Best fruit forward for Thetford club

Green-fingered residents of Thetford were rewarded for their horticultural efforts over the past year as the town’s Garden and Allotment Club hosted its annual show.

The Church on the Way, in Grenville Way, was filled with bountiful produce, beautiful flowers, homemade cakes and top quality crafts on Saturday afternoon.

Judges from the Royal Horticultural Society gave their top marks in categories including best mixed salad presentation and best flower arrangement.

The awards were then presented by the Mayor of Thetford Derek Mortimer.

Conor Higgins, six, took home the prize for best children’s allotment in his first year of entering the competition. He was also honoured with the award for best pears.

Conor said he enjoyed growing vegetables and would continue gardening.

“I grow wild garlic, carrots, beetroot, onions, parsnips, turnips, runner beans and French beans,” he added.

Rachel Woods, chairman of Thetford Garden and Allotment Club, said: “One of the things I’m very pleased with is that we’ve had a nice lot of children’s entries this year and a lot of new entries.

“The judges are very pleased. We have RHS judges and they are judging more harshly because the quality is going up.”

Mr Mortimer added: “I think it’s superb. The show goes from strength to strength each year. There are more entries and it becomes more varied each year.”

Produce left over at the end of the show was divided between Laburnum Grove and Red House homes, both of which care for the elderly in Thetford.