Some time in June…..
Bump into Ray up the plot. Reminded again that we need to hold Produce show and set a date. “OK” I say, “we’ll discuss it at the next committee meeting”. Find out quickly that the Corn Exchange is free on 11th September, and it will cost £130 to hire the hall including use of the refreshment facilities to serve teas and coffees.
19th July Committee meeting
Present outline to committee that we have a provisional booking on the hall. Despite a few ‘you’ll get shot if you make a loss’ comments we decide to go ahead with the plan and arrange a sub committee meeting.
22nd July
Manage to get letter in Hunts Post – first ‘flyer’ that the produce show will go ahead.
23rd July
Contacted by Steve Puttick, now living in the Scilly Isles (!), asking me… “Of course you will know about the old trophies…. ?” No I didn’t.., “You need to speak to Miss B” came the reply.
Another lead tells us a Mr R has the trophies and used to organise the old shows. Pay Mr R a visit… a car in the drive but no-one home.
Another lead tells us a Mr K knows about the trophies. That’s interesting – he used to be my neighbour, so I give him a ring. Swears to know nothing about them, and says the person who used to organise it moved to Spalding a died last week (bit of a coincidence…. ?).
Letter from archives of St Ives Town Council records indicates they wouldn’t look after the trophies when the former gardening club folded in the 1990s and suggested they were put in a vault.
Get a phone call from Mr Stocker in Needingworth, who tells me he used to win the show every year when it was last held in St Ives. Invites us round to show us the old schedules.
24th July
Trip to the Norris museum leads to a total blank (i.e. a blank on the face of Bob Burn-Murdoch at least….). No old newspapers from the 1980s.
Write letter to Mr R telling him who we are, but resist telling that I will be back with my two Scottish friends to kick his door in and retrieve the trophies if he doesn’t respond.
Visit Mr Stocker and spend a good couple of hours looking at old schedules, photos newspaper clippings and prizes from the old shows. From the body language we are guessing he thinks we will never pull it off by September, since most societies have a year to plan for the show and we have just over 6 weeks.
26th July Sub-committee meeting
Provide schedules for previous shows at Comberton and Notton. Explain we still haven’t found the trophies, John decides to get an article in the paper.
Run through possible classes and Andie agrees to produce a poster and artwork for schedule. A plan is beginning to take shape.
Ray tells us if we can’t get tea bags then all we have to do is fill a pair of old stockings with loose leaf tea, tie a knot in them and leave them to stew, apparently it’s the Dundee method (note to reader – we did get tea bags – see later).
29th July
Off for summer holidays, to keep in touch by email.
30th July – 12th August
Read with amusement from the Mer de Glace campsite in Chamonix various emails flying around (viewed on iPod, but luckily I can’t reply). One email discusses the type of table covering and prices thereof. Another discusses bunting, and yet another the New Zealand flag…. Heavens, soon we’ll come back to find the Corn Exchange decked out with Scottish Lion rampants and I’ll be forced to wear a kilt for the prize giving!
No emails suggesting we’ve found the trophies. Sponsorship is increasing steadily thanks to Jude’s and John’s hard work. Jude collecting tombola prizes.
Lots of discussion suggesting type of prize for section winners – a certificate in a frame. Yes but how much are frames? Someone finds a web site selling frames, what about St Ives market. What about rosettes. Rosettes too expensive?
Catch a glimpse of the schedule cover on the iPod – very nice apple image, should be visually stunning.
Ray comes up trumps with finding table coverings. Anne makes the order and can’t resist adding some bunting. She’s also charged with getting paper plates… how many will we need 50 or 500?
13th August
Back from holiday to find letter from Mr R saying he has some trophies.
14th August
Saturday morning - Hayley has dry run with the catering in the Corn Exchange while I have a band rehearsal, killing two birds with one stone.
Saturday evening, give Mr R a ring a go round to visit. Have a conversation about old times being on the allotment committee (nothing changes!). Come back with five trophies – one brass with lacquer removed, one sliver plate, three glass.
16th August
Meeting in evening with the Show committee. Present them with the trophies. Everyone unimpressed (except Hayley), with the Holmes Trophy which is so tarnished it’s a dirty grey/brown colour. When we get home we recover a tin of Silvo under the sink and give it a bit of a polish. No genie appears, but the trophy comes up a treat.
20th August
John does live interview on BBC Radio Cambridge 8.20am. Does an excellent plug, and like a good politician ignored the question posed and instead told them all about the show in his first 30 seconds. String beans seem to feature strongly (Ed… what are you accusing me of Richard, some bean fixation?).
25th August
Hayley orders medals. She is given short shrift in shoe bar when she tries to direct them regarding the engraving – they point out that they had done it before a few times and knew how to make the words fit, (in a nice way I might add, Hayley).
28th August
Visit Elsworth Show with Hayley and Andie. Note layout and presentation of exhibits. Very useful trip and a great show.
3rd September
Decide to email police reading parking on double yellows outside Corn Exchange. What else have we forgotten? Haven’t got first aiders, do we need them? Need to check with John that he has sorted the insurance. Finally reply to John regarding master spreadsheet. Andie still churning out Show programmes.
4th September
Pick up medals from shoe bar. Last visit to a judge, check they have copy of RHS show guidelines – OK they had it already.
5th September
Visit Hemingford show. Note they use proper tablecloths, and that paper will get mushed if (when) someone tips a vase of water on the table covering…
6th September
Final planning meeting at John’s house. All entries in, finalise design for exhibit cards, the pressure is mounting. John sends another mail round about donations of cakes.
7th September
Email councillors with last reminder regarding when to meet on Saturday morning and mailed judges with numbers of final exhibits. Andie still busy churning out programmes.
8th September
Finally get go ahead regarding a donation from Coop stores. Spend evening on a trolley dash get tea bags, coffee, biscuits. Relief that we won’t need to revert to the Dundee method (see 26th July). Invited to the Town Crier’s house to discuss arrangements for Saturday.
9th September
Collect buckets for cash donations and money at Tombola. Under strict instructions from Ray to make slots big enough to get £2.00 coins in.
10th September
Friday evening get access to Corn Exchange. Lay out tables and poster boards, put on coverings. Andie lays out paper plates with an engineer’s precision. A very long evening, working away for over three hours.
Wake in a cold sweat in the middle of the night with a vision of paper plates stretching into the distance……
11th September
Need to meet at 7.45 to open up Corn Exchange. Make silly decision to run up to plot at 7.20 to pick up 6 bird nest boxes to sell at the show….. later regret this as we never sell any and we end up getting to the Corn Exchange late. Let ourselves in the back door. 7.55 open front door. The moment arrives… 8.15 Mr Stocker arrives with his prize winning onions. Slowly the tables start filling up with entries… things are starting to buzz.
… and the rest is history as they say ! More photos below (just click any in article to enlarge). Richard
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