大象传媒

is an unmissable date in the village’s calendar.

The competitive spirit rises and old rivalries flare as people ready themselves to submit their very best home-grown or home-made wonders.

In vegetable plots and kitchens up and down the country the same efforts are being made for local horticultural competitions, and it is very serious business...

I once had a third share in a cup, held it for four months, as three of us tied on points. Another time I entered a show which I had not done before, and a work colleague who was on the committee commented that I had upset the apple-cart by beating some of the old-stagers!!! They had won regularly until I came along with my biscuits!!! Happy days. [Hannah on The Archers blog]

It is a very competitive and serious business. One of the ladies missed out on the vegetable trophy to an elderly gentleman and was not pleased! [Rosey Norton on ]

Ours was known for friendly rivalry apart from the flower arranging section. That was cutthroat stuff. One year, a rival got a winner disqualified because her arrangement was a tiny bit too wide. She had actually gone to the show armed with a tape-measure. [Sylvia Milne on ]

This year I was disgracefully disqualified from a village food and produce competition for baking my sticky ginger cake in a round tin rather than the stipulated square tin. Even though the size was completely correct and many dubious rectangular entries were allowed in! My cake looked much more moist than those offerings so I could have placed as well.The only upside is that it felt like I was in my own Archers storyline... [Chris Bull on ]

My mum was disqualified once for her Victoria sponge in Strete village show. She took it in her stride, but I was furious. The written comment from the alleged judge read "this is a fatless sponge". It wasn't. Mum was just ace at cakes 馃憡 馃憡 馃憡 馃挅 馃挅 馃挅 [Jean Braithwaite on ]

I've been disqualified for "excessive decoration" on my strawberry jam and got a written warning for the size of the pith in my lemon curd. I received the single comment 'strange' for what I optimistically believed to be a historically accurate interpretation of a 14th century monastery jam recipe and the advice that my flapjack was "too dense". [Clare Chick on ]

Many years ago, my mother entered the local produce show and one of the classes she entered was for an evergreen houseplant. I don't know why, but there were only two entries, including Mum's. After the judging, she found that she had been awarded third prize. When she queried it, saying how could she have got third place when there were only two entries, she was told that her plant wasn't up to second place standard. Of course it became a standing joke in the family. [Caspar on The Archers blog]

I know how your Mum felt! Exactly the same happened to me with my cabbages. A little nibbled around the edges I will admit but they were placed third in a class with two entries. When I asked: "who came second then?" - not unreasonably I thought - I was faced with a blank look and was told I didn't understand vegetable judging. Too right, I didn't.

The next year, my two perfectly matched Italian squashes - tonda pandana since you ask - were disqualified as the judge thought they were marrows. I have now decided that my vegetables are grown to be eaten not exhibited - not that I still bear a grudge. No, really, I am over it. I think. [Sandy on The Archers blog]

I once won Best Lemon Curd at Dartmouth & Kingswear Horticultural Show - I received £1 and a certificate! [Rose Williams on ]

I know you're in it for the glory, but our local First Prize is 60p! [Lesley Greaves on ]

A couple of years ago I entered what I thought was a magnificent red cabbage, and some awful looking carrots in a different category. My carrots were disqualified (ugliest veg) because they were not one single ugly carrot. They were lots and lots of carrots entwined and curled round each other, it was a pretty ugly specimen, straight out of Alien. My cabbage came third, and I'm not being big-headed when I claim it to be the best cabbage in the room - I won 50p and although I got my cabbage back, l never received the money. [Stasia on The Archers blog]

As a young couple, we had recently moved to the farm and village. There was a good-sized vegetable plot in the garden so, for the first time, I tried my hand at growing veg for the table. Somehow or other (maybe it was liberal doses of chicken manure) I managed to grow some exceptionally large onions and Mr A encouraged me to enter the village F&P Show.

To my astonishment I won first prize with my onions, to the absolute fury of several elderly village gardeners who had been entering the show for years and usually scooped all the vegetable prizes! How dare a young woman, and a recent incomer at that, walk off with the "best onion" cup! I never dared to enter vegetables again after that and stuck to the "'ladies classes'" for such things as jam or Victoria Sandwich.

Listening to The Archers, especially Joe and Bert trying to spy on the veg growing opposition, always reminds me of my first - and last - vegetable entry to the village show. I certainly wouldn't dare to compete with either of them for the biggest marrow! [Archerphile on The Archers blog]

Last year I tasted and judged 132 food items for our local show. I was queasy for days. [Jill Burgess on ]