Calling all gardeners!
A gardening show boss has invited the area's exhibition growers to make the Sandwell Horticultural Show a "best in the Black Country" championship event after the shock cancellation of a top Wolverhampton competition.
A gardening show boss has invited the area's exhibition growers to make the Sandwell Horticultural Show a "best in the Black Country" championship event after the shock cancellation of a top Wolverhampton competition.
The call for more of the thousands of gardeners who compete in events to enter the Sandwell competition on August Bank Holiday follows the shock news that the ever-popular Wolverhampton Horticultural Show was not being organised this July.
Now Steve Melia, Sandwell show chairman, has urged gardeners across the area to compete in the Sandwell classes which is part of the hugely-successful Sandwell Community Show.
"It is a shame to hear of another show being cancelled because when I was a lad there were shows at all the local towns," he says.
"Wednesbury and Walsall had wonderful events which attracted big crowds."
The dropping of shows at Walsall and Dudley in recent years has left the Sandwell event the main Black Country community show for flowers, vegetables and fruit and also for wines, cookery, floral and handicraft classes.
Gardeners who exhibited at the Wolverhampton event over the last decade or so have been expressing their great disappointment at the news of the cancellation.
Codsall grower Roland Bostock says: "We were really surprised and disappinted to hear of the cancellation - and at the fact that we only found out was when a story appeared in the Express & Star.
"It is by far the earliest show and to exhibit quality vegetables at it you have to start plants in a heated greenhouses.
"We had all done that this year believing the show would be going ahead. I know of four or five gardeners who have faced this problem and are really quite angry about the cancellation." he adds.
The Wolverhampton Show goes ahead as usual on July 12 and 13 with the usually brilliant displays by the Black Country and West Midlands fuchsia societies being saved from the axe.
The organisers have apologised to local growers saying that the usual organiser claims he would not be able to run it this year and there had not been time to find a successor.
Mr Bostock said that it was a "great shame" that a well-run show with a very friendly atmosphere like the Wolverhampton one had gone because it was a great starting place for people who wanted to dip their toes into the competitive world.
Mr Melia says Sandwell organisers would welcome would-be Wolverhampton entrants with open arms. "We have always believed that our event was the best around with entrants from all over the Midlands."
"It would be great for everyone if people who had grown for competition came over to Sandwell to challenge the growers who have competed in the Sandwell Valley event for many years."
The Sandwell competition includes the Express & Star Perpetual Challenge Trophy for the best collection of vegetables and the Express & Star Trophy for the heaviest onion.
There are classes for all age groups, including cake baking, giant pumpkin growing and photography.
The organisers expected about 1,500 entries in the classes this year. Anyone who would like a schedule should call Sandwell's cultural services parks and countryside officer Carole Calloway on 0121 569 3440.
By Ken Tudor
