Sidmouth Garden Club fruit and veg show praised

SIDMOUTH Garden Club members have this week reflected on a successful Summer Flower Fruit and Vegetable show last month.

More than 300 visitors and 100 club members poured into All Saints Church Hall for the event on June18 to sample an array of delights supplied by 31 exhibitors who submitted more than 240 entries.

Part of the club's 60th anniversary celebrations, the show recognised one of its late longest serving members with the introduction of the Anne Bagwell Memorial Cup.

"The club is proud to have had such a wonderful Member," said chairman John Vaughan.

He added: "This year's honors were shared evenly between the gentlemen and ladies. It was felt that the standard of exhibits was very high this year, and the club's officers congratulated all exhibitors on their entries."

Highlights of the show included an 'English Rose' section, a "second to none" sweet pea display and a range of entries from local children.

Mr Vaughan said: "It is always a pleasure to see these, and this year was no exception to the high standard we have come to expect. The ideas the children employed were admirable.

"Cacti in particular got at lot of attention. Fruit and vegetables may not take centre stage with lots of people, but they are beautiful in their own right. Strawberries only needed a little Devon cream to make them irresistible. And the pride of the vegetable displays were two huge cabbages. The broad beans also caught the eye."

Before the show opened to the public, Sidmouth Town Council presented the club a cheque for providing community service to the townsfolk.

The Garden Club's next major event will be the celebration of its Diamond Jubilee on July 16. Professor Sir Ghillean Prance, one of the worlds most distinguished botanists and one time Director of Kew Gardens, and the New York Brooklyn Botanical Gardens will speak on entitled "Some interesting plants from the Tropics". The event will take place in the All Saints Church Hall from 7.30pm.