Bouquets all round at show

The South West Shropshire Gardening Club held their annual garden and produce show at the weekend where many keen gardeners wowed judges with their fruit and vegetables, as well as crafts, photography and baking.

The show welcomed visitors from around the area to observe the wonders on display at Lydbury North Village Hall, near Bishop's Castle.

Sandy Burton, chair of the group, said: "The whole day went very well. We had a lot of exhibits in the main hall and we had a fantastic plant sale which we raised a lot of money from.

"We also raised money by serving tea, coffee and cake throughout the day. People enjoyed visiting in the afternoon and seeing how they did or just visiting to marvel at the produce created.

"It is a nice event for the whole village as well as being a gardening club event. It is wonderful to put on a show that allows people to take part. It's not a pretentious show, it is very friendly."

The best overall exhibit prize went to Eileen Mattey, for her loaf of bread. The best vegetable prize was awarded to Mike Wall for his display of huge onions that surprised visitors.

Best fruit award went to Sara Metcalf and two people shared the flowers and plants prize, Marjorie Davies and Annie Frost.

Sara Metcalf, winner of best fruit and publicity officer for the group, said: "It is a thriving group. We have been going for over thirty years and have nearly one hundred members.

"We had a really good plant sale on the day that raised a lot of money, over £200, for our gardening group and the National Gardens Scheme. We split the money between us.

"The whole point of the group is to be as inclusive as possible so that is why we have prizes like biggest weed and longest bean, as well as a prize for the most entries by one person. We want to encourage people to take part.

"Angie Salmon, our show organiser, did a great job on the day as her and her team work so hard to put the show together."