Flower and Produce Show

Halwill Flower and Produce Show

Rumour has it that there used to be a Show back in the 1950's.  If any of our readers have photos of the show back then it would be great to have copies - let me know at halwill.parish.clerk@hotmail.com.

In 1987 Frances Holway, Rita Noon and Marie Wright persuaded David and Pat Trout, Dennis Hunt, Brian Wonnacott, Ted and Vera Dart to form a committee with a view to restarting a flower and produce show.

We had a coffee morning to raise some funds, and the show took place on 19th September 1987.  It only had 56 classes—14 flower classes, 15 vegetable classes, 19 preserves and cookery classes, 5 handicraft classes and 3 children's classes.  Knowing that there had been a show previously with cups, enquiries were made, but no one seemed to know where the old cups were, so the committee donated new cups.

There has been a show every year since then either the last week in August or first week in September, depending on when the bank holiday falls.

The committee has changed over the years.  Rita, Marie, Ted and Vera have all passed away and Frances moved to Truro. Angela Bertram, Michael Crocker, Margaret Darke, Graham Harvey, Pat Smallacombe and Marjorie Wonnacott have, one by one, been co-opted on and work very well as a team.  When one show ends a debrief meeting is held, and the judges are booked for the next year.

Once the classes are agreed upon, schedules are drawn up for the committee to approve, and then schedules for the judges.  Finally, if there are no negative responses, 80 schedules and entry forms are printed off which then go into the Post Office for sale.  Although around 80 schedules are sold we don't get 80 entering.  Each schedule has a Lucky Number giving the entrant a chance to win £10; the number is drawn out at the show.

The next Flower and Produce Show will be on 3 September 2016