Page 25 - Simply Veg 4 2022

Southern Branch Championships 2022
ALISON CLARKE FNVS
After what seemed like a very long 3 years wait, the NVS Southern Branch Championships and New Forest Open Vegetable Show went ahead once again at the end of July, kindly hosted by the New Forest and Hampshire County Show.
Firstly, a big “Thank you” to all those who helped bring the veg show to fruition. From the fantastic team who set up on the Sunday, all those who helped on Monday, the Judges and Stewards who worked their magic on Tuesday, everyone helping over the course of the 3 days, the exhibitors staging their produce and our valued sponsors. Without all of these, there would be no show.
There were a few headaches and hiccoughs along the way. On one particularly unpromising day, 3 key members of the team contacted me
to advise they could not attend. Barry Newman had to stand down as head judge, Norman Dickinson was unable to be show manager as planned and critically, Keith Hine who leads the set-up team had car problems. It was enough to drive me to Prosecco, but thankfully it all worked out; Barry passed the Head Judge baton to Ian Clemens, Keith borrowed his wife’s car,
and Norman was still able to attend on Tuesday to manage the results, while I filled in as show manager alongside my show secretary duties.
With blistering heat and temperatures soaring to 40 degrees the week before, some feared the show might be cancelled like other shows the previous week. This was never an option though, the New Forest Show had to go ahead.
Considering the extreme weather this year, our exhibitors managed to put on a great show. Whilst the runner bean class reflected the growing challenges; only
2 out of 7 entries made it onto the show bench, there were otherwise some fantastic exhibits.
I once heard someone say, “There can’t be much to running a show”. Of course, it was someone who had never run a show. A show is very much a graceful swan above
Best in show shallots
the water, with feet paddling like crazy below the water.
At one point, I looked around the show at all the individuals helping. Whether talking to the public, selling merchandise, helping the exhibitors, whatever aspect they were involved in, I was so impressed by the teamwork. The contribution of many individuals leads to a great show.
Setting up on the Sunday is a big job and impossible without the dedication of Keith, Jan, Kelvin, Harry, Ros, Paul, Barbara, Nigel, Daphne and Neil. The staging was swiftly covered with black fabric and stapled down by the team leaving Keith
and Jan to mark out the individual classes. Ros and Harry painted the staging boards; I am a bit “Strict Mistress” in this regard,
I like everything to be freshly painted as scuffed staging boards do not do justice to our exhibitors’ entries. As usual Paul saw whatever needed to be done and
just got on with it. Daphne and Neil took
on inserting the class cards into acrylic stands; fiddlier than you would imagine and wrapped numerous sandbags in black fabric to stop the stands blowing over. Keith kindly ordered the sponsors board, two show banners and rosettes for the show. Nigel and Kelvin put up the sponsors board
Unbeatable cauliflowers
Ros, Harry, Daphne and Neil
Donald and Brenda
Simply Vegetables 25