In the U.K., the school year has finally ended, and it’s not only the children who are lining up for prize day. Across the country, from August into early September, growers of fruits, vegetables, and flowers are busy watering, pruning, and praying for the perfect crops to take to the event of the year: the village show.
The scene conjures up an image rather like illustrator Matthew Rice’s Villa Fête tea-towel design for Emma Bridgewater. Imagine a field filled with tents and bunting, populated by dogs with wagging tails, jam jars filled with roses, and tables covered in sponge cakes and scarlet runner beans. It looks idyllic, but make no mistake, this event is fraught with competition and is presided over by a committee of eagle-eyed judges.
