Today is a big one in Hutton. The Centenary (but not the 100th) Hutton and Paxton Horticultural Society Show. Caught Huttonian on the hop in the sense that we thought we were going to be in Norn Iron so made no preparations to gather a lot of cards denoting class of prize. And the prize money is up this year. Red Cards attract £1.50 and 3rd a whopping 75p. Not Wimbledon but something. The wife has lobbed in a jar of blackcurrant jam, and we have a plate (not exceeding 8") of summer fruits-gooseberries which are so ripe that they are dripping off the plate, redcurrants-ditto-and blackcurrants, decomposing fast and may have melted before the judges start their inspection after noon. Also we have entered an 'animal snapshot' (unmounted) in the Industrial Section. These seem to be mostly cats so we have introduced a touch of the exotic with a group of Swaziland elephants. Unlikely to win against the well groomed felines. The Industrial section includes a Matinee coat for a premature baby. To be donated to the GBH* Special Care Unit. Nice touch that.
Back at 3-30 for the public part of the show and view the prizewinners. There is then an auction of the exhibits not retained by the exhibitors. I think we will take the jam back but not the summer fruits which can be part of a job lot of overripe stuff.
* BGH shurely -blogg-ed
