The Final Countdown
Well the place has been really buzzing this week, not least in my
kitchen. The Aga has been going none stop I can tell you. I have
produced enough cheese straws, scones, cakes, flapjacks, and meringues to
sink a battle ship. Despite me telling Spencer not to touch anything
he insisted on sneaking into the kitchen, and before I had time to stop him,
he had eaten a potential cheese scone winner. I am still not speaking
to him about this.
Various entries are beginning to appear in the entrance hall at the Manor,
all ready for transporting to the Village Hall on Sunday morning. As,
usual, I shall be there early as soon as the Hall opens to start laying out
my entries. The children and Spencer will do their own, but I will
have to rely on Spencer to make a few trips in the Bentley to bring it all
round.
Tuesday 4th September
Assembled all my entries for the handicraft section in a box in the entrance hall. Sorted out all the jams and the fruit cakes, and made sure that they were correctly labelled and dated. Checked that I had the boards ready to display my fuchsias and clematis flowers.
Wednesday 5th September
Went round to Steve Layland’s house in the evening to submit my entry, and to take last year’s trophy haul back. He seemed quite surprised to see just how many classes we Paulet-Halts are entering. I agonised whether to show my sweet peas which are lovely this year, but in the end Spencer thought that I was doing enough, and I had to agree with him.
Thursday 6th September
Dug
up the potatoes and sorted out which ones to show. Violet Elizabeth
and I also dug up the carrots. What a disappointment - alas, I won’t
be challenging Jeff Owen this year. I blame it on the wet weather
myself. Got Spencer on the ladder this year, with the new long handled
pruners, to pick the pears and they are very good, so the wet weather did
encourage some things. The problem I will have here is to choose which
ones to show as I have a lot to choose from.
Friday 7th September
Had a mammoth baking exercise. Managed to complete plaited loaf (first attempt ever and was quite pleased with the result). I also made flapjacks, and shortbread today as well as cheese straws and cheese scones. I will have to have yet another go at a Victoria sandwich tomorrow as today’s one came out with a crack on top. Delia says that means the mixture was too wet.
Saturday 8th September
This must be the busiest day of the year for me. I was up early
this morning to go to the market in Basingstoke to buy some flowers for the
flower arranging classes. I couldn’t get all that I wanted there, so
had to call back at Tesco’s for some more.
Dashed home and made meringues - what a messy job that is, and finished off
the Madeleines with the jam and coconut. Had another go at the Victoria
sandwich - not my best attempt but it will have to do. (I already have
a freezer full of failed ones I made earlier). Selected my tomatoes,
courgettes, onions, potatoes, and the 1 remaining cucumber.
Spencer went to collect Marcus from school, and I had to remind him to get
Marcus to bring his Army cadet boots back for my novice flower arrangement.
After lunch, I then settled to doing the flower arranging. That took
some time I can tell you, but I am really pleased with the results, although
Marcus’s size 13 boot dominates the novice arrangement somewhat.
Chivvied the children to get their entries ready for tomorrow, and had a
last look around the garden to make sure that all the flowers are in good
order. Went through the show schedule one more time, to make sure that
I have got everything ready in the hall. Went to bed early, as I plan to get
up at 6am.
Sunday 9th September SHOW MORNING
The alarm went off at 5.30 am, as I didn’t want to be too rushed.
Picked my Marigolds, Fuchsias, Clematis, annuals raised from seed and
herbaceous flowers. Had to kick Spencer out of bed to bring the
Bentley round to the front of the Manor to load up. He doesn’t seem to
understand just how important it is to get there as early as possible.
I went to go with the first load, to start putting it out at the Village
Hall. Spencer then brought the children with their entries, and then
went back to the Manor for the final lot. It is a big responsibility
for him.
You will have to wait until next week to find out how we all got on!