GALLERY: Stedham with Iping Horticultural Society annual flower show

The Memorial Hall was full of members and visitors admiring the beautiful blooms, scents and tastes.

Society chairman Hannah Stanley thanked all the exhibitors for making the occasional so successful.

“The total number of entries exceeded that recorded last year, which is most encouraging,” she added.

Both judges, Mr I. Aldred and Mrs D. Harding, commented on the high standard achieved by exhibitors. Hannah thanked them for their expertise and helpful suggestions on how the society can continue to grow the show and encourage wider participation in the traditional village event.

Hannah was awarded the Allan Simpson Cup for best in show, for achieving the highest number of prize cards across all classes. Rose Hubbard was placed second and Brenda Lush third.

The perpetual trophy cups are awarded on the basis of total points in each section, for fruit and vegetables, flowers, and cookery and homecraft.

Sanchia Elsdon won the Challenge Bowl for fruit and vegetables and Malcolm Hutchings was runner-up.

Hannah also won the Heather Rose Bowl for flowers and there were five runners-up, each scoring six points – Malcolm Hutchings, Sanchia Elsdon, Brenda Lush, Denise Knowles and Caroline Smith.

Rose Hubbard won the Levett Coffee Pot for cookery and craft, with Christine Dicks as runner-up.

The public cake tasting class was, as always, a great success.

Hannah said: “The specified recipe for squash and orange tray bake proved to be very much to everybody’s liking.

“The four competitors had their cakes tasted not just once but several times, prior to the big decision being made of who to vote for.

“This class proved to be a very close run thing between the first two but Dorothy Berry with 16 votes was just ahead of Elizabeth Carmichael with 15 votes. They were followed by Rose Hubbard and Christine Dicks. The cakes were all very tasty but Dorothy Berry was the star cook for this one and she received a special Award Card with her prize.

“The recipe was quite complicated and so there was lots of discussion on expectations of how the soft dried apricots, candied peel, chopped orange segments, grated orange zest would all meld together, and be topped with toasted pumpkin seeds and cream cheese.”

Results

Fruit and vegetables: Challenge Bowl, winner Sanchia Elsdon, runner-up Malcolm Hutchings. Collection, H Stanley. Potatoes: 1 T. Fenwick-Smith, 2 H. Stanley, 3 C. Dicks. Longest bean: 1 H. Stanley. French beans: 1 M. Hutchings, 2 H. Stanley, 3 S. Elsdon. Runner beans: 1 M. Hutchings, 2 H. Stanley. Pea pods: 1 M. Drury. Broad bean pods: 1 R. Hubbard, 2 H. Stanley, 3 R. Osborne. Courgettes: 1 B. Lush, 2 M. Hutchings, 3 S. Elsdon. Tomatoes: 1 C. Dicks, 2 T. Fenwick-Smith, 3 B. Lush. Soft fruits: 1 S. Elsdon, 3 H. Harrison. Mixed herbs: 1 E. Carmichael, R. Hubbard, H. Stanley. Any single specimen: 1 H. Stanley, 2 S. Elsdon, 3 T. Fenwick-Smith.

Flowers: Heather Rose Bowl, winner Hannah Stanley, runners-up Malcolm Hutchings, Sanchia Elsdon, Brenda Lush, Denise Knowles and Caroline Smith. Rose specimen, 1 D. Knowles, 2 S. Elsdon, 3 M. Hutchings. Rose for scent, 1 S. Elsdon, 2 R. Hubbard, 3 H. Stanley. Cycle of roses, 1 D. Knowles, 2 S. Payne, 3 T. Fenwick-Smith. Sweet peas, 1 H. Stanley, 2 B. Lush, 3 R. Osborne. Sweet pea specimen for scent, 1 R. Osborne, 3 H. Stanley. Dahlia, 1 M. Hutchings, 2 E. Carmichael, 3 B. Lush. Any other annual, 1 C. Smith, 3 H. Stanley. Mixed perennial, 1 J. Hills, 2 C. Smith, 3 H. Stanley. Flower heads, 1 H. Stanley, 2 T. Fenwick-Smith, 3 S. Elsdon. Fuchsia, 1 H. Stanley, 2 D. Berry, 3 C. Smith. Penstemons, 1 H. Harrison. Pot plant, 2 D. Christmas. Best exhibit from garden, 1 B. Lush, 2 M. Hutchings, 3 D. Berry.

Cookery and craft: Levett Coffee Pot, winner Rose Hubbard, runner-up Christine Dicks. Floral arrangement, theme My Colours, 1 H. Stanley. Miniature flower arrangement in a coffee cup, 1 R. Hubbard, 2 E. Carmichael, 3 S. Baxter. Table centre, grasses and foliage, 1 R. Hubbard. Preserves, 1 C. Dicks, 2 S. Payne, 3 J. Payne. Marmalade, 1 H. Stanley. Bread rolls, 1 C. Dicks, 2 R. Hubbard. Victoria sandwich, 1 B. Lush, 2 R. Hubbard. Favourite cake, 1 E. Carmichael, 2 R. Hubbard. Sticky marmalade cake, 1 R. Hubbard. Banana muffins, 1 C. Dicks, E. Carmichael, 3 R. Hubbard. Photograph, theme the beauty and/or beast of West Sussex, 1 D. Baxter. Handicraft (needlework), 1 B. Lush. Handicraft, other styles, 1 D. Baxter, 2 N. Heath, 3 R. Osborne.

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