Thaxted Gardening & Craft Show goes from strength to strength

Gabrielle Lloyd, 3rd prize in decorated cupcakes in The Great Thaxted Bake Off (Image: Archant)

The show was teeming with visitors and bursting with colour. There were exhibits of all shapes and sizes, ranging from enormous pumpkins and quilted bedspreads to eggcups of mustard seed and miniature flower arrangements, from stained glass and tapestry to millinery,

There were leeks as long as your arm, dahlias as big as your head, tiny cherry tomatoes, impressive apple pies and intricately-iced cupcakes, as well as photographs and paintings.

All the exhibits were made, sewn or grown within a 10-mile radius of Thaxted.

There was also a surge of interest in baking with The Great Thaxted Bake Off doubling the number of exhibits in this section to almost 100.

There was an array of decorated cup cakes, bakewell tarts, pies, biscuits, jams, bread and sponge cakes – and with the bunting and the delicious smell it delighted all the visitors.

A spokesman for the organisers said: “More and more people each year are entering their fruit and vegetables and the display was fantastic this year. The show of garden flowers was spectacular as ever, vibrantly colourful and ranging from big vases of mixed flowers to displays of miniature pansies and the dahlias were exotic, despite the challenging rain and wind last week.”

Thaxted Primary School children’s creative work made a superb display with their artwork hanging from ribbons strung around the building. Every child who enters also receives a packet of seeds to grow for next year, and this year there were several entries from the seeds given last year.

The judges all commented on the large number, delightful range and quality of the exhibits.

The show attracted hundreds of visitors and was full for most of the weekend – chatting and learning from each other and enjoying a good chat over the tea and cake served by the younger members of the United Reformed Church where the show was held.