The Llanrwst Show 2017

Saturday saw us up and about early, bleary eyed from a 6am alarm call, sorting out the chickens, feeding and walking the dogs ... and me frantically making a second batch of scones as my first came out like cheesy Frisbees.

Then it was a question of packing up all my carefully prepared choices from the polytunnel and veggie patch the day before and setting off for the show.  Llanrwst is only a couple of miles along the road so it didn't take us long to get there, we did drive through two rain showers on our way though so that made us a bit concerned.

Last years show was virtually a washout with horrendous heavy rain and gale force winds, we did not want an action replay of that for the organisers to cope with.  This years show just HAD to be a success to try and recoup some of the enormous expense it must cost to put on a show of this size.

My offerings were staged alongside lots of other peoples in the Horticulture and Homecraft marquee, and there was a lot of good natured banter as we all titivated our vegetables and arranged dahlias and flowers to within an inch of their lives, and then we set off for home.

Judging in the tent was from 10am until 1pm so we thought it better to be at home getting on with jobs and then come back to have a good look round the show in the afternoon.

We got back at about 2ish and made our way straight to the tent to see what the results were.  To be honest I had not expected too much this year as the quality of the exhibits we had watched being unpacked earlier had been very high.  But there in the egg class ...

... were our eggs with a Third place card.

In this class unlike John's at Trelawnyd the eggs have to be matching, and raw. 

The judges are looking for super freshness, ie. the two layers of white being very distinct and the yolk bright and well domed.  At Trelawnyd they have to be freshly cooked and displayed with the yolk central when the judge cuts into them.

I felt vindicated for doing a second batch of scones as the new ones got me a Second place :-)

I didn't enter a Scotch Egg ... but I thought I'd put this photo in ... just in case John comes over for a visit to this post.  It's always good to see a man drool   ;-)

Moving along the table I spied that my Blackberry Whisky had got a Second.

So in the Homecraft section I got two Seconds and a Third  :-)

At the other side of the tent were the veggie and flower classes.

I got a first for '5 Tomatoes with Calyx'

A First for my Salad basket (must contain one lettuce and 2 others).

A Second in the Open Section for '5 Tomatoes with calyx'.

No, your eyes aren't deceiving you there are only four tomatoes on the winning plate!!  Somebody pinched one of the winners tomatoes .... it wasn't me honest!!  Seemingly the Judge conferred with the organisers and was told that there were definitely five tomatoes at the start of the day!!

A Second for my Truss of Tomatoes.

I was gutted that a lovely bright red, fully ripe tomato fell off the truss as I was putting it into the bag at home, that would most likely have made it the winner.  I did debate sticking it back on with superglue .... but honesty won over  ;-)

I got a Second for my pair of marrows.

A First for my jug of 'six freshly cut herbs'.

A Second for my Courgette, in the 'Any Other Vegetable Not on the Schedule' class.

And as the only entry in the Five French Marigolds class .... I got a First here too.

I used to feel a bit funny getting a winners card if I was the only entry, but it was explained to me that even if you are the only entry, the item entered has to fulfill all competition criteria and 'be a good example of it's type'.

So a total of four Firsts and four Seconds.

And £25.50 in prize money  :-)

Before coming home we had a good look around the Show, chatted to friends and neighbours ...

... and drank cider and drooled over tractors

Well that was mostly Alan not me, although I did join in with the cider bit  ;-)

A good day was had by all despite the occasional shower of rain, and next year we will be back, with more vegetables, more alcoholic beverages and hopefully some wooden items from Alan's brand new workshop ... he has been challenged to bring home a winners card all of his own.

Sue xx

A Day Out to the Trelawnyd Flower Show

Saturday started early for us, feeding the animals and sorting out the chickens and making sure everything was loaded into the car safely for the forty minute drive to Trelawnyd.  Once there all my earlier preparation proved very worthwhile and everything was staged within twenty minutes.

It was nice to have a look around the hall at all the other exhibits while it was quiet and chat to some of the other exhibitors as they put their vegetables and bakery in place ready for the judging at 10am. 

There was an excellent turn out for every category.

As you can see the standard is exceptionally high.

The we got back into the car and drove into Prestatyn for a spot of breakfast, a mooch about the shops, a few necessary purchases, a coffee and cake at Marks and Spencer's and then back into the car to return to Trelawnyd, although we didn't go straight back to the show instead we called to Jackson's, the local garden centre first for a look around at all their goodies, after all it's not often we get up to that neck of the woods.

Returning to the Show at two o'clock we were just in time to hear John's introduction of the shows opener and listen to her speech, which is what I'm doing in the top picture, then we had a look round the hall to see how we'd done.  I was really pleased to get a Second for my Blueberries ....

...and another Second for my green Marrow  :-)

Then we decided as the queue for teas, coffees and cakes was so long to have a wander round the village.

We got as far as the village pub, where ciders were purchased and consumed before going back to the show to have our coffees and cake.

It was a lovely day out.  It's always nice when we get to go somewhere for a whole day together and get away from the normal day today of our place.  Highlights of the day were seeing John again, winning two Seconds with my fruit and vegetables and meeting a couple of lovely blog readers. 

Christine and Debbie it was great to meet you both and get to have a little chat with you, I hope you both had as good a day as we did in what is fondly known of in Blogland as 'John's Show'   :-)

Oh, and to round the day off nicely we also won a £10 prize in the raffle ... which is how Debbie deduced who we were  ;-)

The next local show that I'm showing produce at is the Llanrwst Show in two weeks.

Sue xx

Peas, Mice, Blueberries and Shows

The peas haven't been brilliant in quantity this year but we've enjoyed enough for a few good meals.  This pea pod shows the standard of the peas we got from the ones that were available a week or so ago.  Sadly there are no more to go in the freezer but we do have a few more pods developing on the outdoor plants, the ones in the net tunnel have unfortunately all been eaten by mice, so I've pulled up the dying plants to make more space for the Strawberry runners.

Talking of mice, we've been using two humane mouse traps to catch the mice, releasing them unharmed after a good snack ... which they have now figured out how to get out of.  The last few days when we have checked the traps there are no tasty treats left ... and no mice!!

So now it's a case of them or us and sadly I have had to use poison pellets in the traps instead of the usual tasty treats  :-(

Even though our pea crop is coming to an end with no supplies to see us through the Winter, the Blueberries show no signs of dwindling.  This was one of the first pickings a couple of weeks ago, which unfortunately I didn't weigh ...

...this was a week later.

These were picked when we got back from the Royal Welsh Show last week and yesterdays smaller picking was taken for Mum, as was one other picking a few weeks ago, and of course we've been eating lots ourselves, either when we're out working or a small picking to go in a dessert or smoothie.

This week I have purposely been avoiding picking off the middle Blueberry bush ... the one with the biggest juiciest berries ... as I wanted to enter a bowlful into the Trelawnyd Show on Saturday to support blogging buddy John Gray, now (because I forgot to tell him) I've just found out that my Lovely Hubby has been snacking on them ... naughty boy!!

Talking of the Trelawnyd Flower Show, today I am going to start getting my entries together to save a last minute panic on Saturday morning.  The first year I entered I managed to get two Second places for my tomatoes and potatoes, last year I improved slightly with a First for my Orange Marmalade and a Second for my Green Tomato Chutney.

How will I do this year?  Well I have no idea, the fruit and veg growing has been a bit out of time, the mice have been a pain, but I'm going to put my best foot, and marrow,  forward and do what I can. 

At the very least we are going to get a good day out  :-)

Sue xx

A Successful Day at a Very Wet Show

I'm happy, happy, happy ..... we had a really successful day at the Llanrwst Show yesterday.

As you can see from the photo I came away with five firsts, three seconds and a third, they gave out two thirds in the Two Fruit Marmalade section as there were such a lot of good entries, so I was extremely pleased to be one of the winners.

My cucumber got a second place.

As did my rhubarb.

My pot of 'Six Cut Herbs' got a first.

And my pathetic unripened green truss of tomatoes got a second.  None of my tomatoes are red yet, well except for the little Tumbling Toms and they don't have trusses as such.

My '2 bunches of Celery' got a First. 

The one on the right which was pretty damn perfect and came about as a unusual result of my celery experimentation, which I'll tell you about another day, was obviously the one that swung it ... well that and me being the only entry in that section!!

My 'Lettuce and 2 other Salad Ingredients also got a First.

Ta da .... as did my Damson Gin  :-)

The third placed Marmalade.

That's two wins in almost as many weeks for my marmalade ... I must be doing something right.

Our eggs got a second place in a category that had lots of entries.

A big thank you should go out to our newest girls the Calder Rangers who lay such consistently good and very matching eggs.  And I had the inspiration to line our little plate with some hay, everyone else had used wood chippings, it made our eggs look even better being in their own little nest :-)

So we had a very good day at a very wet show, as unfortunately the weather gods did not smile favourably on the show at all yesterday, it had rained very hard all night long the night before, and this and the high winds continued throughout the whole day.  It meant that lots of the outdoor classes were cancelled, exhibitors either didn't show up or took their animals straight back home.  The fairground couldn't run and the only tent other than the poultry and horticulture tents that saw any real crowds was the beer tent.  I should imagine the show has lost an awful lot of money this year and to rub their faces in it even more today the sun is shining and the weather has improved in every way.

Still there was a good atmosphere in the 'Horticulture and Homecraft' tent and I really enjoyed entering again, ... and of course it means we have lots of already harvested and washed food to eat over the next couple of days.

Sue xx

Polished and Ready to Go

Well here it is all polished and ready to go back.

This is the cup I won last year for getting the most points in the Horticulture Section of the Llanrwst Show.  It's lived on the shelves in the conservatory since then with the occasional flick of a duster and wipe with a damp cloth.  So it was time to get it off the shelf and give it a bit of tender loving care.

I polished it up using the easy, peasy cheaty method of hot water, Bicarbonate of Soda (Baking Soda), tin foil and a deep bowl, and as you can see it's come up a treat.  Some parts of it are very brassy coloured, where the silver plating has rubbed off mostly the top where it has had years and years of polishing, hence my not wanting to rub it with anything at all.  Although what looks like a huge brass patch on the front is merely the reflection in the now highly shiny silver of our wooden worktop!!

Here's a little Link to show you simply how to do it.  I used a washing up bowl half full of water straight off the boil from the electric kettle.  The part of your silver that is touching the foil cleans up really quickly so make sure you turn your pieces over until they are shiny on all sides and then dry with a soft cloth.  I've cleaned silver and silver plate this way for years, it saves the excessive rubbing, and subsequent loss of silver though regular cleaning with polish and elbow grease and it works every time.

I doubt this will be coming home with me this year as I am entering a lot less classes this time, but I have my fingers firmly crossed for a First and maybe a couple of Seconds :-)

Sue xx

The Eglwysbach Show

Pull up a chair put your reading glasses on and get ready for a photo marathon  :-)

It's Show season here in our little patch of North Wales, and after last week's Trelawnyd Flower Show this weekend it was the turn of the Eglwysbach Show.  A much bigger and outdoor event that, thank goodness, the sun decided to shine on.  It started at 9.30am on Saturday and we were there for 10.15am with our walking boots on ready for a good trek around the show.

There was lots to see, first thing in the morning it was the judging of all the cattle, sheep and horses.

Beasts were all titivated to the nines with their coats all glossy and their tails all bouffanted to maximum puffiness.

There was lots of last minute combing gong on, and lots of beautiful animals.

Here's a friend, Aled from the kennels the dogs go to when we are away, showing his magnificent Bluefaced Leicester Ram, he won best ram and overall Best Reserve in Show with this huge ram ...

... along with lots of other rosettes.

They just know they look good don't they!!

Lovely sheep .....

.... and as a non-meat eater I always think it's a bit unfair to have the lamb burger stall next to the sheep enclosures !!

The Country Market ladies were there selling lots of handmade items, handicrafts and their well loved jams, chutneys and bakery goods.

There were lots of stall selling sundries and lots of charities there raising money for their causes, and after a good browse around them all we went for a spot of lunch.

And I must say it was a pleasant surprise to find a 'choose yourself' salad bar as well as all the usual hotdogs and burgers.  A very civilised lunch with a cup of coffee to keep us going.

We had a good chat to the guy with all the gorgeous birds, this is a Little Owl.

... and this a magnificent Eagle Owl.

First prize in the scarecrow competition went to a 'Workman' ....

... and first prize in the cider buying competition went to .... me!!

We watched the doggy obstacle race and then the dog and owner Egg and Spoon race.

I spied a cabbage almost as good as one of mine.

And lots of magnificent vegetables ....

... including these fantastic specimens.

I doubt I could ever grow to this perfection, but then we grow to eat and show for a it of fun, these guys grow to show, and what a fantastic job they do of it.

Leek perfection!!

Lovely Hubby was drawn to the compost as usual,  and after handling all the exhibits agreed with the judges on the merits of the one that won First place.

He was also drawn to the cakes ...

... and more cakes ....

.. and maybe some tarts ....

... and of course to the homemade pies.

I had a good look at the jams, 

and fell in love with the miniature garden.

The vegetables weren't all serious ....

... and the Lego tractors were very cleverly done.

We ended our day out with a good look at the vintage tractors all parked up on the hill overlooking the showground, and from that viewpoint we could take in the wonderful view of this treasure of a Welsh valley, surrounded as it is on all sides by hills.

Then it was time to wend our way along the country lanes and back to our side of the hill and collapse in a tired heap on the sofa.

I hope you enjoyed your little visit to the show.  It's on again next year if you're passing, but first I have to get my entries ready for Llanrwst Show next week, and give the cup a polish ready for handing back.

Sue xx