CHAS Autumn Show results September 1st 2018

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Well, the sun shone, the burgers sizzled and all had a good time. Yes, it was the CHAS Autumn Show.

41 participants exhibited over 120 displays of flowers, fruit, vegetables, cakes, photographs and of course the children’s entries.

There was food aplenty from the barbeque and cakes from our fantastic catering team. Liquid refreshments in the form of wine, beer, squash and tea and coffee were also in abundant supply.

It was the busiest for some years with non-members exhibiting and visiting the show. It was also good to see a lot of children.

As usual, at the end of the show the Chairman auctioned off all the excess produce and many bargains were had.

A full list of Trophy winners is attached as is the winners of the various classes.

A big thank you to all who helped set up, run and tidy away the show. It takes a lot of work from our volunteers and committee members to organize a show like this and without the enthusiastic entrants, it would have been a waste of time. The fact that we still hold two shows a year is a testament to their enthusiasm and hard work.

As I mingled with the visitors, there were the usual comments of “mine are better than that” to which I always replied put your money where your mouth is and enter the next show.

It is not all about winning, it really is the taking part and the social intercourse afterwards where you can pick up tips and hints.

Two of the awards are for allotment holders only. One is for the alternative allotment where it is judged that the tenant has used imagination and alternative material in the construction of their plots. This year Alan Litster who has Plot 28 Chertsey Road was the winner. Apart from his shed, Alan has used recycled pallets and other material from skips for his raised beds, cold frames and other structures. For his paths, he salvaged some artificial turf from a skip.

The RHS Allotment Competition was won by Professor William Robertson (Andy) for his plot at 30 Chertsey Road. His plot really looked good. I think weeds were afraid to grow there. The quality quantity and variation of his crops was first class. His shed was well maintained and in ship shape condition. The plot layout allowed for crop rotation and his paths and beds were constructed like the New York grid system.

These two awards are the ones that any good allotmenteer can win given a little bit of imagination and good housekeeping.

CHAS Autumn Show results September 1st 2018

Jeanette Edwards does not have an allotment, yet the flowers she grows at home show that anyone can enter and win trophies at the CHAS shows. Her two cups were the Wavendon Cup for the highest points in the Dahlias Classes and the the Staveley Cup for the second highest points in the flower classes.Professor Robertsons wife Lesley, like the majority of wives and partners who were winners, makes an invaluable contribution to the  success of their partners by doing most of the donkey work – as she puts it.