Milford & Makeney Flower and Produce Show

After a gap of nearly 30 years, Blooming Milford presents…

THE MILFORD AND MAKENEY FLOWER AND PRODUCE SHOW, SATURDAY 14th SEPTEMBER 2024, AT MILFORD SOCIAL CLUB

Open for entries: 10:00am – 11:00am

Judging:  11:00am – 12:00pm

Open to the public: 12:00am – 3:00pm (show ends 4pm.)

Fee for each category entered = £1.

Click here for the brochure including the Entry Form –

2024 Brochure (final)

Please use the numbers in the “schedule of classes” section below when filling in the form.

CHILDRENS CATEGORIES ALSO, WITH FREE SUNFLOWER SEEDS FOR CHILDREN

GET SOWING AND GROWING READY FOR SEPTEMBER 2024!

Any produce left by Exhibitors will be donated to the Methodist Food Bank

Welcome to the Milford & Makeney Flower and Produce Show

The Milford & Makeney Flower and Produce Show 2023 follows in the footsteps of similar shows that have been held in the village over the years. Harvest Festivals were also held in the various places of worship in Milford & Makeney for many years. The most recent Flower & Produce Shows (in those days called Horticultural Shows) were held in the periods 1976 – 1986 and 1990 – 1994. In the first period they were held in what was then The Pavilion (now Nealies) and chimed with the self-sufficiency ethos of the times (reflected in the popular BBC sitcom “The Good Life” of that period). In consequence they were very popular events – for example, in 1981 takings from entry fees were £120 – and people were charged just 30p per entry. The only reason why the shows stopped was that after 10 years the organisers had had enough and were finding the organisation too much. The baton was then passed on to a second group of organisers, who ran the Horticultural Show in the period 1990 – 1994, this time in what was then The British Legion (now the Social/Sunshine Club, also where today’s event will be held.) In terms of size, the shows of these two periods were similar to ours today, with about 30 entry categories, but these also included baking, preserves and handicrafts. We have restricted ourselves to flowers, fruit and vegetables this year, but depending on the success of the event may broaden the scope to cover some of these other areas in the future. We are in the process of packaging up sunflower seeds which we will distribute free to children at Milford School and to any other children at the Blooming Milford plant stall at the school May Fair on 11th May at 3pm.

Prizes

Over the years an impressive collection of cups and trophies donated by local businesses and individuals for the Horticultural Shows were amassed, and they have been passed on to us. They offer a poignant reminder of then local businesses which are now defunct/taken over such as The New Inn, Thorntons, Glow-worm and Bass-Charrington. It will be nice to see these cups and trophies (which are in remarkably good condition) having a new life!

Entries are awarded first, second and third in each class.  First will receive a rosette whilst second and third will receive a certificate. In addition, we will be awarding the following cups and trophies:

  • The New Inn Cup for Overall Best in Show
  • The Richard Beardsley Rose Bowl for Best Floral Display in show
  • The Glow Worm Cup for the Best Vegetable in show
  • The Norman Taylor Memorial Cup for the best Fruit in show
  • Cups will also be given for the best Infant 5-7 and best Junior 8-11

Points for places:  First place in class – 3 points Second place in class – 2 points Third place in class – 1. Best in Show will be awarded to the entrant with the most points overall.

Schedule of classes

  1. Onions, red or white – 2 matching, roots washed and neck of 7.5cm left on.
  2. Sweetcorn – 1 half stripped to expose kernels.
  3. Shallots – 3 matching, roots washed and neck of 7.5cm left on.
  4. Potatoes – 3 matching, any variety, washed.
  5. Tomatoes – 3 large or 5 cherry with stalk attached.
  6. Beetroot – 2 matching, washed, with tap root intact and leaves trimmed to 7.5cm.
  7. Carrots – 2 matching, washed, with tap root intact and leaves trimmed to 7.5cm.
  8. Parsnips – 1 washed, with tap root intact and leaves trimmed to 7.5cm.
  9. Leeks – 1 with roots attached and washed.
  10. Courgettes – 2 matching
  11. Lettuces – 1 with roots attached and washed.
  12. Largest vegetable – by weight
  13. Squashes – Any single squash with 7.5cm of stalk attached.
  14. Any other vegetable
  15. Ugliest vegetable
  16. Plums – 3 matching, with bloom and stalk on.
  17. Apples, Cooking – 3 not polished.
  18. Apples, Dessert – 3 not polished.
  19. Raspberries – 7 with stalk attached.
  20. Blackberries – 7 with stalk attached.
  21. A vase of flowers from the garden – in a suitable vase of your choice.
  22. Dahlias – 3 blooms of any variety or mix.
  23. Gladioli – 1 stalk, any variety.
  24. Chrysanthemums – 3 matching , any variety.
  25. House plant, foliage or flower – must have belonged to exhibitor for at least 12 months.
  26. Biggest Sunflower head – Children 11 and under only
  27. Miniature garden (infants, 0-7) – In a container no larger than 35 x 25cm
  28. Miniature garden (juniors 8-11) – In a container no larger than 35 x 225cm
  29. Collage (infants, 0-7) – a collage using any part of fruit/veg/flowers/insects, on no larger than A4 paper.
  30. Collage (juniors, 8-11) – a collage using any part of fruit/veg/flowers/insects, on no larger than A4 paper.

Click here for the brochure including the Entry Form –

2024 Brochure (final)

Please use the numbers in the “schedule of classes” section above when filling in the form.

ENTRY RULES

  • You must only enter home grown produce. Vegetable must be washed.  Children can enter adult classes
  • Entries must be staged between 10-11am on the morning of the show
  • Entries will be recorded by number only to ensure anonymity until after judging
  • If exhibits are not up to the standard specified by the show schedule prizes may not be awarded, and if there are less than 6 entries in a class the number of awards will be at the judge’s discretion
  • Nothing can be removed or altered between judging and the end of the show. Everything must be collected at the end of the show or it will be donated to the Methodist Church food bank in Belper
  • Cups and trophies cannot be won outright and must be returned to the committee by 31st July 2025

Click here for the Entry Form – Entry Form

Please use the numbers in the “schedule of classes” section above when filling in the form.

Have a great day and enjoy the show!