By Julie McDonald 

Next month will see the return of the village show. 

This year we’ve teamed up with Cuckfield Golf Centre who have kindly offered people the chance to play a round or two of miniature golf in the paddock opposite the church. 

Come along for a glass of wine, or tea and cake (from our amazing kitchen team), and browse the exhibits and selected stalls while placing a bid or two to see if you can win a prize from our silent auction. We have some fantastic prizes to win again this year. 

We’re also looking forward to welcoming two pianists who will be gliding their hands across the keys and rolling out some calming music to keep us all entertained throughout the afternoon. And for the little ones, there will be colouring activities and story-time with local author, Sally Symes. 

The committee has been busy working behind the scenes gathering sponsors, silent auction prizes and helping to organise the judging panel. Thank you to all those who have contributed; the show would not be possible without your support. We would especially like to thank, Amanda Rogers and Hermione Pask, two of our newest committee members for all their dedication and hard work. In addition, we would also like to extend our thanks to Marie Dormer for organising the stalls this year. 

If you don’t have one yet, don’t forget to pick up your show guide from Artologie or the Co-op, Whitemans Green. There are also several other businesses in the village displaying copies for you to take. 

There are a range of options available including - horticulture, baking, preserves, homemade spirits/wine, floral, art, crafts, art, photography and a junior section too - so you can choose which classes you would like to enter. 

Closing date for entries is Wednesday 30th August 2023. 

The Cuckfield Society Village Show will take place from 2pm on Saturday 2nd September at the Baptist Church, Polestub Lane, Cuckfield. 

Organisers Jill White and Julie McDonald are pleased to announce the date of this year’s Cuckfield Village Show: Saturday 2nd September.

The pair ran the 2022 event, but are delighted that there is now a new committee of volunteers to join them for this year. “We have been putting our heads together,” Jill explained, “and have had lots of exciting ideas for new show classes for 2023.”

The class categories are: Vegetables, Fruit, Flowers, Baking, Preserves/Drink, Floral Art, Crafts, Art, Photography, and Juniors (up to 14 years). A full list of all the categories can be found below and online (www.cuckfield.org), as the team encourage anyone to think about what they could enter later this year. Some clearly need more time to prepare than others!

Could you create: ‘something made from metal’, ‘a cartoon strip’, ‘an original model made from Lego’, ‘3 choux buns’ or grow ‘the single most fragrant rose’? There are more than 90 classes this year, which include some favourites like ‘heaviest vegetable’, ‘one jar of jam’ and ‘The Katie Stewart Cup’ where Katie’s recipe for a date and walnut loaf cake must be followed and judged.

PRESERVES/DRINK
47. 1 jar chutney, any recipe
48. 1 jar jam
49. 1 jar fruit jelly
50. 1 jar marmalade
51. 1 bottle of homemade fruit spirit
52. 1 bottle of homemade beer/cider
53. 1 bottle of homemade wine

FLORAL ART (use wire/beads/bark/vintage hedgehogs etc., not oasis as this will not be acceptable)
54. A summer wreath
55. A table centre piece inspired by the Coronation
56. An arrangement of dried flowers and/or seed heads
57. A freestyle flower display, in your own container

CRAFTS
58. A bag for life
59. A pair of jeans customised in your own style
60. A white t-shirt decorated in your own style (eg. Buttons, zips, ribbons, pens, bling etc.) 61. A handstitched item of needlecraft
62. A tie-dye scarf
63. An item of crochet
64. An item of knitting
65. Any dressmaking item
66. A sheet of handmade paper
67. A bar of handmade soap
68. Something made from wood
69. Something made from metal

ART – Max 60 x 60cm inc. frame in watercolour, acrylic, pastel, gouache, oil, charcoal, pencil or digital
70. A landscape, any medium
71. A portrait, any medium
72. A still life, any medium
73. A seascape, any medium
74. A painting showing the effect of light
75. A painting conveying emotion
76. Use different art techniques to create a picture (stippling, collage etc.)
77. A piece of digital art, printed on A4 paper
78. A piece of verse or poetry (max. 16 lines)

PHOTOGRAPHY (Max. 20cm x 20cm unmounted)
79. Your garden
80. A Coronation scene
81. A cityscape
82. UK weather
83. Reflections
84. A photo depicting texture, close-up or at a distance

JUNIORS (up to 14 years – age will be taken into account when judging)
85. Something I created at school
86. A diorama in a shoebox
87. A miniature garden (max. 30 x 30cm)
88. Decorate a hard-boiled egg
89. A drawing/painting (subject of your choice)
90. A collage/sculpture made from recycled material
91. An original model made from Lego/similar
92. An animal made from fruit, vegetables or pasta
93. A repetitive pattern made from a potato print stamp
94. A cartoon strip (max. A4)

Cuckfield Village Show 2023 entry classes

VEGETABLES
1. 3 beetroot
2. A cabbage
3. 3 carrots
4. 3 chillies
5. 3 courgettes (not exceeding 20cm long)
6. 2 cucumbers
7. 3 leeks
8. 1-3 lettuce, any type
9. 3 onions from seed or sets
10. A bunch of spring onions
11. A garlic or onion plait (min. 7 bulbs)
12. 3 potatoes, any variety
13. A pumpkin or squash
14. An arrangement of mixed herbs, judged for variety
15. 5 runner beans
16. 5 French beans
17. Longest runner bean (1st prize only)
18. 5 tomatoes, any variety
19. Heaviest vegetable
20. The Jo Roche Cup – selection of home-grown produce in a container
21. The most spectacular/amusing vegetable (can enter on the day)

FRUIT
22. 3 eating apples
23. 3 cooking apples
24. 3 pears
25. 3 plums
26. 3 specimens of any homegrown fruit
27. A plate of soft fruits (max. 10 items)
28. A bunch of grapes

FLOWERS
29. 3 dahlias, cactus or semicactus variety
30. 3 dahlias, pom-pom, ball or decorative variety
31. 3 dahlias, any other variety
32. The single most fragrant rose
33. 5 rose heads
34. A posy of flowers

BAKING
35. The Katie Stewart Cup – Date and Walnut Loaf Cake using Katie’s recipe
36. 3 cheese scones
37. 3 brandy snaps
38. 3 chocolate chip cookies
39. 3 choux buns (savoury or sweet, any filling)
40. 3 meringues, any flavour
41. A lemon drizzle loaf tin cake
42. A crown cake, to celebrate the Coronation
43. A vegetable cake (made from beetroot, courgette, carrot etc.)
44. A baked cheesecake
45. A tea loaf
46. A loaf of bread