Autumn Village Show 2020 - The RHS Banksian Medal (special award)

The Club is affiliated to the Royal Horticultural Society, which allows us to award an RHS Banksian Medal at our main show each year.  This medal is normally awarded to the exhibitor who has gained the most points in the horticultural categories and is therefore deemed the "Show Winner".

However, as this is an online show, it is not possible to judge to normal RHS standards; furthermore, many Clubs have not been holding shows at all during the Covid-19 lockdown.  The RHS has therefore suggested that Clubs should find an alternative and imaginative use for the medal.  One suggestion the RHS made was that the Medal could be awarded to someone who has contributed a great deal to the shows, but has not necessarily won one in the past, or is unlikely to win one in the future.

The Committee has therefore consulted on the issue - without the knowledge of the final recipient - and made a recommendation to the Judge, who also agreed with their decision and made the final award.

As a Club, we are most fortunate that we have a membership that is open to and willing to putting exhibits into our shows, to make them a great success.  This should be viewed against a general trend in the country for shows to become smaller and smaller, and to eventually fade away completely.  We regard this as a great shame as shows have so much to offer, whether to exhibit growing skill or just as a social occasion.  Our own Club was suffering much the same malaise, and we are grateful that, over the last few years, we have had someone who has gently (and sometimes less gently) encouraged, cajoled, and begged the members to show, and has played no small part in re-invigorating our shows, and in encouraging the membership to enter and support them.  The recipient is also responsible for introducing the online format this year, in order to keep the shows alive, for once lost, it will be difficult to revive them again.

The Judge and Committee are therefore pleased to award the RHS Banksian Medal to Jilly Ball, for all her hard work as Show Secretary.  We feel that it is a well deserved and appropriate award to thank her for all her hard work in organising the live and online shows; the need to act in a "front of house" role at the shows also means that she is realistically unable to win the Banksian herself in a normal year as she is too busy enabling one of the other members to win it instead.  We do hope you all agree, and thank her for all her efforts and hard work.