THERE was not as much of a buzz about this year’s honey show as organisers would have liked – despite it being the 75th anniversary year.
Held in Petersfield Library in The Square there was a different format this time round, with honey for sale and a series of short talks on bee-keeping.
This was to encourage more members of the public to attend the event, held by the Petersfield and District Beekeeping Association.
But this didn’t do the trick, said Honey Show manager David Parkinson. “In the past when communities were rural and agriculturally orientated, Honey Shows were no doubt attended with much enthusiasm by a high proportion of members,” he explained.
“But in our modern era, the increase in the number of people keeping bees, the interest in showing their hive produce has declined.
“Out of 130 registered members, only 26 entered exhibits of which the core are the same members who enter each year.”
For those who did enter and attend though, there was much enjoyment to be had, and pride for the trophy winners as prestigious judges put honey and honey products through their paces.
There were 160 exhibits submitted, of which 148 were eligible for the coveted Blue Ribbon.
To his amazement, Richard Williams won this, the top honour, for his two jars of liquid honey and three blocks of beeswax.
He also picked up the Sid Trenchard Memorial Trophy.
Brad Davis was a triple trophy winner, picking up The Cocke Trophy, The Steep Trophy, for the best honey in the show, and the Sir Humphrey Tollemache Trophy.
The Kathleen Marriage Trophy was awarded to Elizabeth Eveleigh, the Jack Dennis Trophy to Loren Lewis, the Rose Tankard to Graham Rowden, the Cole Platter to Nicky Easton and the Mount Pleasant Trophy to Pippa Barker.
A pupil at Rogate School won the Rogate Trophy for a model of a flower with a foraging bee.
There were lots of entries from the school’s four to 11 year olds.
The silverware was presented by Petersfield’s deputy mayor Cllr Jamie Matthews.