Page 6 - Simply Vegetables Winter 2021/22

The last quarter of the year for me has been rather busy. It started back in August when I was invited to attend
a visit to DT Brown’s trial grounds
Nr Newmarket. It was their annual press open day. I visited with Norman Dickinson, Southern branch Chair, the weather was great, or shall I say hot. We had drinks on arrival, a small introduction about the day and then, due to covid restrictions were invited to wander the grounds on our own
to view the wide and varied crops growing in the trial beds (rather
than a tight group in a guided tour). There were plenty of DT Brown staff available for questions along the way which was great. Lunch was provided by caterers and was fab!! followed
by a few speeches from the directors on how they had been doing through lockdown and where they are going in the future. All in all, a very interesting and enjoyable day out.
Talking of our partner DT Brown, my ‘Winter Density’ lettuce have grown well. In my last report I had sown some of their free seed, and they were up quickly. From then I potted the seedlings up for planting out later and I cut my first lettuce at the end
of September. They are a lovely, crisp fresh lettuce I will certainly continue to grow them.
Later in August, came the BBC Gardeners World Live event, at the NEC Birmingham which had been postponed from June. The event was a scaled down version and held outside but was still a four-day show. The
NVS was well represented by the West Midlands DA and I volunteered my services for a day to help. Although fewer members of the public were in attendance, we were busy all day and gained some new members too. I left before the end of the day thinking I would miss the traffic, but how wrong I was as the M6 was at a standstill! just my luck, but I was glad to have attended the event to support the DA with their interesting and informative display.
As we moved into September, normally a busy month of shows,
the Scottish Branch held their re- located Branch championships with a successful day and seeing members delighted to meet up again and enjoy the whole event. I would like to thank the Scottish Branch Committee for their determination to provide this opportunity.
The following weekend was the National Show at Atcham in the memorial Hall. This was funded from the Trustees £5K fund along with a most appreciated donation of £500 from the Scottish
added hospitality of the local bowling club, attached to Atcham Hall, who opened their doors to us all from the Friday afternoon and all weekend serving hot and cold beverages and cake. Members were also allowed to have a game of bowls. To see everyone together again enjoying each other’s company with refreshments on the patio in the sun next to the bowling green will stay with me forever. The bowling club made some funds for their club, serving their refreshments,
6 Simply Vegetables
Lady Chair’s Report
Branch and of course our generous partners and sponsors who supported the prize money. I’m happy to report that our planning paid off and we were under budget. A good chunk of the main planning was fronted
2021 was the first time that Malvern had held a three- day show (to lessen the crowds with covid in mind)
some of which, they very kindly donated to the NVS on the final day of the show.
With September in full swing, I next visited the Northern Branch championships, held at Newby Hall for the first time. I was interested in finding out what this new venue was like
and am happy to say
I think it worked well with all the veg growing competitions in the one
by myself and Fiona
Shenfield. A village hall
was chosen in the end
as opposed to being
part of any major event
or show to provide the
NVS with more control and a higher chance of it going ahead, which it
did. Management of up-front costs were kept to a minimum in case of any last minute “Covid cancellation”, so I am happy to say it was a success. I want to say thank you to my little helpers, to all members who came and put out exhibits and the judges who had their work cut out for them along with Norman Dickinson who had volunteered to be Show Secretary. As always, the National AGM was
marquee alongside the West Yorkshire DA display and the DT Brown seed sales stand.
I wasn’t at home long when I had
to leave for Malvern to organize the Midland Branch championships, wearing my other hat of Midlands Branch Show Manager. 2021 was the first time that Malvern had held a three-day show (to lessen the crowds with covid in mind) and that extra
day gave me time to enjoy a good
walk around the rest of the Show.
I ended up in the poultry tent and subsequently bought some hens and ducks without thinking how I do get them home? My van was big enough, but I just needed something to put them in. Thankfully our partners DT Brown came to my rescue and gave me a load of black stacking crates.
Whilst the NVS were attending the Malvern Autumn Show our president, Medwyn Williams was at the postponed Chelsea Flower Show from May to September winning his 14th
held on the first day of the show,
this time in a neighboring village
hall, and I was voted in again for a further three years, so I must be doing something right!! The social evening at Shrewsbury Town Football Club was, for me anyway a time to breath and relax that everything had gone off well, after all those sleepless nights... The evening meal and entertainment and dancing were the talk of the next day. All in all, the weekend went well, but what really made it for me was the
SANDRA HALL FNVS, NATIONAL LADY CHAIR