Black Isle Horticultural Society stalwarts weather downpour to produce a summer spectacular
A torrential downpour as the finale of the Tub of Tatties competition approached didn’t dampen the spirits of competitors and visitors at the Black Isle Horticultural Society’s Summer Show in Rosemarkie last Saturday afternoon.
As the heavens opened, people took shelter in the Gordon Memorial Hall, which was crammed with the results of competitors hard but rewarding work. Beautiful floral displays, magnificent fruit and vegetables, mouthwatering food and preserves, imaginative crafts, and stunning photographs were on display.
Emptying the Tubs of Tatties that competitors had been growing since springtime was a highlight of the afternoon – with prizes going to those with the highest yields.
As they finished emptying their buckets, the rain came pelting down, competitors retreated to the Hall, and the competition judges Verity Walker Eley and Trish McKeggie were left outside in the rain to weigh and record the entries. Although their paperwork looked more like papier mache when they came inside, they had managed to work out the scores.
In the Under-14 category, Saffron McDaid of Rosemarkie’s yield of 900 grams won First Prize– a voucher for Fish and Chips kindly donated by Harbour Fish and Chips of Avoch - while second and third prizes went to Natalie Crockett of Avoch and Barry Mitchell of Arpafeelie respectively.
In the over-14 years category, Moira Meldrum’s 1850 grams secured the first prize of Fish and Chips from Harbour Fish and Chips, while the second prize of a tattie masher went to Rose MacLean, and the third prize of tattie scones went to last year’s winner Graham Sullivan. A special prize of a packet of spaghetti went to Bruce Begg as his entry was disqualified for being grown in a lick bucket, significantly larger than the maximum size of bucket permitted in the competition. Bruce wasn’t too disheartened by this as he went on to win a cup and a medal in the main Show.
In the competitions sponsored by Munro’s Nurseries, the Best Vase competition was won by Verity Walker, while Bruce Begg won the Best Veg class. The Fortrose Challenge Rosebowl for Best Exhibit in the Show went to first-time winner Annette MacArthur of Fortrose for her faultless Streptocarpus in the Pot Plant section.
Show Secretary Graham Sullivan said “We’re pleased with the number of entries to the Show and the number of exhibitors. It was really good to see new exhibitors win some of the trophies, and we hope this encourages others to have a go. This is primarily a local Show where people enter the things they’re growing in their gardens because they like to eat them or look at them, but also think that what they’re producing is really good and deserves to be in a Show. We’re always willing to provide any help and advice that we can to people entering for the first time.”
The show only happens because of the hard work put in by the Committee and helpers of the Black Isle Horticultural Society. The society is very grateful to them, and to all the exhibitors and visitors who make it a success. You can find out more at http://www.spanglefish.com/blackislehorticulturalsociety/, on Facebook, or by contacting bihs1955@gmail.com or 01349 861991.
