Page 30 - Simply Vegetables Winter 2021/22

NVS National Championships 2021
NORMAN DICKINSON FNVS
The NVS National Championships 2021 almost never happened! Now
for a little history lesson. Back in
2019 planning was well under way by the Scottish Branch to hold the 2020 National Championships in Dundee
in September, then six months before it was scheduled to take place Covid struck and everything was put on hold.
The Trustees decided to offer the 2021 championships to the Scottish Branch as they lost out in 2020, however due to problems regarding the venue, they reluctantly turned it down. With no Branch available to organise the National Championships it was proposed that the Trustees would fund and run the 2021 event. Sandra Hall was able to source a suitable venue in Atcham, close enough to Wales to get Welsh support so the Trustees agreed to go ahead and hold the Championships on Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th September at the Atcham Memorial Hall. This also meant that the NVS AGM
lifting the team would then be playing a home fixture but again with Sandra to the rescue an alternative venue was swiftly found, which was the “sister” hall to the Atcham Memorial Hall just a couple of miles away. We were still able to use the Football Club for our evening social event on the Saturday.
With Sandra living reasonably local to the hall, it was left to her to organise tables and other paraphernalia essential to the smooth running of
emails from some who could either not attend or would not be staging
all entries. Staging continued up to 11pm, then continued at 5am the next morning until 8am when the hall was cleared of all except Show Officials. With around 35% of entries not staged we were able to spread out some of the exhibits but even if all had staged we would still have had sufficient space.
Judging commenced at around 8.45am and in order to try and keep some semblance of social distancing the judges were issued their next class to judge on completion of the previous class and selecting a class that would not impede on classes still being judged. Each pair of judges had their own allocated steward with a separate steward acting as a runner for all pairs of judges. As the class result cards came into me they were entered into the spreadsheet and with the fully
would be held on the Saturday so planning in earnest for both events commenced.
After an initial rush of exhibitors at around 4pm, this settled to a steady stream which was very pleasing to see
the championships and for the organisation of the AGM. Sandra did a brilliant job sorting the menu and entertainment for the social evening whilst I was responsible for collating all of the entries and updating the results spreadsheet.
When I arrived at the hall just after lunch, having collected trophies en-route from Lewes
A Show Committee
was formed consisting
of Sandra Hall as Show
Manager, Fiona Shenfield
as General Secretary
and myself, Norman
Dickinson as Show and
Entries Secretary. The
2020 Show Schedule was
used as the template
for 2021 with just the Chairman’s Challenge Shield veg type to be decided and with input from the Branches
mini cucumbers were agreed on. We did experience one slight hiccup, originally the AGM was to be held at the Shrewsbury Town Football Club ground, but with Covid restrictions
to Atcham, the final stages of setting up the tables, black cloth etc. ready for the exhibitors to
stage from 4pm was well advanced. After an initial rush of exhibitors at around 4pm, this settled to a steady stream which was very pleasing to
see as I had expected a poor turnout, especially when I had already received
30 Simply Vegetables