Black Isle Horticultural Society Summer Show 2024 hailed a hit
IT was a case of heads down and bottoms up for one of the most eagerly anticipated parts of the Black Isle Horticultural Society’s Summer Show in Rosemarkie at the weekend.
The popular Tub of Tatties competition invites participants to grow a single tuber in a builder’s bucket.
At 2pm on Saturday the competitors tipped out their buckets, the tatties were weighed, and the places allocated in a process carefully managed by Verity Walker and Trish MacKeggie.
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Annie Kidd from Dingwall won the Junior class with 0.82kg of Maris Piper. The senior class was won by Bruce Begg from Tain with an impressive 2.4kg of Caledonian Pearl.
First prizes of fish suppers kindly donated by Harbour Fish and Chips in Avoch went to the winners.
And for Bruce it was a big improvement on his result from last year when he got the booby prize of a packet of spaghetti for using a bucket that was bigger than the rules allowed!
Visitors to the show were treated to a fantastic display with show benches crowded with fruit, flowers and vegetables, a mouth-watering array of baking and preserves, and impressive exhibits in the photography, botanical illustration, and under-14 classes.
Many visitors and almost 60 exhibitors turned out to enjoy the show and the cream teas served on the lawn beside the Gordon Memorial Hall.
Show secretary Graham Sullivan said: “We’ve had a great show. The display in the hall really showed off the skills, dedication and enthusiasm of the many local people who support the show.
“We really encourage people to enter the show, and we’re always happy to explain how it works, and to help them stage their exhibits. Our exhibitors span the full age range, from youngsters with decorated flower pots and miniature gardens upwards.
“We were particularly pleased this year to welcome exhibitors and visitors from Eilean Dubh Care Home in Fortrose, who left with a first prize in the Novice class for pot plants.”
New trophy winners were Lesley Sinclair of Balnabeen who took the Rod Anderson Challenge Cup for fruit, Christine Ketterer of North Kessock who won the Colonel Irvine Challenge Cup with a close-up photo of a fern, and Wilma Stewart of Rosemarkie who shared the Black Isle Partnership Trophy for crafts with last year’s winner Julie Sellar.
In the competitions kindly sponsored by Munro’s Nurseries, first prize for best vase went to Louise Gray, while Bruce Begg picked up the best veg award.
The show only happens because of the hard work put in by the committee and helpers of the Black Isle Horticultural Society. The BIHS voiced gratitude to all. You can find out more at http://www.spanglefish.com/blackislehorticulturalsociety/, on Facebook, or by contacting bihs1955@gmail.com
