The Dartmouth Horticultural Society held its Spring Show on Saturday, with high quality entries, but lowest ever attendance.

Unfortunately, Saturday was a busy day in the town, leading to a low attendance to the DHS event.

Oriole Newgass, Membership Secretary DHS, said: “All those who were not there missed a brilliant talk by the judge Graham Titchmarsh, on ‘Plants That Changed The World’.

“Plants the changed the world, as well as tea and coffee, which it is hard to imagine life without, there is aspirin, quinine, cocaine - once used exclusively for medicinal purposes, cotton, rubber, latex, paper, palm oil – and of course chocolate and cricket bats - all derived from plants.”

Three cups were awarded at the end of the show. The Ron Langworthy Cup for the best entry in the Narcissi classes was won by Geoff Stewart for his vase of six different varieties of narcissus, the Harbottle Cup for the best entry in all other classes was won by Christabel Cox for her vase of three types of Flowering Shrub - the first time this class has ever won the top prize.

Oriole continued: “These two cups were presented by Graham Titchmarsh, but the final cup – the John and Amy Bowhay Cup for the highest number of points won in the show – was presented to Christabel Cox by a surprise visitor to the show, Barry Morris, the grandson of John and Amy Bowhay who presented the cup to the Society many years ago.”