News / Sea Mills
The sun comes out for Sea Mills flower and craft show
A sunny weekend yielded a great turnout for the annual Sea Mills Flower and Craft Show.
It was the second show since a break during the pandemic, but there’s been a flower show in Sea Mills on and off since the garden suburb was built in the 1920s.
Traditional and quirky entertainment was the order of the day. Bishopston Ukulele Band, used to entertaining groups all over Bristol, delighted the audience in the garden of Sea Mills Methodist Church.
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Bishopston ukulele group entertain onlookers
Sea shanty group Storm Force Ten entertained the crowd with some toe tapping and occasionally slightly risque numbers while raising money for the Southmead Hospital dementia charity BRACE.
It was also all hands on deck when they accepted the invitation of the Shynee Ladies Belly Dancers to join in with their act. They certainly proved they had the moves, donning coin belts as they wiggled and jiggled with the experts.
Members of Storm Force 10 try their hands and hips at belly dancing
There were over 130 entries to the show this year, in categories including fruit and veg, handicrafts, art and photography.
“The judges had a very hard job selecting the first, second and third prizes,” said Jane Wilshire, co-organiser of the event.
Tomatoes did particularly well in the show this year
One of the most popular categories this year was tomatoes, which seem to have done particularly well in the hot spring and wet summer.
One entry had even been grown inside the Sea Mills mini-museum in the phone box on Sea Mills Square.
The tomatoes have been ripening in the box for most of the summer and have been supplied to the Cafe on the Square for their sandwiches and salads.
There were several new categories this year aimed specifically at children. Two of the most popular were ‘best decorated’ and ‘farthest flying paper aeroplanes’, with one young person winning first prize rosettes for both in her age group.
For over a year, local knitter Judy McIntosh has been knitting toppers for the post box on Shirehampton Road and they were all on display at the show to the delight of visitors.
Another chance to appreciate the Sea Mills post box toppers, including this valentines day couple
The afternoon concluded with the presenting of prizes and several astonished locals going home with handfuls of trophies.
Sarah and Ollie Glynn-Jones, first time entrants to the show won three trophies between them, including ‘best in show’ for an arrangement of garden flowers.
“The day was a great success – it was a lovely friendly atmosphere, very relaxed – a great way for the community to come together,” said volunteer and winner of ‘longest runner bean,’ Georgina Taylor.
The event raised around £600 which will help local causes and also go towards running the show next year.
Mary Milton is reporting on Sea Mills as part of Bristol24/7’s community reporter scheme, a project which aims to tell stories from areas of Bristol traditionally under-served by the mainstream media
All photos: Mary Milton
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