A former resident of Ottery who was a long-time steward at the Devon County Show has celebrated her 90th birthday – with a bouquet from the show’s current organisers.
Joan Mitchell held the role of Crafts and Gardens steward for 36 years when the event was based at the Whipton showground in Exeter.
She relocated to Taunton in 1994, but has not been forgotten by her former colleagues.
Competitions and features co-ordinator Lisa Moore said: “Joan was a fantastic steward and a joy to work with.
“What we remember in particular were her famous drapes which she provided to adorn the tables in the marquee. These were used for many decades and long after Joan departed. In fact, they were only very recently retired in 2018.”
Joan was presented with a birthday bouquet of 90 stems by the current chief steward Deborah Custance-Baker.
The arrangement was created by Wendy Frost, a successful competitor in the show’s floral art contests during Joan’s time, who now makes the floral decorations in the President’s Marquee.
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