Hundreds of shows and fêtes take place in Britain during the summer each year. Many were established in late Victorian and Edwardian times and have a long history.
The shows have much in common despite their different heritage.
Our focus will be on the usual case, idealised to simplify matters. Differences between this and your show will become apparent.
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
A typical show
Most shows are small-scale affairs operated by horticultural societies and clubs to raise relatively small sums of money to carry out their activities.
Smaller shows lack the resources of their annual county and town counterparts, many of which have access to dedicated showgrounds.
Instead, they are held in marquees or church and village halls. Handicrafts and amateur photographs are displayed alongside flowers and vegetables grown locally in gardens and allotments.
Exhibits
Typically, exhibits include cultivated flowers like roses, seasonal soft fruits such as raspberries and blackcurrants, homemade jams and preserves, and needlework and knitwear.
Exhibits are classified by type and divided into sections or divisions for ease of administration. For example, a flower section might contain separate classes for roses, begonias, chrysanthemums, and gladioli.
Entries are competitive, with judges awarding points, rosettes and small cash prizes. While most classes are open to the general public, some are restricted to members of the society or club.
Prizes
Some shows award cups, trophies, and inscribed plates to winners of individual classes or groups to mark a year’s achievement. Winners must return the cups before the anniversary of the show they were awarded.
Often, the cups have been provided by former members of the society or club, by other benefactors, or endowed by a deceased member as a memorial.
Cups and trophies
Cups and trophies are awarded based on the following:
- the best entry in the opinion of the judges;
- the number and types of prizes awarded;
- the total amount of prize money.
For affiliates of the Royal Horticultural Society, the Banksian Medal can be awarded to the person who has obtained the highest prize in the show for horticultural classes.
Pride and passion
Although some shows may be small, passions can run high when judgements are made about some exhibits with honour, prestige and pride at stake. Nurturing horticultural displays to show standards requires considerable effort and skill.
Run by volunteers
Nationally, most shows are run by a small army of volunteers who give up their time to make them successful.
If all this sounds familiar, you will know that running a show smoothly and efficiently presents numerous formidable challenges, including staging exhibits for judging and awarding cups and trophies alongside cash prizes.
That is why the SmallShow application can help you manage your show.
Follow the link below to contact us.
Here is the contact form to enable you to ask questions. Thank you. We look forward to hearing from you.
Revision date: 23 August 2024