Sileby Show has its own website

Worth a look.....


http://www.silebyflowerandvegetableshow.btik.com/

One week to Sutton Bonington

As a member of the committee Sutton Bonington is my main show although not the most important in terms of the opposition I perhaps come up against. As many family members and friends visit the show I feel duty bound to put plenty of good exhibits in, the advantage being that it's not auctioned off afterwards (unless you want to) so you can get your best exhibits back for showing at later shows.

One class that is always well contested is the class for a single veg/flower and fruit and I've won it on 6 previous occasions, including last year with a stump carrot, Jomanda dahlia and a Cox apple (I only have one apple tree in the garden and no other fruit so it's always an apple!) I need to start looking at the dahlias to see which blooms I will be entering and make sure I protect them from earwig damage. In view of my parsnip success I think I'll be using a parsnip as the veg as I only need 2 more for the main class since we reduced it from three a couple of seasons ago.

Other exhibitors go to quite elaborate lengths to display their produce but as I keep saying the judge (if he knows what he's doing!) will only compare veg against veg, flower against flower and the antique dish displaying the grapes has no impact on his final decision.

Gold medalist?

I may have mentioned once or twice.....ok 3 or 4 times.....5 times tops (per day) that my parsnips were considered 'National level' at Leicester Show. Well it got me thinking.

Medwyn always says that the British grow the best show veg anywhere in the World so therefore (and I think you can see where I'm going with this) it follows that my parsnips were actually World class no less!

I can see it now.....London 2012........

Winning Top Tray Leicester....third year running.

I've been really pleased with my small red onions 'Red Baron' the past couple of years. Picked 3 weeks ago and packed in sawdust they ripened to a lovely deep red/purple.

AOVeg

I only grew radish to add another variety to my trugs but I had a load of quite large ones left over so I bundled them together and entered them at Hathern in the 'any other veg' class. Won me a 2nd prize card!

Toms at Hathern 2008

These are probably the best tomatoes I have ever staged.

21 years ago today!

Happy Anniversary. I still do! xxx

My babies......am I boring you yet?

Just in case I haven't mentioned it before have I told you that these parsnips were up to National standard?

What do you mean.....yawn?

Just fecking great!

Charnw**d Borough Council are a complete bunch of incompetent wazzers!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1049413/New-data-blunder-details-thousands-council-taxpayers-6-99-sold-eBay.html

Round up

Hathern

1st
Carrots
Marrows
Tomatoes
Onions from sets (only entry!)
Top Tray
AO Veg (french beans ‘Prince’)
Fuchsia (only entry!)
Shallots

2nd
Cabbages
Runner beans
Beetroot
Foliage plant
Parsnips
AO Veg (bunch of radishes)

3rd
Foliage plant


Leicester

1st
Parsnips
Tomatoes
Top Tray
Pickling shallots
Stump carrots
Basket of veg
AO Veg (Lettuce)

2nd
Collection of 6 veg
Pair of cactus
Single specimen succulent
One succulent/1 cactus in 5” pots

3rd
Onions
Leeks
Basket of herbs

Blyton Belle

I have a trophy on my shelf from Sturton that I'm proud to have my name engraved on a few times. This is because it has the name of Les Stothard on about 20 times from the early 1960's!

He's retired from showing now but his stuff was absolutely incredible and he was a real all-rounder showing veg, flowers and fruit to the highest standards. I understand he's been ill so I hope he gets better soon and can make it to Sturton Show in October.

Les bred the marrow 'Blyton Belle' named after where he lives and it's a marrow that is virtually unbeatable when grown well.I managed to win at Hathern with this variety and a trophy that goes with this class.....which is a blessing in disguise as the trophy is actually a very delicate looking glass marrow in a case which always makes you shit bricks when you're travelling back home in the car with it!

Sweet candle is a success.

As I’ve mentioned in earlier posts this year I was growing the stump carrot Sweet Candle and I must say I’ve been very happy with the results. I won the carrot class at Hathern with them (see above pic....no separate class for stumps there) and the stump class at Leicester.

They didn’t take much cleaning at all and there was no sign of root fly damage. The only thing I would say is that they do need a longer growing season to develop the stump end (sow middle of April maybe) as one or two were still a little ‘pointy’ (I put these in the Top Trays both of which I won over the weekend). Also, they have perhaps grown a little long for my liking…..up to 12”. I think the sand beds should be kept a bit more on the moist side but hey ho…..you live and learn!

Onions at Leicester

Only a 3rd at Leicester for my onions but I was happy with that as they really needed another couple of weeks ripening. Also, in my efforts to get them as big as possible I didn’t pay attention to uniformity and they have ended up all different shapes and sizes.

Next year I’m definitely building a polytunnel so I can grow onions and leeks properly, and give the foliage of both proper support and attention in order to maximise my chances.


p.s……have I mentioned before that my parsnips at Leicester Show were considered ‘National level’ ????

Absolutely gorgeous eh?

And I think you'll agree my missus is pretty tidy too........

At last!

Almost as pleasing on the chuff stakes was my first ever win at Leicester in the tomato class. For the past 4 years I’ve come away after ‘staging’ convinced my tomato entry was a nailed on ‘red card’ but all I’ve ever managed was a paltry 3rd last year. This year there were about 10 entries and I overheard another couple of exhibitors saying mine were the best before the judges had come but as I knew from previous experience chickens should never be counted.

This raises a number of issues about judging. Despite the fact that there are standards for the judges to work to (RHS or NVS guidelines) there is bound to be a certain amount of subjectivity involved and 10 different judges will never arrive at the same 1-2-3. I’ve had people come up to me in the past and say ‘you ought to contest that result’ but equally I’ve had occasion to think I’ve been fortunate to win a class. I’ve always said this is a hobby that has the added advantage of keeping me sane in a crazy world and if I ever got to the stage where I was disputing decisions it would be the day I gave it up and took up stamp collecting. Judges are human beings also and very often don’t have enough time to do their job as the show stewards are pressuring them to get the show open.

Having said that…….it’s about bloody time you got the decision right you blind sods! LOL

Best in Show!

How pleased am I tonight? Not only have Man U won on their bogey ground (at Portsmouth....watch it Hull....we're coming after you!) but my parsnips won the award for best vegetable exhibit and best overall exhibit at Leicester Show. A top grower at the show (Terry Leach) told me that they were good enough for 'National level'.

I really am as chuffed as chuffed can be! I needed 7 parsnips for this weekend's 2 shows and only needed to pull 7....they were all as alike as peas in a pod, and needed very little cleaning as there wasn't a blemish or a mark on them. The variety was'Pinnacle'.

I won 6 trophies this weekend and a total of 15 'red cards'. However, rest assured my success won't go to my head although I am considering charging Leesa for the privilege of sleeping with me from now on!

First two shows this weekend........

...............so I'll be a little pushed until about Monday night. I'm still taking stock of how everything has fared as I only got back last night and had to go to work today. Some things haven't quite done as well as I'd hoped (cucumbers/tomatoes/celery) whilst others seem to have gone mad (runner beans/beetroot/marrows) but hopefully there'll be a few gold medals (oooops sorry....I have Olympic fever.....I mean 'red cards') come Sunday afternoon (Hathern Show) and Monday afternoon (Leicester Show).

Tomorrow will be manic as I have all my roots to lift and wash and onions and shallots to finish tying so it's gonna be a long day.

Full match report to follow

Further to my post last year (29/07/07) a few more of my thoughts on brits abroad (and foreigners)

1) To the short fat bald bloke in front of me as we were boarding at Gatwick…..no need to write your biography mate……the tattoo on the back of your head bearing the legend ‘100% West Ham’ told me everything I needed to know about you.

2) Greek churches are beautiful. They are building them all the while and they are a work of art. Santorini is a tiny island but it has hundreds. But I wonder if I could just run this little gem of an idea past the Greek people. I hope it isn’t too outrageous or radical for you but here goes. Before you are allowed to build another church how about you finish the roads, pavements and f***ing plumbing? Wiping your arse and then putting the paper in a bin next to the loo isn’t normal ok!

3) At what point did the Italians silently overtake the Germans as the most arrogant and ignorant race of complete and utter w*nkers on Earth?

4) Women (predominantly British) with tattoos on their tits……..very classy that…….well done.

5) Londoners and Brummies……..morons!

(This is a free service I provide you know!)

Right……back to the serious business of veg growing………

So long folks.......

No post now until at least the 22nd as I will be getting some well earned sun on my gorgeous body on the Greek isle of Santorini....and yes I know it's a bloody active volcano!

When I come back I will be straight into the first of my shows so I just hope my daughter's boyfriend can follow the totally over-complicated instructions that I've left him!

Adios amigos!

Tryfan, Glyder Fach, Glyder Fawr....done! And so am I! zzzzzzzzzzzzzz