So it was Radio Fourish, it was even a bit Archery; but Kingsdown’s answer to the Ambridge Flower and Veg was at once more lively and laid-back. It was a spectacularly beautiful day too, warm autumn sunshine, while most of Kingsdown visited, browsed, chatted, donated, bought, and sold to the cheerful sound of the Ambling Band, helped out this year by French visitors Zebaliz.
Homegrown stalls included the usual popular sales of plants and second-hand books, works by local artists and authors, any amount of Fairly-Traded chocolate and quantities of bric-a-brac; sideshows included some old favourites like the Human Fruit Machine and Whack the Rat, and some new delights, like the crush-‘em –yourself apple press brought along by the St Matthew’s Cider Collective.
In the Church Hall there were traditional competitions for homegrown veg, best Victoria sponge, jam – lots of jams and jellies entered this year – and some less traditional, like the scary but of course edible Vegetable Monsters from Mars. Our thanks to the judges, especially Barny Haughton from the restaurant Bordeaux Quay who had a very long and difficult task deliberating over the multitude of jams and chutneys.
This year’s First Prize for Best Ever Celebration Cake, which was topped with a wonderfully detailed icing-sugar vegetable garden including watering can (would have put Jill Archer’s boring old honey cake well in the shade) was later raffled, along with other goodies like a Spa treatment for two at the Clifton Lido, tickets drawn and prizes presented by local MP, Stephen Williams.
Our thanks, as ever, to St Matthews’ Church for their wonderful support and to all Kingsdowners taking part: it was a lovely day.
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