Hook in Bloom 2018           

MP presents the prizes as Hook shows its horticultural and craft prowess

Hook Community Centre was a visual feast of horticultural and craft excellence last Sunday 9^th September. Competitors and visitors packed the main hall to view the entries in this year’s Hook flower and produce show and to hear the results of the Hook In Bloom competition 2018.

Local MP, Ranil Jayawardena, presented rosettes to the show winners and certificates and cups to the Hook in Bloom winners, commenting on the great community spirit of the event and the fantastic vegetables, flowers, craft exhibits, photos, cakes and other delicious baking exhibits. He was delighted to hear that the show was growing in popularity each year.

£550 was raised through a tombola, raffle, book sales and the Tesco sponsored tea room, to help sustain Hook In Bloom.

Despite the dry weather this year it was wonderful to see so many exhibits and to find gardens that bloomed and looked wonderful in the village.

As ever Hook’s pubs put on fantastic displays, with The Crooked and The Hogget taking the prizes. It was a hard decision and in the end the Worlock Trophy for the Best Hotel, Restaurant or Pub went to The Hogget and the Hook Parish Council Trophy for the Most Attractive Business Premises was awarded to The Crooked Billet.

When it came to the Hook Cross Trophy for the Best Allotment, again despite the lack of rain this year, there was a lot of competition for the coveted place first place. Lorrel Currie and Peter Wakeham won the trophy for their total use of their plot and rotation of crops. The judges also felt this year that a Highly Commended was merited for Terry and Helen Joy’s plot which, in addition to growing vegetables, also sported a lovely flower garden attracting bees and beneficial insects.

The full list of winners is:

HOOK IN BLOOM COMPETITION WINNERS 2018

The Tesco Trophy for the Most Attractive Front Garden:

Derrick & Barbara Hammond, Four Acre Coppice

Highly Commended Front Garden Category:

Chris Wise & Mark Harrison, Vetch Field

The Batten Trophy for the Best Residential Hanging Basket:

Dean Kirk, Watlington

Highly Commended Hanging Basket Category:

Jane & Richard Jones, London Road

The Hook Parish Council Trophy for the Most Attractive Business Premises:

Richard Sanders, Crooked Billet

The Worlock Trophy for the Best Hotel, Restaurant or Pub:

Laura Faulkner, The Hogget

The Hook Cross Trophy for the Best Allotment:

Lorrel Currie & Peter Wakeham

Highly Commended Best Allotment Category:

Terry & Helen Joy

 

“The Flower & Produce Show is a wonderful community event,” says Hook in Bloom project leader Sue Hinton. “We had so many lovely comments from villagers and people who do the show circuit that we really must continue with the initiative. It has been a challenging gardening year weather wise but we still saw wonderful entries for the Hook in Bloom competition and had even more contestants for the Flower & Produce Show.

“Well done to everyone who took part in the village’s gardening competitions,” continued Sue. “It is fantastic see so many people getting involved. It’s also wonderful seeing the community working together to make the Hook In Bloom project as a whole such a success. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the volunteers who have worked so tirelessly over these past months. Their dedication and commitment means we are able to hold such a superb show for the whole village, see Hook blooming so well and be in a position to sustain it into the future.”

Hook in Bloom is a volunteer run initiative, which is supported by Hook Parish Council, Hook Village Halls Charitable Association, Hook Allotments Association and has received funding from the Tesco BagsforHelp initiative, Hampshire CC Devolved Budget, de Jager bulbs and Hook’s, Hortus Loci horticultural company.

The stage looked really professional this year thanks to specially planted containers from Hortus Loci who also provided a raffle prize.

What Next………...

The bulb order has gone off for daffodils, crocus and Tete a Tete. We are able to place this order thanks to a Hampshire CC devolved budget grant of £400 from County Councillor Jonathan Glen. This year, in addition to our group plantings, we will give volunteers bulbs so they can plant in specified areas when time permits. If you would like to help please get in touch with sue@dshpr.co.uk or ring 01256 763753 for a bulb allocation.

100 saplings will be arriving in November to be planted along the boundary fence at the rear of Hook Community Centre which is being made into a gardening area. Native bulbs such as bluebells, snowdrops, aconite and anemones are on order. Other plants such as wild garlic, celandine, primroses and foxgloves will also be ordered.

We are also looking to tidy up the bed outside Hook Fish and Chip Shop and have approached Hampshire County Council to see what can be done about the Budgens’ tree. A new tub will arrive for Hook Community Centre and the Hook sign trough along the Reading Road is being moved to behind the railings at the Community Centre whilst road widening works are carried out. All troughs in the village will be over-planted with winter flowering pansies to keep them bright and cheerful until the bulbs grow.