On Saturday 10th September, 12 hopeful entrants placed 142 exhibits in the Autumn Show. It was held by Caterham & District Horticultural Society. Visitors enjoyed the show at Hillcroft School in Caterham.

It was a family affair with husband and wife team Ron Thomas and Jean Burns-Thomas scooping three of the cups. They entered an impressive 40 exhibits between them. Their dahlias were a particular delight in the show.

The Richardson family from Chichester came to present the new Josie Richardson Cup. It was named after the Society’s long-serving Vice President Josephine Richardson sadly passed in 2014. Speaking at the prize-giving, her son Barry said:

“I remember my mother going off to enter the shows and coming back with prizes. For many years she was responsible for writing out the entry cards for the shows. She did this on the dining table.”

The cup was awarded to Moyra Brohier for gaining the highest total number of points in cookery classes from the spring, summer and autumn shows.

Other highlights in the 76 show categories included colorful floral arrangements on themes like ‘Autumn Joy’. Gardeners showed their heaviest pumpkin, onion and marrow; and longest runner bean.

It was the time of year to hand out prizes to those gardeners that had excelled through the year. The winners of annual trophies and a prestigious Royal Horticultural Society medal were as follows:

1. Dave Williams won the RHS Banksian Medal awarded to the exhibitor gaining the most points in spring, summer and autumn shows.

2. Joe Perera won the Murray Bowl for gardener of the year.

3. Moyra Brohier won the Josie Richardson Cup for the most points in cookery classes in the three annual shows.

4. Tabitha Wren won the Chapman Plate. It is awarded to the child exhibitor gaining the most points in spring, summer and autumn shows.

The Autumn Show prizes were awarded as follows:

 Ron Thomas won the Merritt Cup for three vases of dahlias and the Seaman Cup for three vases of dahlias.

 Joe Perera won the Gooderman Memorial Trophy for best vegetable or fruit exhibit and the first prize for a table exhibit of vegetables, which was kindly sponsored by Barbara Henning. This exhibit also won Joe the Caterham Council Cup for the best competitive exhibit in show.

 Virginia Hewitt won the Chaldon Cup for the best exhibit in pot plants.

 Dave Williams won the Cliff Ridgeway Memorial Cup for four onions.

 Jean Burns-Thomas won the Johnston Challenge Cup for the most points in floral arrangements.