Competitive spirit at village show

ABOUT 500 people attended the 43rd annual Ewelme Village Show on Monday.

Classic cars, a children’s entertainer, a scratch band, a raffle and a tea and cake stall were all on hand for guests to enjoy.

Many sheltered under gazebos and others queued for ice cream as temperatures reached 27 degrees, and the sun beat down on Cow Common.

A collection at the car park raised money for the RAF, who were on hand as first responders for the event.

The competition featured entries in produce, cookery, crafts and photography, with entry numbers defying expectations by reaching the highest in years amid difficult growing conditions.

Tracey Stringer, chair of the Ewelme Horticultural Society, said this was because they doubled the children’s categories, and many entrants pivoted into new categories.

She said: “The show did very well this year. We were worried there wasn’t going to be enough exhibits because of the drought and in fact we’ve had more than any of the past few years. A lot of people are “ambidextrous”, so a lot of the men have gone into the cookery side, so they have supported us that way. “We had our biggest selection for the children this year, so they could choose out of six categories rather than three.”

More than 100 people entered across the show’s many categories including fruits, vegetables, cookery, photography and crafts.

Jenny Stringer, 17, won best hand knitted item for a wreath with woodland animals and plants.

It was her first year entering in the adult categories after learning how to knit two years ago for her Duke of Edinburgh award.

She said: “A lady in the village taught me at the beginning of DofE and after that I just learned off YouTube videos.”

Councillor Andrea Powell, who represents Benson and Crowmarsh on South Oxfordshire District Council, volunteered at the show stewarding and selling tea and cakes.

She said: “It’s been fabulous so far, very busy, we’ve had amazing weather for the show today so we couldn’t have had it better.

“My husband is running the bar, I was stewarding this morning, helping all of the judges judging all of the exhibits.

“This is one of the only shows like this in the area, so it’s not just the villagers. There are people here from all over.

“They have had more entrants this year, it is up from last year. In fact, particularly the number of individuals who have entered.”

Sheila Watts won the President’s Choice for best adult exhibit for her crocheted octopus “60 Squid”. She said: “He’s called that because he cost 60 quid to make.”

Mrs Watts, who won a knitting category last year, said: “I was inspired by the crocheting community but also, I love the way he looks real.

“I love the tentacles, they’re just brilliant.

“I learnt how to crochet as a child, and I didn’t do it for years and then I’ve come back to it. It helps to calm me and keeps me busy.

“On YouTube they do challenges and he was one of the challenges. But he wasn’t really a challenge because he is so big he crocheted so quickly.

“I used to do the cakes and did quite well but this year I was judging them because I teach food.”

Margaret Connolly took second place for her strawberry jam, beaten by her 18-year-old grandson who won first. She joked: “I’m going to get him to teach me.

“My family live in Winchester in Hampshire but they come here every year to enter things in the show.”

Cllr Sue Cooper, who represents Benson and Crowmarsh on the district council, won the Mary Johnson Cookery Challenge for jams and chutneys.

She said she had previously been tied for the most times winning the cup, and this will now put her ahead.

She said: “We’ve been living here 50 years now and we’ve been participating ever since it started.

“I usually put things in if we’re here. I really only make jam because I’ve got lots of fresh produce in the garden and it’s a good way of preserving it.

“It’s fairly satisfying because there is a limit to how many plums you can eat when they’re falling off the trees.”

Mrs Cooper entered a selection of jams including raspberry, strawberry, blackcurrant, bramblejelly, and plum. She also entered a marmalade and a pear chutney which earned first prize.

She said: “I also made lemon and lime cordial, which is a real fiddle making, but it’s delicious and it’s worth the effort.”