The blooming marvellous Aorere Show hits 100 years
Another Aorere Autumn Flower Show this Saturday (28 February) is significant as the twice-annual show reaches its 100th year.
Aorere’s early settlers no doubt skited about their capricious blooms and bulging vegetables from the time the very first gardens were planted, but the official shows go back to 1909, a year after the valley’s Flower and Produce Society was formed to give local folk an opportunity to compare everything from cheeses to pickles, garden produce and handicrafts and, of course, flower blooms.
The prizes have never been more than the honour of a ribbon, but are nevertheless held in great esteem.
Says Lois Benjamin, one of the stalwart organisers: “Some of the past ones were huge affairs; even the schools up and down the valley set aside time for all their students to put together a sand saucer arrangement. It became an integral part of growing up here. That’s why it remained such a strong tradition for so long. It’s not really like that any more, but every so often we have a revival of interest, and that keeps us going.”
The show today is not only about flowers and produce either; handcrafts, photography, children’s farm models and even decorated pet rocks will all have their competitors. Under the rules, however, “there is no first prize unless there are two exhibits and no second prize unless there are three exhibits in each class.” Discerning stuff. By 2pm the judges will have finished, and then it’s the public’s turn to sniff some blooms while little Johnny digs through the lucky dip barrel.
Gerard Hindmarsh
