Acomb show flower champion crowned after three recounts

Just one point separated her and runner-up John Thirlwell, judges counting three times just to make sure! Mr Thirlwell was consoled by the fact he picked up the Simon Newburn Cup for best chrysanthemums.

The quantity and quality of entrants at the show were typically high, with judges having a difficult time picking the winners across the board.

Tony Swaddle was a big winner on the day as he left with four trophies: the Newburn Watson Cup for most points in horticulture section, the Richardson Cup and Chadwick Shield for best pair of leeks, the O. Brown Trophy for best three onions and the cup for the best leek in show.

Frank Young was second in the leek competition, with John Millican, the recipient of the Catherine Brighouse Memorial Plate, was third.

Dorothy Neal retained the cup for most points in the cookery section, while Amanda Earnshaw was another repeat winner from 2017 as she again claimed the cup for most points in the handicraft section.

Callum Robson won the Roly Kennedy Memorial Prize for most points in the Acomb First School classes, with Naomi Liller winning the prize for best photograph.

Show chairman Mark Renfrey said: “Acomb Village Show always punches above its weight. We often have more entries than in shows in villages a lot larger than us, and we even used to have more industrial entries than the Northumberland County Show was held in Corbridge.”

Following the show, the traditional broth night was held, this time at the village’s Sun Inn pub, with produce shown at the weekend turned into soup!

At the evening, the club’s youngest member, 16-year-old Ben Duthie, received the Most Improved Grower award as he successfully managed to bench his leeks. Last year, his father decided his leeks weren’t good enough and were made into broth before being benched!

Ken Milton also received the Chairman’s Shield due to his enthusiasm and support.