Cumnor Gardening Club

Report below

SPRING SHOW, SATURDAY 29 March 2025

This year we brought the Show forward by a week to take account of the warming weather and thereby catch the daffodils at their best and hopefully some early tulips. This worked well for the daffodils but we were too early for many tulips. The number of entrants and entries were much the same as last year with a welcome increase in the number of flower exhibits. The daffodils were the stars of the Show, and there were also attractive displays of spring flowers and flowering shrubs.     

Dianne Cockburn swept the board in the Flower Classes. She won best entry in the daffodil classes for a fine display of small cup narcissi and best entry in the other spring and shrub flower classes with an attractive display including magnolias and camellias. As well as winning the two best entry cups Dianne also won the cup for the most points overall in the flower classes. 

On the domestic side exhibits included a good number of coffee and walnut cakes, brownies, savoury scones and jars of marmalade and chutney. Graham Ansell was the overall winner in the Domestic Classes with entries in four classes including a prize winning coffee and walnut cake. We are grateful for the individual comments that the judge for the Domestic Classes leaves on most of the entries. 

Tobias Shamel won the Hawtin cup for the under 7s with his delightful entries of a decorated Easter Tree, Cup cakes and a Painting of spring flowers. 

The photography classes generated a good number of entries with the judge again commenting favourably on the standard of entries. Topics for the classes included Early spring bubs, Light on water, Wildlife in the garden, Cobwebs and Fallen trees. The cup for the most points was shared between Dianne Cockburn and Chris Scruby with the cup for the Best Entry going to Paul Cockburn for his photograph of cobwebs amongst heathers and rocks. Similarly, we are grateful for the individual comments which the judge leaves on most of the entries. 

A huge thanks to all those who exhibited this Spring; without them the Show would not be possible and we would like to encourage more of you to enter in the future. Whilst some exhibitors are able to submit a number of exhibits and for that we are very thankful, we also welcome exhibitors who may only be able to submit a few or even just one entry. All the entries come together to contribute to a successful Show.

The Shows are not for experts but for the local community so we hope that you will continue to support them, or if you have not entered before to put in something from your garden, your kitchen or your camera. Thanks also to all those who came to see the Show in the afternoon. It is rewarding for the exhibitors to see their work appreciated by a wider audience. We are also grateful to those who so generously supported the Plant Stall and for all those who helped behind the scenes to make the Show a success. 

SPRING SHOW PRINCIPAL WINNERS 

The  Boyles Cup for the most points in both the daffodil and other flower  classes –  Dianne Cockburn

The Prince Cup for the best single entry in the daffodil classes – Dianne Cockburn

The Sherlock Shield for the best entry in the other flower classes – Dianne Cockburn

The Stevens Trophy for the most points in the domestic classes –  Graham Ansell

The Hawtin Cup for the most points in the under 7s Junior Classes – Tobias Shamel

The Parker Trophy for the most points in the photographic classes – Dianne Cockburn and Chris Scruby

The Parker Trophy for the best entry in the photographic classes – Paul Cockburn