One word led to another

as local amateur gardeners spoke of the fruit and flowers they had grown this season, so Mr and Mrs G T Ward, licensees of the Kings Head Hotel, Northam, decided there was only one way to settle the friendly rivalry between their customers and the Hotel staged its first annual show on Friday.

Highlight of the show was a magnificent display of chrysanthemums while the pears exhibited by Mrs A A Smalley, of Instow, were described by Mr F G Pidler, Devon Horticultural adviser, who judged the show, as ‘the best and biggest pears I have ever seen.’ The pears came from a tree bought two years ago which in this, its first fruiting season, bore four pears only, the largest weighing 1lb and 13ozs. 

One plant entered by Mr A J Kelly for exhibition only was claimed to a ‘Ponga plant’ and to grow wild in profusion along the banks of the River Plate in South America.

Awards in the show were: H W Ellis; S I Fulford; Col W B Wright; H W Ellis; Mrs A S Smalley; A J Kelly; R Friendship; Mrs C A Grant; W H Hookway; Mrs M Tucker; Mrs W B Wright.

Those seen in the picture admiring the show exhibits are: Mr and Mrs G T Ward, Mr W Friendship, Col W B Wright, Mr S I Fulford, Mrs Mialls, Mr K Hopkins, Mrs W B Wright and Mrs A S Smalley.

Article dated 9 November 1956