PICTURES: Felpham and Middleton spring show

It was a beautiful day and exhibits of all types of daffodils, from the magnificent golden yellow trumpet varieties to the dainty miniatures, were on display.

Although the weather in the week up to the show had been far from ideal, with strong winds and rain, there were lots of exhibits, all of excellent quality, giving the judges a difficult task.

Other exhibits of spring bulbs and flowers made a colourful and interesting display, enhanced by the pot plants, orchids and vegetables which were also on show.

Floral art exhibits were of a particularly high standard, with beautiful arrangements in each of the three classes. The winner of the Be My Valentine class was a sumptuous arrangement of red roses and purple lysianthus, the Spring Fever class featured an arrangement of tulips, daffodils, skimmia and muscari in a foliage-lined wicker basket, and the petite was won by a delicate arrangement of ribes and muscari in a small wine glass.

Intricate and accomplished exhibits made up the handicraft classes, with excellent skills demonstrated in knitting and needlework. The cookery classes were also well supported with some mouthwatering cakes and preserves. The three photography classes attracted high-quality entrants with some very different interpretations of the class titles.

In the children’s classes, the society was very pleased to see more than 30 entrants from Ist Felpham Beaver Scouts in the marzipan sweets classes, producing three worthy winners. The many other classes, for seven years and under, and eight to 14 years, produced excellent entries and demonstrated the creativity of the youngsters.

The society is keen to encourage more children to take part and schedules showing what they can enter in its flower and produce show in August are available at Bognor Regis Library.

Overall, all classes were well supported. The winner of the most outstanding horticultural exhibit, David Donovan’s vase of up to nine stems of mixed daffodils and narcissus, was also the winner of best daffodil class. Mr Donovan also won the trophy for most points in show.

Other trophy winners were Sandra Harris for most points in daffodil classes, Margaret Howard for most points in flower classes excluding daffodils, Colin Bennett for best orchid in show, Chris Dunham for best exhibit in floral art, Ann Travers for most points in cookery classes, Sue Abbot for most points in handicrafts.

More than 150 adults and children visited the show, enjoying the visual experience of the exhibits and the unmistakable fragrance of spring.

The tombola and raffle were very well supported, as were the plant and cake stalls, with many visitors also taking advantage of the opportunity for sit down with a hot drink and biscuit.

Class winners were:

Children’s Awards: Seven years and under, Jacob Abbot; eight to 14 years, Alice Sanders.

Flowers and pot plants: One bloom trumpet daffodil, 1 P. Sedgwick, 2 S. Harris, 3 D. Donovan; three blooms of trumpet daffodils, 1 S. Harris, 2 C. Dunham, 3 Five blooms of trumpet daffodils, 1 S. Harris; one bloom large cupped daffodil, 1 K. Hay, 2 S. Harris, 3 D. Donovan; three blooms of large cupped daffodils, 1 K. Hay, 2P. Sedgwick, 3 C. Bryan; five blooms of large cupped daffodils, 1 D. Donovan, 2 C. Bryan; one bloom small cupped daffodil, 1 D. Donovan, 2 S. Harris, 3 S. Abbot; three blooms small cupped daffodils, 1 S. Abbot, 2 C. Bryan, 3 D. Donovan; five blooms small cupped daffodils, 1 D. Donovan; three blooms bi-colour daffodils, 1 S. Faircloth, 2 S. Harris; three blooms double daffodils, 1 P. Slater, 2 P. Scrace, 3 S. Faircloth; five blooms miniature daffodils, 1 S. Harris, 2 E. Sanders, 3 M. Howard; five blooms miniature multi-headed daffodils, 1 A. Travers; mixed daffodils, 1 D. Donovan, 2 S. Harris, 3 C. Dunham; three stems multi-headed narcissi, 1 S. Faircloth, 2 P. Dawson, 3 S. Harris; three blooms, one variety any daffodil, 1 D. Donovan, 2 S. Harris, 3 A. Travers; three tulips, 1 C. Bryan, 2 M. Howard, 3 S. Faircloth; hyacinths, 1 A. Travers, 2 J. Smith, 3 S. Faircloth; spring flowers, 1 M. Howard, 2 C. Dunham, 3 G. Argent; flowering shrubs, 1 J. Coxhead, 2 A. Travers, 3 P. Sedgwick; five blooms pansies, 1 S. Faircloth; five blooms hellebores, 1 M. Howard, 2 S. Harris, 3 S. Abbot; camellia, 1 P. Slater, 2 P. Sedgwick, 3 J. Coxhead; any bulbs or corms, 1 C. Dunham, 2 A. Travers, 3 S. Harris; one pot polyanthus or primrose, 1 G. Beaven, 2 C. Bryan, 3 G. Argent; alpine or rock garden, 1 I. Jordan, 2 P. Slater, 3 S. Abbot; a cactus or succulent, 1 G. Argent, 2 D. Donovan, 3 P. Sedgwick; house or pot plant in bloom, 1 S. Faircloth, 2 S. Harris, 3 P. Slater; house or pot plant with ornamental foliage, 1 I. Jordan, 2 S. Abbot, 3 D. Donovan; one pot of orchids, 1 C. Bennett, 2 J. Coxhead, 3 S. Harris.

Smell and vote: Most fragrant bloom of daffodil or narcissi judged by the votes of the visitors, 1 S. Faircloth; four items in a trug or basket, 1 S. Harris, 2 K. Hay, 3 M. Howard.

Vegetables: Any vegetable, 1 M. Howard, 2 D. Donovan; three kinds of herbs, 1 I. Jordan, 2 M. Howard, 3 K. Hay; three sticks rhubarb, 1 P. Sedgwick, 2 S. Faircloth, 3 I. Jordan.

Floral art: Be My Valentine, 1 E. Anderson, 2 A. Travers, 3 C. Dunham; Spring Fever, 1 C. Dunham, 2 E. Anderson, 3 A. Travers; a petite incorporating a wine glass, 1 P. Dawson, 2 I. Jordan, 3 R. Ball.

Handicraft: A painting in oils or watercolour, 1 P. Dawson; an item of handicraft, 1 K. Hay, 2 P. Slater, 3 S. Abbot; a knitted or crocheted item, 1 V. Black, 2 S. Abbot, 3 K. Hay; an item of hand stitched needlecraft, 1 G. Kriehn, 2 S. Abbot, 3 S. Faircloth; an item of machine stitched needlecraft, 1 S. Abbot, 2 S. Faircloth; an Easter bonnet, 1 S. Abbot, 2 M. Howard; a thank you card, 1 P. Slater, 2 M. Howard.

Photography: I can see for miles, 1 P. More, 2 P. Dawson, 3 S. Abbot; wheels, 1 P. Sedgwick, 2 P. More, 3 P. Dawson; a portrait, 1 S. Abbot, 2 P. More, 3 P. Dawson.

Cookery: Individual pasta salad, 1 K. Hay, 2 M. Howard; four hot cross buns, 1 K. Hay; four Easter biscuits, 1 A. Travers, 2 M. Howard, 3 K. Hay; French apple tart, 1 A. Travers, 2 K. Hay; lemon drizzle cake, 1 A. Travers, 2 K. Hay, 3 R. Ball; orange marmalade, 1 D. Donovan, 2 A. Travers, 3 M. Howard; citrus marmalade, 1 D. Donovan, 2 A. Travers, 3 M. Howard, chutney or pickle, 1 D. Donovan, 2 J. Coxhead, 3 A. Travers.

Children, seven years and under: Cress grown in an unusual container, 1 Jacob Abbot, 2 Jessica Willmott; Easter bonnet, 1 Jacob Abbot; snake made from plant materials, 1 Jacob Abbot; five marzipan sweets, 1 Toby, 2 Lewis R., 3 Mason, all from 1st Felpham Beaver Scouts; Mothering Sunday card. 1 Jacob Abbot.

Children, eight to 14 years: Four chocolate brownies, 1 Alice Sanders, 2 Bethany Sanders; potato print design, 1 Alice Sanders; photograph of Felpham Beach, 1 Alice Sanders, 2 Bethany Sanders; Mothering Sunday card, 1 Alice Sanders, 2 Bethany Sanders.