Last Day at Tatton.

Another REALLY hot day...the chalk board was busy most of the day and Kate's sunflower attracted lots more petals...and two strolling performers cheered us up with their witty banter and leek microphone.

Two possible new students for MMU....they took a prospectus.

The little girl wrote "Chloe Aged 5"..TALL for 5!

Nice to see the whole family taking part.

A few photos from today

Our youngest Artist so far

The photo opportunity was popular today

Another hot day a Tatton...a lot of people took photos infront of the tin Daffodils

Michael's Photographs of today in Tatton

Children and adults alike enjoyed the chalk board

Everyone walked away from the board smiling.

Archie's Daffs return

Making more space as the board was full!

Giving the window a clean

Kate's Sunflower was very popular

Lots of people admiring the veg display

Marcus texting Jane

Another BOILING HOT day at Tatton...Kate was kept busy with the sunflower with a constant stream of children, Pip manned the marquee and Marcus was kept busy between the fashion show and us...a day full of very positive comments and smiles. (too hot though!).

Lots of drawing

School children for Lymn leaving their mark on the stand

Not plates

Jane McFadyen - "One of a Kind"

A proud allotment holder I rejoice in the spectacle of beds bursting

 with a wonderful array of delicious crops.

Each section holds items of strange shapes and sizes, but there ail

l always be one that delights with its perfect form.

These textile beds aim to capture the delight of finding the ‘perfect specimen” nestled in amongst the crowd."

Kate Bevan – “Sunflower - Single bloom”

I am fascinated by the reckless way flowers grow - flagrantly abandoning regulation of height, shape or colour. They celebrate the moment of simply being a flower in resplendent bloom. I'm particularly taken by the sunflower with its apparent invasive determination. 

Sunflower Workshop Activity: 

How do you define 'best in show?' Does the term simply define the best produce or bloom from an allotment or flower show or could it include wider categories such as the people, things, places or events that touch our lives and leave lasting memories like home made jam.

With this in mind I invite anyone to consider their own 'best in show' category and take a moment to write it down and I will add it to the petals of the single bloom sunflower. 

Anna Frew

Alan Holmes

Audrey Jones - "Cauliflowers and Leek Display"

Display of Knitted cauliflowers and leeks inspired by last years 

wonderful vegetable display tent at Tatton.

I imagine it is easier to knit them the same size than grow them.

But working out how to knit a leek took a few attempts.

Claire Henry - "Best of Both Worlds"
Planted furniture attempts to bring the outside in and the inside out

Dan Nuttall – ‘Eleven Forbidden fruits’

Sinister, beautiful and often unexpected guests in our allotments and gardens, - mushrooms are the fruiting body of a fungus.

I am fascinated by mushrooms and toadstools. Some are edible, some are not. 

Often illusive they seem to appear from nowhere and hide in shady spots

 before quickly disappearing again.

Clear Glass has been chosen to pay a simple homage to the pure beauty of these most unusual; alluring, magical fruits

 To achieve the required forms - molten glass is gathered from the furnace then manipulated, stretched and shaped using simple tools. After cooling, specific surfaces are etched in order to achieve a simple contrast of textures

 Dave Brodie

“Handlings" highlight that moment when the earth gives up its hold on the things we planted so long ago. The anticipation surrounding the form, size, colour and weight of the produce yet to be released builds as the moment to harvest arrives. When the time comes we may be amazed or disappointed but we will always be surprised.

Watch theYouTube video 

‘Emoto Greenhouse – Prototype 1/1’

 “Life’s battles don’t always go to the stronger or the faster man. Sooner or later the man that wins is the man who thinks he can” – Vince Lombardi

 The greenhouse is a Tatton RHS Flower Show styled vehicle for delivering an idea inspired by ‘Scientist’ Dr Masaru Emoto’s theory that; Regular positive reassurance and the energy of emotion can stimulate organic matter to either perish or flourish.

 ‘Prototype one of one’ employs audio recordings to enrich a living organisms early developmental stage and enhance its growth.

Hazel Jones and Michael Leigh

"Gooseberry Squeezer, medal and certificate "

I awarded myself a medal and certificate for the best gooseberry I grew this year.

I also felt it needed a device to test how plumptious it was.

Ideas can start with small hairy things.

Marcus Lord – “ELEMENTS OF FRUIT AND VEG”

Series of Posters and a Textiles Print. 

These prints are part of an ongoing creative exploration of the earth below us following the installation piece at the 2013 Tatton Show.  Art and Science combine to view the features of reality that exist beyond the physical world and our immediate senses.

"Initiate satellite imaging.  Buffering. Come on!  Universe. Stars.  Too wide. Focus on the Earth.  Great!  Now, zoom in.  Clouds. Sea. Land.  Magnify.  Country. Town. Not that one. Scroll right. That one.

Now move in closer to the allotment.  Trees, grass. Is that the fruit and veg?  Right. Enhance the ground beneath.  Run the Digital Equations Program.  There.  Now modify and enlarge the main chemical elements found in the most popular Best in Show Produce.  Save. Print. Close program. Log out."

Pip Pittman

 We are surrounded by a vast expanse of naturally occurring beauty from the 

world that we live, which involves no human intervention.

My concern is that we can overlook and become complacent 

to the wonder that surrounds us.

My starting point is to study a small area of nature, which when observed closely, opens up a new world of surfaces, marks and pattern. I capture this through sketchbook and photography and then translate into a design which celebrates our given gift.

Su Hurrell - "Rhubarb, Rhubarb, Rhubarb"

"As an avid allotmenteer, I've learned over the years that you don't really learn gardening from books but by talking to other gardeners.

I love these conversations; the unofficial, vernacular and local, the richness of regional language and gardening lore.

"Rhubarb, Rhubarb" brings together some of the reminiscences shared with me down on the allotment on the subject of our favorite vegetable that we treat as a fruit."