Early sun streamed in through the windows of Winchelsea New Hall on Saturday morning as eager members of the Garden Society arrived from Winchelsea and Winchelsea Beach with the flowers and the cakes and pastries they had carefully picked and painstakingly cooked.
Under the watchful supervision of Society President, Mr John Dunk, every item was properly staged in the right place and the exhibitors withdrew so that the judges could get on with their work, sampling the marmalade, cutting and tasting the simnel cakes and deciding who should get the first prizes in the twenty two categories of flowers and five categories of floral art.
It was all thrown open to the community in the afternoon and a good crowd of local people dropped in to admire the displays, congratulate the winners and enjoy tea and a chat.
Everybody was invited to have their say in a secret ballot to choose their favourite exhibit in the floral art section. Society Chairman,Mr Howard Norton rounded up the day by inviting Mayoress Deborah Rodley to present the prizes and award the cups.
John Dunk won the overall winners salver and the cup for flowers. Jennifer Smith won the cup for floral art, Helen Macdonald the cup for pot plants, and Celia King the challenge bowl for cookery. And to his great surprise, the chairman’s Easter flower arrangement won the the ballot and was proclaimed ‘people’s choice’
Image Credits: David Page .