The 2025 Pilning Flower Show will be held on Saturday 23th August.
All are welcome!
The Pilning Flower Show celebrates the talents of our community. Entries include items grown, baked, and made by participants of all ages.
All are welcome to enter the competitions. You are encouraged to bring your friends and family to the event. Enjoy the day visiting together with the community, viewing the entries, celebrating the achievements, and participating in the raffle and auction. You could go home with your arms full of local vegetables, flowers as well as a wide range of exciting prizes donated by local businesses.
From the 2024 show £2,000 was raised for the locally based charity ‘Make a Mark’. The organising committee will be selecting the charity for 2025 in January and would welcome any suggestions.
Are you growing vegetables, fruit, or flowers? Do you enjoy photography, flower arranging, baking? Or perhaps you enjoy arts and crafts? There are a wide range of competition categories to enter for both children and adults. All skills levels are welcome to enter the show.
2024 Pilning Flower Show Spectacular
The Pilning Open Flower Show held at St Peter’s School, Pilning on Saturday 24th August was a resounding success. Calls by the organisers, prior to the show, for new competitors to come forward, were answered. There were 77, the highest number since the show’s record of 2012 and a very respectable 411 entries. Over 200 people visited in the afternoon to see the wonderful displays including vegetables and baking which were up on last year, as well as the younger children’s classes, boosted by the local Rainbows group. In addition to the normal prize money and treats, every child entering the show received a £5 Hobbycraft gift voucher, which may entice them back again next year.
Best in show was a beautiful woollen hat made by parish resident Meaghan O’Neil. This hand knitted craft showcased a five-coloured Fair Isle stranded design. Meaghan recently joined the committee and designed the website for the Flower Show where you can find all the results from the 73 classes and photos from the day. Other award winners were: Alan Bainbridge for tomatoes and dahlias; Mervyn Reeves, most points in flowers; Bob Roper, onions; Becky Griffin, specimen rose; Victoria Bywater, fruit; Tim & Aly Dark most points in horticulture, Susan Edwardes best pickles and best tasting jam; Catherine Fish, most points in baking; Bob Edwardes, best photo and most points in photography; Rosemarie Roper, most points in flower arranging; Ivy Reeves best exhibit 8 years and under; Beccy Latham Roberts, most points children 14 years and under. Chair Richard Edwards won cups for most points in vegetables and potatoes and in the show by a Parish resident. Also winning tallest sunflower for a second year, he urged other residents to ‘please have a go’. Best allotments were won by Tony Cole and Tim Dark. Best front gardens by John & Lesley Luke, and Sally & Brian Baber. Best commercial frontage was Just As You Are Tea Cottage.
The awards were presented by Karen Vizard, representing the Alveston based child bereavement charity ‘Made a Mark’, who will receive proceeds from this year’s show. Record amounts were raised from the entertaining auction of produce and donated items delivered by Nick Harley and Duncan Kemp and the bumper raffle which concluded at around 5:30pm on a fine, but cool, summer’s evening. The annual show will return on 23rd August 2025.
More details from the 2024 show can be found on the Previous Results Page
Latest News and Announcements
Flower Show Made a Mark
At their AGM at St Peter’s Church on 16th October, the organisers of Pilning Flower Show were pleased to present a cheque to local child bereavement charity ‘Made a Mark’. Karen and Martin Vizard, representing Made a Mark, were delighted with the record equalling £2,000 raised from this year’s show. They said they really enjoyed their time at the show; so much so, that they’ll be back next year as competitors. The cheque was presented by Treasurer, Albert George. Albert has been involved in the show for more than 30 years and was honoured by becoming the new President at the AGM. The committee will be looking to select a new charity in January – any suggestions welcomed. The 2025 show will take place on Saturday 23rd August.
2024 AGM: Wednesday 16 October 2024
The 2024 AGM will be held on Wednesday, 16 October 2024 at 7:30pm at St Peter’s Church in Pilning. All are welcome, but please do come along if you would like to find out how the Flower Show did this year, or if would like to get involved in some way in the future. For further information please speak with any of the current organising team. Thank you for your continued support.
2024 Show Starting Soon!
Entries will be accepted on Friday from 7-8pm and on Saturday from 9-10:45am. Doors will open to the public on Saturday at 2:15pm. We have some donated vases, mainly suitable for dahlias that are available for use.
2024 Pilning and Severn Beach Best Gardens and Commercial Frontage Results
All the gardens, allotments and commercial properties in the Parish were judged by the Flower Show organisers in July. Again, there are certainly a lot of lovely looking gardens, and congratulations to those that won or got into the top tens commended gardens. Cups and shields will be awarded at the Flower Show on 24th August, but please do take the opportunity to go on a walk and see the gardens for yourself.
See the 2024 Results page for a complete list of the winners and top 10 commended gardens
Pilning Winner of Best Garden:
Bridge View, Severn Way, New Passage
A well-tended large garden with a neat lawn and lovely array of containers and hanging baskets, surrounded by established beds, shrubs, roses and hedges. The plants are complemented by different outside seating areas, architectural items, arbour and an active bird table. The garden has won once before, but more than twenty years ago. Congratulations to John and Lesley Luke.
Severn Beach Winner of Best Garden:
116, Beach Road
A brilliant example of what can be achieved by gardeners in a short period of time. The owners only took this on 3 years ago with a blank, but weedy and brambly canvas. Now transformed, with a well-kept lawn, and colourful containers of bedding plants and beautiful hanging baskets. But that’s not all, with a shrub border beside the front pavement and a spectacular border alongside the path to the sea front. Congratulations to Sally and Brian Baber.
Best Commercial Frontage:
Just As You Are Tea Cottage Severn Beach.
Wild flower planting to the front and pleasant herbaceous border to the side. Congratulations to Miriam Street.
Programmes available for collection
Please visit the programme on our website for further information on these and all other the classes. Alternatively, please pick up a printed programmes from either; Downs Bakery, Shirley’s Café in Severn Beach, the shop, garage or pharmacy in Pilning, or the Dinky Store Easter Compton.
News: 23/7/2024
Sadly, in the last year, we have lost our Honorary President Mervyn Jacobs and David England who were both stalwarts of the show and always put in many entries. Furthermore, David’s brother Edward, who won five trophies in 2023 including ‘best in show’, will be unable to compete due to a lack of a garden. So, particularly this year, we are hopeful of attracting some new competitors to fill the void. Please do have a go, it’s a lot of fun and not too serious. You may well surprise yourself by winning a prize or even a cup! Thanks to some kind sponsorship there will be a special incentive for all children from the Parish entering the show will each receiving a gift voucher.
News 30/7/2024:
The organising committee are out in the community currently judging the best front gardens, allotments and commercial frontages. Winners and top ten gardens will be announced shortly on the website to allow people to go out and take a look for themselves.
The 2024 Pilning Flower Show: New Classes for 2024
In response to public feedback and to provide some new challenges for competitors, the organising committee has refreshed some of the classes for this year’s show. The new classes are as follows:
Flowers Class 27 ‘Sunflowers (flower of the year)’ – 3 stems
Flowers Class 29 ‘Asters (annual or perennial)’ – 3 stems
Preserves Class 40a ‘Glass Jar of Honey’
Baking Class 47 ‘Sausage Rolls (flaky or rough puff pastry)’ – 4
Photography Class 52 ‘Pairs’
Photography Class 54 ‘A Macro or Close-up’
Flower Arranging Class 60 ‘Flower Arrangement in a Bottle or Bottles’
Flower Arranging Class 61 ‘All in Green’
Children to 8 years Class 65 ‘A Decorated Mask’
Children to 8 years Class 66 ‘A Hand/Finger Painting’
Children to 14 years Class 69 ‘My Favourite Homemade Pizza (max 20cm)
Children to 14 years Class 70 ‘A Short Story or Blog (maximum 250 words)
Honey is a brand-new class, but all the others replace something in last year’s show. Please visit the programme on our website for further information on these and all other the classes. Alternatively, please pick up a printed programmes from either; Downs Bakery, Shirley’s Café in Severn Beach, the shop, garage or pharmacy in Pilning, or the Dinky Store Easter Compton.
Sunflowers appear for the first time as cut flowers as they are identified nationally as the flower of the year, replacing Salvias. But please also remember to have a go at the tallest sunflower competition. Available to anyone to enter, including those from Easter Compton, we have given children a head start by going into the local Primary Schools to sow seeds with them.
Our charity for this year ‘Made a Mark’ has confirmed they’ can attend the show and have provided us with information to help us to persuade potential sponsors to support us.
If you would like to help, please get in touch with us via the contact form on the website.
2024 charity selected
The organising committee considered which charity it should support in 2024. Suggested to the committee by resident and show stalwart Pat Edwardes, locally based ‘Made a Mark’ was chosen. The charity was founded in 2018 in memory of Mark Knapp, a much-loved husband and father of 2 young children, who died very suddenly and unexpectedly. Whilst the care that Mark received in hospital was excellent, the family were left feeling that the support for the children in that setting simply wasn’t there. It really was difficult to know what to do, where to turn to and how best to talk to the children about what had happened. The charity is a way to help other families take opportunities that were missed, by providing memory boxes and supporting materials to acute hospitals and hospices, which can be given to children and their families following a loss. Made a Mark is a registered with the Charity Commission and is a no-salary charity, run solely by volunteers for the public benefit. We do hope, with the support of the community, the Flower Show will be able to raise a good sum for this great cause.
2024 Flueroselect flower of the year
The Fleuroselect flower of the year for 2024 is the sunflower. So, as well as the tallest sunflower competition, cut sunflowers will be included as a new class in this year’s show. Time to get sowing yours in March and April!
Visit to the Avon Centre
In November, the committee members were welcomed for a visit at the Avon Centre (formerly RDA). This was a great opportunity for the committee members to see how the monies raised by the 2022 flower show are used at the centre. We watched riding lessons being given to children in the vast indoor arena and sat in seats which originally came from the old Webley Stadium and were used by Princess Anne earlier this year. We saw Shetland ponies, toured the stables and were given a demonstration of the horse simulator. A big thank you to Karen Sheppard for arranging and giving a very interesting tour.
Pilning Flower Show AGM
The Annual General Meeting was held on Tuesday, 10th October 2023, 7:30pm at St Peter’s Church, Pilning. The Great Western Air Ambulance Charity was presented with a further cheque for £1,500. The 2024 committee members and officers were confirmed at the meeting. We welcome Sue Fry and Yvonne Gaulton as new committee members. See the About Us Page to learn more about the volunteers.
For further information please speak with any of the current organising team. Thank you for your continued support.
Supporting Local Causes
Funds raised by the 2024 Pilning Flower show will be donated to the local ‘Made A Mark’ charity.
Funds raised by the 2023 Pilning Flower show were donated to The Great Western Air Ambulance.
Learn more about the local causes supported ⟶
Acknowledgement
The Organisers of the Pilning Flower Show would to thank the following businesses for their continuing support of donations and prizes for the show. We’d be pleased for our community to return the compliment by supporting them when possible
Would your business be interested in making a donation or providing a prize for the raffle or auction? This is a great way to show your support for the Pilning and Severn Beach community.
