THE Gloucestershire Root Fruit & Grain Society was going from strength to strength, Roger Bush, the president, said at the group’s annual dinner and awards evening.
Despite the vagaries of the weather, starting cold, then dry, wet end of harvest and then a lovely autumn which helped a lot of people, the society had a very good year.
It was a theme taken up by Ros Allen, of Hinton-on-the-Green, who said it was an honour and a privilege to be the first lady chairman in the 147-year history of the society, welcoming a record turn-out of more than 200 people to the event.
“I am pleased to see that a number of new and younger members have not only entered some of our competitions but have won them as well,” she said, and she thanked all those who had made the competitions such a success.
Miss Allen paid tribute to former chairman, Simon Middle, who, she said, had handed over the society in such good order, and Samantha Pennington, the secretary, for all her good work.
As well as the competitions next year, the chairman said, they were planning a farm visit to the Barrington Estate, and Major Philip Smith was hosting a Cotswold brash event at Campden House, Chipping Campden.
A new award introduced this year was in memory of Michael Graves, of Conderton, for the most promising young farmer, won by William Kingston, of Wickwar, South Gloucestershire.
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