Monday 6 August 2018

Bacton Fayre

I must be very competitive because I've been entering village shows  whenever I can since the 1980's and in the 80's this one  was just a produce show which I used to enter when we lived in the village, before we moved over to the coast.
It always clashed with Knodishall's own  Produce show - 1st Saturday in August - so we never got back to have a look. In the meantime it has turned into a big village event with all sorts of things going on and is held on a big meadow rather than in the school, as it was 25 years ago.

I took my entries over just after 9am. I entered
  • 5 Runner Beans
  • 5 Tomatoes
  • 6 Cherry Tomatoes
  • 2 Cucumbers
  • 3 Courgettes
  • 2 Peppers in the Any Other Vegetable Class
  • A Vase of Herbs
  • A Marble Cake ( WI Members only)
  • A Jar of  Chutney
I didn't have much hope of winning anything except maybe with the tomatoes or peppers.............the cucumbers were huge, probably to big to be perfect, although they were a good matching pair. The courgettes were definitely too big and one had begun to turn into a marrow and the Marble Cake was a right mess. Never made one before and I used to have a rule of not entering something I'd not made before! The jug of herbs looked OK - rosemary, a few bits of sage as the bush has really suffered in this weather, basil and parsley.
Won a second place prize with these


Then I picked some more tomatoes to sell on the WI Produce/cake stall and took a couple of jars of chutney for selling too.

 I'd volunteered to help on the WI stall so went back just before noon, the flower show marquee was closed for judging  but when they let everyone in I found I'd won...............................
3 Firsts, 2 seconds and 2 thirds!


The biggest surprise was the Marble cake. Although it looked a bit rough from the outside the judges cut it in half and it did look well marbled inside and tasted good too. Although there were only 3 entries ................3 entries from a membership of over 30................what's the matter with people............................. not bothering to enter. Obviously not as competitive as me!




Prize winnings of £6! as it costs £1 per person and 25p per class  to actually enter, the winnings are not quite enough for a holiday but I was very pleased.
The WI prize isn't among these as it gets awarded at the WI meeting.

I had  a really good day at the show, so more photos of some of the other things there in tomorrow's post.

Back Tomorrow
Sue

45 comments:

  1. Well done! That is brilliant - and such a wonderful surprise when you scoop up so many prizes when you didn't expect to do so. Is it apathy, or lack of confidence on the part of others? It gets so frustrating, whatever the cause. No show in our village this year - I was the only one willing to run it, and I can't do that single-handed. The crazy thing is that it would have been swamped with entries because there are a lot of competitive people here. (Competitive commitment-phobes)

    Well done, Sue!

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  2. How lovely is that! Really well done. I reckon taking part in villager shows is a way of being part of the whole community rather than pure competitiveness (although that has something to do with it as well). You must have been so pleased and proud.
    xx

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  3. Congratulations - especially for taking the time & effort to join in and enter the various categories.

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  4. Congratulations nice to win something and I must say the photos of your herbs looks fantastic. Mine are all suffering in this heat.

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  5. Oh well done. I remember winning the jam and chutney prizes (first try) at our local show when we first moved down here and was NOT flavour of the month because I had made BANANA Jam and that was just scandalous!!!

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  6. BTW, Marble cake was one my mum and I used to make when I was young. It seemed so exotic then!

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  7. Oh, Sue, congratulations! Col would've been proud of you, dear girl! Those herbs look so beautiful, as good as any flowers, and in that dear little jug/mug. Ooh, you will be able to go mad now with your winnings! Six whole pounds! Don't spend it all at once, ha ha!
    Margaret P

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  8. I am so pleased Sue I always loved taking part in the WI show.
    Hazel c uk

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  9. You have to be in it to win it. Well done Sue great achievement.

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  10. The herbs in the jug look nice. Good to win some prizes, uplifting isn't it! That sounds like quite a Show at Bacton.

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  11. Well done Sue; the herbs looked lovely x

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  12. I liked the herbs too. Well done!

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  13. Great results Sue and you have done so well under these dry conditions to keep everything watered and producing. Did you get to try your marble cake? You have my admiration for joining in all the activities that you have done, and hopefully you felt a little grow of pride when your produce was so successful.

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  14. Congratulations on your success and of course for getting out there and enjoying the show.

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  15. Well done. Always a nice surprise when you do well.

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  16. Oh Sue....that is fabulous....Congratulations.
    Hugs-x-

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  17. Congratulations on your wins, they have a village show in the village where I was born in Somerset, but not here where I live in Hampshire, which is a shame.

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  18. Brilliant. We had a village show in Lincolnshire that used to take place every year and when I belonged to the WI I regularly used to have a go and take part. Nothing nicer than getting one of those little cards xx

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  19. How fabulous, congratulations to you. Your vase of herbs looks very healthy. Now to spend your bounty!

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  20. Way to go, Sue! Love the symmetry of herb jug display.

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  21. Congratulations. In the Netherlands we are not familiair with these kind of shows at all, but whenever we are in the UK we like to visit them.

    https://ruraltownliving.blogspot.com/

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  22. Well done. I love village shows. I'm just writing out entry cards for my own village garden club show tomorrow. After ten years, this is my last as Show Secretary.

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  23. Wow ... well done you. What a fantastic result, that herb display is simply perfect :-)

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  24. Well done! I'm lazy these days about entering the Horticultural Society shows. I don't have much to show at the moment!

    callmemadam

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  25. Oh well done, nice to be rewarded for all the effort xcx

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  26. Well done you! Very satisfying result and good fun too.

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  27. Good work! Looking forward to the next post with more pics.

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  28. Congratulations on your garden winnings! It makes all that hard work worthwhile! -Jenn

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  29. Well done, great results. Looking forward to more pictures too.

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  30. Congratulations!! We only have one event similar to that over here. It is held at 'Heritage Park' which is set out like a pioneer village. They have a harvest festival once a year but as it costs (I did the conversion) 15.75 pounds or 12.27 pounds each if you are a senior we don't bother going. None of the small towns around do anything like this. I wish they would.

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  31. How wonderful! It's great to be rewarded for your hard work. I'm happy for you!

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  32. We have something similar here in Nova Scotia called simply "The (place name) Exhibition, rural shows including horse pulls and barrel races, livestock shows, 4-H exhibits, and a midway with rides like the Ferris wheel. I haven't been there for years, since I was young enough to go with my parents. Good memories!

    You did well! It's important for people to keep participating or these things will dwindle away. I have to say I keep reading "Bacton" as "Bacon" and my mouth is watering - ha ha! I love the jug of herbs, so healthy and lush.

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  33. Well done Sue, had our village show this weekend, 1st time I didn't enter something. Dip got 3rd for his bucket of potatoes and a disappointing 3rd for his fruit cake for the last 3years he's entered the men's cake category and came first. So briused ego this year. Next year I will make an effort.

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  34. Congratulations, Sue! Just goes to show that often we judge our work too harshly. I'm so pleased for you.

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  35. Well done you ! I was reading a flyer about our local town veggie show and chickened out of entering my veg.....you gave made me think again . Maybe I’ll try next year .

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  36. Well Done! That's quite a haul! I hate large courgettes - many years ago everyone had a glut and we ate tham every way we could think of, and I've never really recovered. I do like small ones ribboned as a pasta substitute though. Your picture of the jug of herbs is wonderful. I can't get enough of herbs. And they're ridiculously expensive in the supermarket over here.

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  37. A nice reward for your labors! Congratulations Sue. I too loved the jug of herbs, so pretty. Can you tell me what turns a zucchini into a marrow? Are they just the huge "overgrown we call them" courgettes that get all seedy with a thickened skin? We don't have marrows here that I have ever heard about. I didn't find google to have a clear explanation at all. Thanks

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  38. Fantastic! Add me to the list of those who love your vase of herbs.

    The fair sounds like fun. I would love to see the sheepdogs - or maybe it was a display about sheepdogs.

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  39. Congratulations! Well-deserved wins. This year we went to the Cartmel Show on 1 August (away on holiday). Loved seeing all the baking and preserving entries, which aren't part of the Hadleigh Show.

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  40. WOW! well done, you! I hope you have decided to treat yourself on those winnings.

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