The show will go on

The advent of this year’s show, as well as the normal colourful displays of flowers and the tantalizing home baking, will be the last ever event to take place in the Stewart Memorial Hall in its current state.

With progress moving at pace to appoint an architect to overhaul the historic Glendermot Road building and bring it into line with the demands of the 21st century, there is a tinge of sadness-but, increasingly there is a bigger sense of joy of what the future holds.

Built in 1867, the Stewart Memorial Hall, originally operated as a school, and cost a whopping 5,600. Earlier this year All Saints’ Caring Association, linked to the church, received a grant of 586,000 to develop a range of cross community programmes as well as redeveloping the community facility-Stewart Memorial Hall.

Central to the major annual events associated with All Saints’ in the last seven decades has been the annual show from their Horticultural Society.

The Reverend Canon Dr Leslie Maconachie was curate assistant at All Saints’ when the idea to organise a flower show was first floated in 1951.

Speaking at the Golden Jubilee of the show, now some eight years ago, Dr Maconachie said that at that time urgent repairs had to be carried out at the church. Of particular concern was the need for a costly boiler, so a brain storming session for fundraising ideas.

Rev Maconachie said: “At one meeting the suggestion of a flower show was put forward. It wasn’t taken seriously at first as only a few had any idea how to go about it. Nevertheless as the old saying goes ‘where there’s a will, there’s a way’. A date was fixed and a small committee was formed and from those small beginnings the show has grown in strength to what it is today.”

Taking advice from local flower arranging experts the fledgling committee set about gathering the paraphernalia required to put on a show. But, the whole idea had come from within the Men’s Association that had been formed in the church earlier that year. Perhaps lacking the finesse and poise that female hands would have brought to the enterprise, the men nevertheless set about their task with gusto.

But, as Dr Maconachie relates there were furrowed brows and nervous stares amongst the male volunteers as the big day approached.

“On the day before the show the number of entries was small because of our inexperience in running a show but we rose to the challenge. The committee members went round all their friends pleading for flowers. the arrived back laden with flowers. we were conscious of one of Our Lord’s parables when the King told his servants to go out into the highways and byways and bring them in. The hall was full of flowers on show day but we told the judges to ignore any arrangements without a name tag.

“Financially the show was a success. We learned a lot from our mistakes and the following year we were much better organised. Some things have small beginnings but the success of our endeavours must be seen in the light of 50 years on when the show has gone from strength to strength,” said Rev Maconachie.

Almost 60 years after the original show, the current Minister at All Saints’, Rev Malcolm Ferry says that the continuity of traditional skills from generation to generation is a wonderful thing.

“The show still aims to highlight these traditional skills. In fact, look at the amount of gardening and cookery programmes on TV at the minute, that’s proof that traditional skills are coming back into vogue,” he said.

Rev Ferry also readily recognises that such skills have a enhanced place in homes across the country at the minute. Emphasis on knowing how to grow your own vegetables and bake your own goods, said Rev Ferry, is a vital component of economic necessity in the current monetary climate.

“People are picking up these home skills from their grannies and they are being past on from mother to daughter and so on. It runs through families naturally.”

Proof also that the show has appeal across all cross-sections comes in the fact that there are 30 cups and prizes to be handed out at the annual show. From those with the biggest gardens and allotments, to those who produce their exhibits in flower pots are eligible to take part.

It is also planned that next years show, the 59th, will be virtually the first event to take place in the ‘new’ Stewart Memorial Hall ensuring another aspect of continuity of tradition.

Rev Malcolm Ferry said: “What also amazes me about the show is whilst it is only as little as 1 for admission, as little as 50p to enter a competition, and the prizes are very small, it is not about the money.

“This will be my third show and I am amazed how competitive gardeners and bakers are about a 1 prize. So its about pride in the produce not the money.”

The show always get professional horticulturalists and expert bakers to judge and always attracts competitors from outside the parish. The show also prides itself on having a separate section for children.

“The flower show was always part and parcel of the Stewart Memorial Hall and the funders who provided the money for the refurbishment saw that and was integral to the ward of the funding.”

Another aspect of the award of the funding to All Saints’ was the decades of quiet and unassuming cross-community work that will continue and be enhanced at the revamped Memorial Hall. Whilst All Saints’ Church of Ireland obviously belongs to the Protestant tradition a recent estimate of membership within the scouting and guiding movements attached to the church reveals 80 per cent involvement from the Catholic tradition.

On Saturday, September 4, at the Stewart Memorial Hall, the annual show will be opened by Canon John Maze, former Rector of All Saints’ who spent almost a quarter of a century overseeing the show.

A display of old photographs and newspaper articles from bygone years of the show will also be on display.

Admission to the show is 1 for adults and this includes tea, children will be admitted for free. If anyone wishes to get involved in the show they can contact the All Saints Caring Association at Melrose Terrace or telephone the premises on 71349348.