Memorial Hall blooms with home-grown produce showing Sawbridgeworth digs gardening
Sawbrideworth celebrated 100 years of its annual Garden and Allotments Autumn show on Saturday with a magnificent display of home-grown and home-made produce.
Christine Walkden, a member of BBC Radio 4's Gardener's Question Time and a resident of Lawrence Avenue, presented the cups. "It's a fantastic show, bearing in mind the difficulties we've faced," she said. "The weather has been disastrous this year - lack of water, fluctuating temperatures and intense heat. How they produced such an amazing array of produce in these conditions I don't know."
Tables lining the Memorial Hall were bedecked with art, bread, cakes, flower displays, jam, knitting, needlework, photography, pickles, scones - and of course the fabulous vegetables.
Chairman Vic Johnson said the competition between Len Maiden, 71, of the Bullfields allotment, and Ken Kilbey, 76, of the Southbrook allotment, has animated the show in recent years. Len, who inherited his allotment from his father over 20 years ago, claimed the Chrysanthemum Cup, but this year the Riches Cup, awarded to the competitor with the most points, went to Ken.
"There's a healthy competition," said Ken, joking about a box of caterpillars he'd sneaked in. "It's been a good year for everyone."Len took consolation in his grand-daughter, Chloe Maiden, 12, who was highly commended for her cheese scones.
Margaret Hansford won the Filbey Cup for the best exhibit: magnificent floral display which she plans to give to a neighbouring friend who is coming out of hospital.