Done

When I started showing over 20 years ago I never dared dream that one day I’d be able to call myself a National champion but that dream came true on Saturday, albeit in a class I wasn’t expecting to win namely 250g onions. Having gone all around the benches with only a couple of placings to show for my efforts on both sides of the marquee I have to say I was feeling a little demoralised but the very last result I got to there was bright red ticket with my name on it, so I’m now able to go out on a real high.

If I’m being totally honest I got real lucky as there was a much better set on the Malvern side which I feel sure would have taken the honours, grown by Mark Hall, a previous winner of this class, but as he was a judge for the National he couldn’t enter it. And the exhibits grown by other growers who have won this class in the past, such as Sherie Plumb and big Ronnie Jackson were nowhere near as good as they usually bench so I really did strike lucky in a fallow year it seems. If ever there was proof that you need to be in it to win it then I provided it on Saturday, as although I always felt I was in with a shout of a ticket I don’t think I’d have come close to winning it in other years. Whatever, my name’s now in the record books and they can’t take it away from me!

When I pulled my parsnips on Friday morning I really did feel that was the class I was most likely to win, as they were probably the best I’ve ever grown at first glance. Once cleaned up they were perhaps a bit rougher than I would have liked but I still felt that if anyone had better then fair play to them. As it was there were a total of 4 entries that were better but a 5^th in the National Championships against the best root growers in the land is not something to be sniffed at.

My long carrots were a big disappointment. I had saved plenty for this show and having won at the Welsh only 2 weeks previously I had high hopes of challenging at Malvern. Those hopes soon started to evaporate as I pulled root after root that was heavy at the top but just didn’t carry their weight very far down. I eventually managed this passable set below, but a slightly smaller middle one let me down on uniformity, and a few rough edges certainly didn’t help. I am now looking forward to a life without shifting several tonnes of sand each Spring, of boring five foot holes and sieving several gallons of compost.

I performed well in the collection classes, coming 7^th out of 14 entries in the Millennium and a mere one point away from a 5^th placed ticket. My stumps and spuds just weren’t good enough really. I have had several instances now of being no more than a point away, sometimes only half a point. Frustrating, but it does show the incredible levels some of these guys are performing at year in, year out.

I was 11^th of 21 entries in the 3x2 class, but this one was no surprise to me, and I was just happy to have beaten so many other top growers on points. My rough long carrots were my downfall on this one, but they were all I had to go with. I have some decent caulis forming and if the show was a week later I may have just edged into the tickets if I’d had those ready instead.

And finally I was placed 2^nd again in the National Trug Championships and this result did annoy me a little as I felt I surely must win this one when I’d finished it. There was one trug I recognised as being done by one of the regular winners felt mine was better in terms of the quality of veg on display. Alas, twas not to be and the judge later informed me that he was struggling to split us and that he felt my homemade trug just let me down as it was a bit tatty. A little galling as I was trying to achieve a slightly shabby, rustic feel to it, I certainly didn’t want not perfection, but the judge didn’t get that so I’ll just have to take it on the chin. Oh well, I’ll never have to do one of the stupid things ever again!

And that’s it, the journey is over, the race is run, and despite winning a National title it didn’t persuade me to carry on as I’ve really had enough and want to do other things for personal reasons which I explained to several people over the weekend. Driving back yesterday evening I felt only relief that I won’t have to put myself through this anymore. I’ve had a lot of good times showing my veg for over 2 decades, and made some brilliant friends that I will certainly be keeping in regular touch with. I’ve also made a few enemies but the least said about some of those officious wank stains the better. It only remains for me to say that if any of you ever, ever, ever have any questions about the hobby that you can’t find answers for then please just drop me an email (smithyveg@aol.com) and I’ll always find time to reply with as much help as I can muster. I would also recommend, as I often have in the past, that if you want to be the best, whether it’s just at your local show or even if you have higher aspirations then you really do need to join The National Vegetable Society. For the first 12 years or so of my showing career my progress was slow to say the least. No fucker at the local shows ever wanted to tell you anything, but at the highest level I have only ever found growers who want to help and encourage you to improve.

Happy growing, happy showing everyone, over and most definitely out!