1886, June 11, Friday
St Barnabas. Divine Service at 9.15. Drove Bell to Brailes with books. It was a lovely morning but cold and windy in the afternoon.
We held a Flower Show of window plants etc in the Schoolroom this afternoon. Miss Dix and her sisters kindly did all the work – and food. Mr Norris’s gardener acted as judge.
I gave £1.2.3 in prizes which Mrs Stevens handed to the winners. 15/9 was taken at the doors. Printing etc cost 1/6, Miss Dix added 1/- so that 7/- remains due to me.
P. Webb’s wife had some good flowers, but did not send any to the show, though she was asked by Miss Dix to do so, on the ground that she had not received any notice, or something to a like effect.
The following cutting from the Banbury Advertiser of 17 June is pasted into the diary at that date.
SIBFORD GOWER.
FLOWER SHOW.
The annual flower show of window plants, &c., was held in the school room here on Friday last with an exceedingly good collection, considering the backwardness of the season. The pelargoniums kindly sent by Mrs. Shellswell for decoration only—not for competition—were particularly good, as also were the calceolarias &c. sent for the same purpose by Mr. Lewis and other residents. The wild flowers in which this parish abounds perhaps more than any other in the neighbourhood at this time of the year, made a very pleasing show, one little boy having collected and correctly named some three dozen varieties. At the close of the exhibition, which had been very tastefully arranged by Miss Dix, acting as secretary, the Rev. E. T. Stevens, the president, congratulated the exhibitors on the success of their efforts in the cultivation of such beautiful flowers which must, he said have been a labour of pleasure and a labour of love. In the names of all interested in the show he thanked Mr Ford, the head gardener at Swalcliffe Park, for his kind services as judge, and the Misses Dix, who had carried out all the arrangements for the show. The prizes, in accordance with the following list, were handed to their respective winners by Mrs. Stevens, who said a kind word to each.
CLASS A.
Four or more pot plants—1 Mrs. E. Hancox, 2 Mrs. Harris, 3 Mrs. R. Sabin.
CLASS B.
Three pot plants—1 Mrs. West, 2 Mrs. Hunt, 3 Mrs. T. Aris.
CLASS C.
Best pelargonium—1 Miss Kaye, 2 Mrs. Gaydon.
CLASS D.
Best geranium—1 Mrs. Meadows, 2 Mrs. Hone.
CLASS E.
Best plant of any other kind—1 Mrs. Hancox, 2 Miss Harris, 3 Mrs. Hone.
CLASS F.
Collection of cut flowers—1 Mrs. Tay, 2 Master F, 3 Daisy Sabin.
For children under 14 years of age.
CLASS G.
Collection of wild Flowers—1 W. Thame, 2 S. Webb, 3 W. Inns, 4 E. Webb.
CLASS H.
Collection of grasses—1 J. Inns, 2 S. Webb, 3 W. Inns, 4 E. Webb.
EXTRA PRIZE.
Calceolarias—Mrs. Gaydon.
