Schools Out
Saturday July 21st
School holidays at last! Violet Elizabeth has returned home from
boarding school full of enthusiasm for entering the Village show. She
has her eye on the two children’s silver trophies. The Shorthouse
Cup
for the best children’s exhibit (classes 94 -100), and the Owen Challenge Cup
for the highest number of points in the children’s section.
I thought that I would let her write the column this week to enable me to
get on with the lemon curd (class 76) and the fruit cake to a given recipe
(class 63). Perhaps I should mention a bit more about the fruit cake
because I do have a little experience in this matter having been placed in
previous years (see picture). The show schedule provides a set recipe
which must be followed. It always amazes me just how different all the
cakes look on the show bench. The judges cut each cake in half to see
whether the fruit has sunk! You need to display your cakes on a plate
and cover them with clingfilm.
Usually the judges write comments on the entry cards and this can help you
with next year’s entries. For example, last year I showed my
Madeleines without “angelica leaves” (as according to Mary Berry they
weren’t required), but the judge said that they should have been included. So of course this year I shall, and I can reveal that I have had to travel
to Tesco’s at the Meadows at Camberley to get the wretched stuff.
Monday July 23rd
Violet Elizabeth writes……
There are 7 children’s classes and, like always, I will enter all seven
of them. I really do hope that I’ll be able to win the two children’s
trophies. At school we have been doing embroidery but I’m not sure whether
to enter that or my vase, in the children’s handmade articles (class 98).
In
previous years I have entered a metal model of an insect, a crocheted poncho
for my teddy, and a clay model of a snowman. I have put in a photo for you
all to look at. This year the picture is of Halloween (class 94). I
will have to get my thinking cap on for that! I have realised that for
the garden flowers in a jam jar (class 97) you have to get up at about 6am
like Mama to get the perfect blooms for my arrangement. At Christmas
Mama was practising her flower arranging and she produced a lovely red,
green and white arrangement. Unfortunately she left it outside after
she made it and it soon became a brown and green arrangement!
This year class 95 is a new item for me at least. The task is to make
a mask. I have already made mine out of papier mache, and Mama didn’t
half make a fuss about the mess on the floor.
For the Miniature Garden in a Seed Tray (class 96) most children, a few
weeks before the show, plant grass seeds in their tray wherever they want
grass to grow. Last year for example someone used a broccoli as a tree and
filled a yogurt pot with water as a pond. Another class that you need
to leave to the day before is the edible necklace. I have used grapes,
nuts and chilli peppers in the past. One year I used those edible
liquorice laces as the string, and when I got up on show day they had all
disintegrated with the grape juice that had leaked round it!
The fruit or vegetable monster class always has a good number of entries.
We usually ask our friend Sally, who has an allotment at Old Basing to look
out for some odd shaped potatoes or carrots for us, as you can understand
that we don’t grow those sort of things at the Manor.
Children’s classes are free to enter and you win money and a rosette if you
are 1st, 2nd or 3rd. (See my photo). You mustn’t have help from a
grown-up and you must come to Old Basing Village Hall in the morning to set
out your entries before 10am. When you get there you pick up your entry
cards at the door. These tell you which number table to go to. Then you put
your exhibit and your card together on the table so that your name is NOT
visible. Don’t forget to bring a plate with you to stand your necklace
and monster on.
When you come back at 2.30pm you can see what you have won and there is
usually a packet of sweets for you.
GOOD LUCK!!