Flower and produce show celebrates Melksham’s gardening community

This year’s Melksham Gardeners’ Society Flower and Produce Show has been hailed a success, as the town’s keen gardeners were awarded for their efforts.

The show was held on Sunday 7th September at the Assembly Hall and despite the long hot summer, the benches were full of flowers, fruit and vegetables, with classes in handicrafts, preserves, baking and the ever-popular photography sections being very well supported.

“Not forgetting the young exhibitor’s section had some beautiful entries,” said Mike Goodhew, secretary for the Melksham Gardeners’ Society.

“A new addition to the show this year was the Visitors Choice award for the public to vote on their favourite picture in the photography classes.

“It was great to see old friends and new faces taking part in the show and spending the afternoon discussing exhibits and swapping tips and stories about their favourite sections of the show, whether it be gardening, sewing, cake making or producing fabulous jams and chutneys with the seasons abundance of produce.

“Once all of the points have been added up it was time to present the cups and awards to the section winners. We were delighted to be joined be Mayor of Melksham Councillor Saffi Rabey to hand out the awards. Congratulations go to all of the winners and a massive thank you to all who took part in the show it makes all the planning so worthwhile.”

The winners of this year’s show were: Flowers, Mike Goodhew; Vegetables, Mike Goodhew; Fruit, Eveline Hayes; Young exhibitors (age three to six), Tilly Newman; Young exhibitors (age seven to 12), Austin Newman and Ellie Short; Floral art, David Gray; Preserves, Janey Cox; Baking, Janey Cox; Handicrafts, Beth Dark; Photography, Mandy Humphreys; Visitors’ Choice photography, Michelle Brightwell; Closed classes, Brian Colby; The Chair’s Cup, Tom Humphreys; The RHS Banksian Medal, Rachell Dodd; Best in Show Cup, Mike Goodhew.