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 THE SOCIAL CLUB

See below for details of the categories.

Fee for each category entered = £1. Details of how to apply and what will be expected for each category to follow shortly on this website.

CHILDRENS CATEGORIES ALSO, WITH FREE SUNFLOWER SEEDS FOR CHILDREN

GET SOWING AND GROWING READY FOR SEPTEMBER 2024!

 

SCHEDULE OF CLASSES

VEGETABLE SECTION

  • Onions, red or white
  • Sweetcorn
  • Shallots
  • Potatoes, any variety
  • Tomatoes, any variety
  • Beetroot
  • Carrots
  • Parsnips
  • Leeks
  • Courgette
  • Lettuce
  • Largest vegetable, by weight
  • Squash
  • Any other vegetable
  • Ugliest vegetable

FRUIT SECTION

  • Plums
  • Apples, Cooking
  • Apples, Dessert
  • Raspberries
  • Blackberries

FLORAL SECTION

  • A vase of flowers from the garden
  • Dahlias
  • Gladiolus
  • Chrysanthemum
  • House plant, foliage or flower

JUNIOR SECTION         0-7 Infant      8-11  Junior

  • Biggest Sunflower head
  • Miniature garden in a seed tray – INFANT
  • Miniature garden in a seed tray – JUNIOR
  • Using any part of fruit/veg/flowers a collage of ‘Animal Magic’    –  INFANT  (0-7)
  • Using any part of fruit/veg/flowers a collage of flower/plant or insect – JUNIOR (8-11)

Winners will receive a mixture of rosettes and trophies, details to follow.

ENTRY RULES

  • All produce and flowers entered into the competition must have been home/allotment grown by the entrant themselves.
  • Entry vegetables must be washed.
  • Children may enter the adult categories if they wish.
  • Each entry will designated a number and this given to the entrant before the show. The entrant must stage their entry showing this number only on the day, in order to maintain anonymity. The names of the entrants will be revealed after judging if they gain a prize.
  • Entries must be staged between 9-10am on the day of the show and then nothing can be altered or removed between judging and the end of the show.
  • If the entries are not up to the standard specified for the class, prizes may not be awarded, and if there are less than 6 entries per class, the number of prizes is up to the judges discretion.
  • Entrants must take their entries away with them at the end of the show. If they are not collected, we will donate them to a local food bank.
  • Cups and trophies remain the property of Blooming Milford but can be kept by winners until 1st July 2025, when they must be returned.

Have a great day and enjoy the show!

Historical background to flower & produce shows in Milford & Makeney

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 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.

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. (A picture of all the cups and trophies together at this point would be good). They offer a poignant reminder of then local businesses which are now defunct/taken over such as The New Inn, Thornton’s, 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!