ORGANISERS had the additional headache of finding enough space to display exhibits at the Ambleside Horticultural and Craft Society’s Summer Flower and Produce Show at the Kelsick Centre last weekend.

They faced the highest numbers of entries in years with the abundant quantities of vegetable and summer flower classes showing few signs of the year’s difficult growing conditions. Plants have had to contend with extreme cold to heat wave conditions with a drought followed by torrential rain.

Entries to all classes came from near and far but local community participation reached new levels of enthusiasm with strong representation from members of Ambleside Allotment Association.

Chairman Pete Martin won the association's sponsored award in the Vegetable Top Tray Competition and allotment holder Sally Capewell won the outstanding exhibit in horticulture accolade.

Jane Binns impressed the judges with her hanging basket of begonias which was awarded the Westmorland and North Lancashire Federation Blue Ribbon for best horticultural exhibit. James Park, Peter Halfpenny, Jonty Lishman and Eddy Hindson all took home at least a couple of silver cups apiece for most points and best exhibits in different classes, while Flo Acland’s novel rhubarb gin was the top tipple in wine classes.

Judges tasked with tasting every one of the 55 jars of preserves barely made it in time before the show opened its doors.

The floral art classes encouraged plenty of ingenuity especially in the ‘arrangement in a kitchen utensil’ class putting Judy Fry’s freezer drawers and Margaret Milburn’s spaghetti strainer to new uses. However, it was Judy Fry’s meticulously arranged scene from “The Tale of Jemima Puddleduck” which earned her silver cups for best flower arrangement and most points in floral art.

Many competitors entered several classes, demonstrating versatility as flower and vegetable growers who can also turn their hand to flower arranging, baking, jam, chutney and wine-making, as well as handicrafts and photography.

Verna Jackson's free-ranging interpretation of the “3 Cacti or Succulents Staged for Effect” class raised many a laugh with her trio of knitted cacti boatmen among the display of live succulents.

Children’s classes included junior and secondary age groups with subjects ranging from poetry composition to hand-made pasta necklaces, calligraphy and edible monsters.

The Hodgson family swept the board with best exhibit and most points in children’s vegetables and pot plant classes as well as egg classes, and the Chen family excelled with most points in infant classes and best photograph.

Cup winners in cookery included Dorothy Johnson, Margaret Milburn and Verna Jackson who also took home silver for handicrafts. Hugh Wright had most points in woodwork, P. Hendrick for a winning photograph and L. Latham for handicraft.

Society secretary David Capstick described the show as “exceptional” with a big rise in the quantity of entries, matched by their excellent quality.