Sunflower competition results and a big thank you

Hi everyone,

Firstly thank you all for turning out and making it such a great day. I'm sure from the conversations going on next year will be even more competitive! Dad would be so chuffed!

A special thank you to Helena for helping out (in the pouring rain!) on May Day Bank holiday when the scrawny, starter sunflower plants were sold at the May Fayre, raising £150 for the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation.

Another special thank you to John the Gardener aka John Le Measurer for being the judge and delivering the results. He did a wonderful job in a most professional manner, suffering even more of the English weather as it rained all day on the designated measuring day and he also had to contend with ladders and scaffolding!

Last, but not least, thanks to my Uncle Ken for making the trophy, hand turned out of Yew, which I hope will be cherished by the winner and handed over (maybe!) next year. Keith from the Rose and Crown informs be that Yew never dies - that makes it an extra special trophy.

Anyhow here's what you've all been waiting for . . .
. . . . . . THE RESULTS!

5th - Siobhan Pierce, Braintree - Height 2.49m Flowerhead 18cm

4th - Rose & Crown, Bocking - Height 2.78m Flowerhead 29cm

3rd - Brian Bell, Rivenhall - Height 2.93m
Flowerhead 18cm

2nd - Clare Avery, Bocking - Height 3.58m
Flowerhead 23cm

1st - Andy Duzniak, Braintree - Height 3.74m Flowerhead 26cm





Here's Andy with his trophy!

A photo of the champion with his sunflower, scaffolding and all, will be published shortly. John Le Measurer is kindly going to take a picture for me, because as you know I've carelessly broken my arm!

Andy said his success was down to "good soil and luck", but he did attend Writtle college and spends a good deal of his time at his allotments!

Anyhow whatever method he used, Andy has made that German offering look like a tiddler! Well done!

The Rose and Crown took the biggest head prize with a whopping 29cm, so we could also get some tips from Keith and Margaret!

We'll start all over again, and slugs be warned, next year at the May Day Fayre and JLM says we're aiming for at least £500 for the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation. Thanks again and well done everyone!