Despite the bad weather threat, the Hook Flower & Produce Show on Sunday 8th September was a resounding success, with more than 77 people entering over 450 exhibits and hundreds of visitors.
It was truly a lovely village event where villagers met up with people they hadn’t seen for a while, enjoyed tea and homemade cake and even managed to sit outdoors in the marquee on the new patio. As well as the wonderful exhibits to see, they took part in the tombola, hosted by Kevin and Jules Winchester of Bridges Estate Agents, bought gardening books and plants and met Jo and Terry of Hook’s very own Prickle Lodge Hedgehog Rescue.
At the end of the day, Bridges’ Kevin Winchester presented prizes to the winners of Hook In Bloom competition, the show winners and the Best In Show Trophy which went to Mac and Lucy MacKay who have an allotment in Hook.
One of the highlights of the show presentation is how many children take park and win certificates or rosettes. Well done to the children of Hook!
So the 2024 Hook In Bloom Winners are:
Bridges Estate Agency Trophy for the Most Attractive Front Garden
Eve & Steve Kirk
Highly Commended Front Garden Category
Alyson Euridge
The Batten Trophy for the Best Residential Hanging Basket:
Maggie Kirtley
Highly Commended Hanging Basket Category
Barbara Moore
Gwen Hussey
The Hook Parish Council Trophy for the Most Attractive Business Premises
St. Michael’s Hospice Shop
The Worlock Trophy for the Best Hotel, Restaurant or Pub
The Hogget
The Hook in Bloom Community Trophy
The Residents of Berry Court
Winner the Hook Cross Trophy for the Best Allotment
Janet Chatt
Best Newcomer at Hook Allotment
Hannah Viner
Village Hall Chaiman David Saunderson, when introducing the winners of the Hook in Bloom competition, explained how judging Hook In Bloom gets harder every year. First the judges have to try to decide the best time to judge, given a slow start to summer, drought and heatwave meaning what will the gardens be like? They go out and judge, having received entries and been tipped off by various means who villagers think are worthy of entry, plus going on a really good tour of the village too. Then weeks later, they see a garden or a hanging basket that suddenly is really blooming but wasn’t noticed before. Then the weeds, one week there are none, then the next with all the rain and humid weather we get, they are taking over again.
Luckily Hook folk come to the rescue with super blooming gardens and baskets and you can see the clear winners. Next year with the re-painting of the new White Hart and the new owners of the Crooked Billet settled in, perhaps The Hogget will have some competition. This year, however, The Hogget has looked really fantastic, even better than last year, and a clear winner.
In his thank you speech, the Chairman of Hook Village Halls, David Saunderson, thanked all the people who took part and visited the show, all the dedicated volunteers involved in Hook in Bloom and Hook Allotments, who turn out in support and help to make the initiative such a success and Maggie Kirtley, the Show Secretary, who keeps the actual exhibitor entry part of the show meticulously organised.
“The winners this year have achieved a great deal. So very well done to the gardeners of Hook”.
Hook In Bloom is very lucky to have some major supporters. Firstly Kevin Winchester, manager of Bridges Estate Agents who undertake most of the printing and help financially to get the word out advertising on the back of the HVH booklet, pay for the Show leaflet to be designed and hand delivered to every household in the village, pay for signage, sponsor prizes and are always there to act as a drop off point for villagers to get items to Hook in Bloom.
Other tremendous supporters are Hook Village Halls, Hook Allotments Association, de Jager bulbs, Jonathan Glen through his Hampshire County Council devolved budget and Hook Parish Council.
Hook in Bloom’s national sponsor, de Jager bulbs, give vouchers for the categories along with wholesale discounts when Hook In Bloom buy their top quality bulbs. This year de Jager bulbs will be planted in the churchyard, the cubs will be planting them in the Elizabeth Hall grounds, there will be replacements for village troughs, troughs in the railway station and hopefully in the grass areas in the Griffin Road roundabout. HiB also get wildflower, Pictorial Mix, from de Jager which is used in the Fish and Chip and Bugdens beds, because nothing else seems to grow there. They have ordered plenty of Pictorial Mix so hopefully will also trial it in the churchyard.
Hook in Bloom 