There is a song in the musical Les Miserables titled ‘Empty Chairs and Empty Tables’ and I must confess that when I woke on the morning of the Flower and Produce show that was my greatest worry. Would anybody bother to bring in their exhibits? Would anybody bother to come and SEE the exhibits? Would there in fact be rows of empty tables and chairs?

I worried unnecessarily! I should have known better! Staverton rose to the challenge and the tables had barely been set up when a steady stream of local horticulturalists and crafts people came through the doors. Shiny onions, perfect potatoes, succulent raspberries, jewel like red currants, ramrod straight runner beans all vied for the judges attention with beautifully knitted garments, exquisite tapestries, paintings and gleaming pots of jam and marmalade and chutney, not to mention the shortbreads, scones and sparkling, crunchy lemon drizzle cake!

At 2pm the doors opened to an appreciative public who filled the time till prize winners were announced by oohing and aahing and consuming vast amounts of scones, jam and clotted cream washed down with gallons of tea.

The judges decision was final and the cup for Best in Show went to Christopher Godber for his beautiful red currants and the People’s Choice went to Lily Cartlidge for her very buzzy biscuits bakes on a garden insect theme!

Rejuvenating this show was a giant leap of faith by the Committee. It was a leap well worth taking because the result was one of those lovely days that sums up what living in a village community is all about in my opinion. Friendship, sharing ideas and stories and a cup of tea, catching up with all the news, having some fun together that doesn’t involve very much technology! So…get out those seed catalogues and recipe books for next year and if you missed it this year make sure you’re around next August.  And if you haven’t got an allotment or a garden don’t be put off! Do what one exhibitor did and knit a basket of vegetables!

Isy Shackleton
Chairman, Village Hall Committee