IN SPITE of a dry summer the annual Dunmow Horticultural Summer Show was well supported with 38 competitors and 280 exhibits.

Foakes Hall provided the venue but it was the gardeners and cookery experts that provided the quality for the event held last Saturday (July 10).

Show secretary David Beedle said: “Although the entries were down on last year the show organisers agreed that the standard had risen to a very high level.”

Judges June Steele, Yvonne Bishop and Margaret Jones gave out a host of prizes but on the day they all agreed that Bryan Crouchman’s vegetables were the best in show.

He also tasted success in cooking, winning the Mike Elsdon Cup for a chocolate sandwich cake.

The medal for the most points in the horticultural sections was a close contest between two sisters – Glynis Smith and Deborah Farthing. But because they were winners in the last two years they were not eligible and the gong went to Geoffrey Perry.

Elsewhere, Emma Firmin had a very busy morning with her cooking. She managed to come out tops in six of the individual classes and hauled home the Betty Shergold Cup.

Pic - Glynis Smith still managed first in two floral categories