OCTOBER 2017 – SUPERB SUPPORT FOR HOOK’S VILLAGE SHOW

The Hook Village Show in Hartletts Park on Sunday 10^th September drew a huge crowd despite the weather forecast. The show included the Hook Flower and Produce Show, organised by Hook Allotments Association, where villagers showed off their gardening, cooking and craft skills The afternoon culminated in the presentations for the Hook in Bloom competition, Flower and Produce Show winners, Hook History Society Photographic competition winners, and a trophy for best in show at Hook’s first dog show.

From noon villagers flocked into the park to try their luck at various challenges, stalls, meet the ferrets, donkeys and birds of prey.  People sold their wares on stalls, demonstrated skills, blew trumpets in the Cove Brass Band and showed off their doggie companions in the dog show. Children enjoyed various fairground rides, explored the fire and rescue vehicles and enjoyed chugging along on a mini steam engine.

Vintage cars lined up for people to inspect and the public vote for ‘Best in Show’ went to Paul’s 1915 Model T veteran (as older than vintage!) car.

The winners of £100 donated by John and Bernice Wall for the Tug of War challenge was The Base Youth Club who have said that, as a community gesture, they will be splitting the prize money between the Base Youth Club and the Tesco charities of British Heart Foundation and Diabetes.

The owner of Rex the German Shepherd, who won the Best in Show Trophy, was Madison from Ash Vale.

Everyone kept fuelled up by Hook schools’ burgers and hot dogs, Tesco Tea Room (sponsored by the store and run by staff members), Hartletts Café, ice creams and candy floss, sweets, cakes, and a beer tent.

From 2pm, Hook Community Centre was a riot of colour, full of superb flowers and vegetables grown by local people together with some truly wonderful cakes, breads, jams, chutneys, photos and crafts. There were also wonderful entries from children including a vegemal competition (animals sculptured from vegetables), collages, and lovely decorated cupcakes and gingerbread men. And a particular masterpiece was Archie Young’s Bug Hotel. This year saw far more craft and photographic entries than in previous years.

Then, at the end of a hectic day, Hook’s Scouts turned out in the pouring rain to litter pick and make sure everything was ready for the new week.

The Big Lottery Fund, Awards for All, and Tesco Bags of Help all helped to finance the show, which saw over £1,000 being added to the Hook in Bloom coffers.

It was fantastic to see so many villagers enjoying themselves and bumping into people they hadn’t seen for a while. Everyone loved the Flower and Produce Show and lots of comments were heard from people saying they would be entering next year. It was also super to see so many volunteer led village organisations joining forces to put on such a successful event.

WHERE NEXT FOR IN BLOOM ????

Rob Beckinsale is going to create a lovely sculpture of a rose for us to erect among the white roses, which will be under planted with Purple Sensation Alliums, in the oval bed outside Boots. 

Soon the troughs will need replanting for the winter and the bulbs are on order and will need planting in various locations around the village.