3rd Ashling Hammerton
Very Highly Commended Rebecca Cooper REBECCA COOPER
Highly Commended Kathryn Welsh, Sabrina Sanfilippo, Tyler Horseman
Commended Izayah Jordan, Elliott Godfrey
Section 2
J4 A miniature garden in a seedtray (standard size 21cm x 35cm)
1st Abigail Sharp
2nd Ellie Lonsdale
3rd Oenone Bodman-Harris
Very Highly Commended Sophia Dougall
Highly Commended Molly Matthews
Commended Alice Rutter-Eley, Auriol Reddaway, Olivia Cowie, Soumia Fountaine
J5 VEG-A-LIKE - create a model of your favourite celebrity out of vegetables (not exceeding 45 cm in any dimension)
1st Oenone Bodman-Harris
2nd William Maxwell
3rd Rachel Denness
Very Highly Commended Harry Farrant, Joshua Wilsch
Commended: ELLA SANFILIPPO
J6 A model made from any waste material (not exceeding 43 cm in any dimension)
1st Oenone Bodman-Harris
2nd Isabella Pakeman
3rd Alexis Hawker
Very Highly CommendedLeah Tollit
Highly Commended Safia Dann
Commended Alex Pearson
Section 3
J7 A working model made from a construction kit (not exceeding 30cm)
No entries
J8 A greetings card to celebrate an 18th birthday (not exceeding 15cmx20cm)
1st Esther Dunstan-Sewell
2nd Chris Rand
3rd Richard Hutchinson
Commended Jake Stamps
J9 A flower arrangement in an unusual container (not to exceed 45cmx30cm)
1st William Lonsdale
2nd Esther Dunstan-Sewell
3rd Iona Rodman
Very Highly Commended Katy Spencer
Trophy for Best Overall Exhibit in the Junior Competition
Awarded to William Lonsdale for J9
Reserve Abigail Sharp for J4
Art Competition
Open Class
1st K M Johnson
2nd Ann King
3rd Linda Marshall
Very Highly Commended Alison Hitt
Commended: Pam Savage, Miles Wilson, Laura Tanner, Alice Robinson
Women’s Institute/Townswomen’s Guild
Class 1 A sailor’s hat
1st L Craner, Worle WI
2nd J Mawhood, Chipping Sodbury Morning WI
3rd J Hawkins, Midsomer Norton TG
Highly Commended W Scott, Doynton WI, N Oliver, Monkton Combe WI, P Maskell, Beaufort TG
Class 2 A cover for a cubed tissue box
1st J Mawhood, Chipping Sodbury Morning WI
2nd Janet Barwick, Fosseway TG
3rd Alice Frere, Saltford Evening WI
Highly Commended Gillian Stevens, Marshfield WI, P Rose, Saltford Evening WI, P Schwartz, Chpping Sodbury WI
Class 3 A piece of beaded jewellery
1st J Mawhood, Chipping Sodbury Morning WI
2nd Alice Frere, Saltford Evening WI
3rd J Gough, Worle WI
Highly Commended E Alford, Monkton Combe WI
Quaich awarded for Best In Show to: J Mawhood
Joan Greenman Trophy for Runner-up Best in Show: L Craner
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