STOURTON and GASPER HISTORY

‘The famous Flower Show.  that was started at the field in Coldcot Farm, opposite the house and that was very competitive and always looked forward to in the first week of August, and the extraordinary thing then was there was always a cricket match going on then, and there was a funfair and roundabouts and swings and coconut shies. It was a great occasion. It went on like that until war broke out…’ M.T.

‘It was a lovely show (the Flower Show) in with the horse event in a big marquee but over the years it has just got so expensive, the marquee. So this last year, we tried to do it “little” It was a bit of a squeeze (in the Village Hall) …’ L.H.

‘The W.I. had a variety of speakers…’ M.T.

‘I remember the cooking one, she was teaching us a very long process of making some jam and I’m afraid I said I just bung all the sugar and fruit in all together and boil it up and bottle it. And she said, “Oh, no, no, you never do that…" Unknowingly, she gave me first prize for my jam at the Flower Show…’ E.B.

‘The Flower Show was tremendous fun. As children, it was the sort of summer holiday highlight because you had to think about your entries - a wild flower collection. I suppose nowadays people would say you mustn’t pick those and you mustn’t pick that but we went absolutely haywire to see if we could get the largest variety in a great big urn. Another competition I remember was having to write the first verse of the National Anthem…’ M.T.