Local Flower and Produce Show; Rivals Chelsea...

Today was the bi-annual Hinton St George and District Flower and Produce Show. Being a highly-competitive bunch, hubby, DC and I all entered. Indeed, hubby and I entered the same category, so the stakes were high.

Yesterday was a hive of activity around the Kitchen Aid mixer with two Victoria Sponges and some decorated cupcakes needing to be produced.

 And just a little taste-test of the sprinkles...

Then it was my turn. Hubby had already produced his masterpiece while DC and I were at the shops.

 And here they are; two lovingly created Victoria Sponges - hubby's on the left, mine on the right.

 Then this morning it was time for us to take our culinary masterpieces, plus a jar of hubby's apple chutney, up to the village hall.

There were lots of categories that we could have entered, if only we knew something about flowers! We fell at the first hurdle when reading the schedule - we didn;t even know the difference between a floribunda rose and a tea rose. Still, now we know we can enter with a vengeance next time.

 This is the 'single stem' class.

 And here are DC's cupcakes in the Under-7s Decorated Cupcakes class.

 Here are my and hubby's Victoria Sponges, nestled in amongst the competition.

 Floral arrangements.

Produce.

 Children's baked goods.

 More floral stuff.

 Potted plants.

We left the hall at 11am when the judging began and returned at 3.30pm to see how we had fared. And what a wonderful sight greeted us when we went to check on DC's offering:

 Well done, darling boy. And he also won 50p in prize money! Doesn't he look chuffed...

 Equally good news greeted us across the way when we saw that hubby's Victoria Sponge had won third prize; mine, unfortunately, wasn't placed. There's always next year...

And then, to top it all, hubby's delicious apple chutney won First Prize!!! Well done, hubby. Today Hinton Flower Show, tomorrow the world.

And a very nice note from the judge which says, in case you can't see it, 'Good texture and taste. Well matured! Would enjoy this with my ploughmans!'

 And here are a few of the other winners. Beautiful floral arrangement.

Fabulous-looking, and very patriotic, decorated gateau

 Beatiful arrangement.

 Pretty roses.

 And, best of all, my prize-winning family!

 After the prizes had been awarded, a large number of the entries were auctioned off and hubby successfully bid for this lovely arrangement which featured the second prize-winning floral display, plus two prize-winning single stems (the Bird of Paradise and a Delphinium.)

I think it's fair to say we had a lovely, prize-winning day!