Christmas themes for Winter Fair competitions
There are scores of flower arranging clubs in Wales with thousands of enthusiastic members some of whom will be putting their skills in this centuries-old Japanese art to the test at the Royal Welsh Winter Fair.
Whether you are just an interested onlooker, a beginner in floral art, or a seasoned prize-winner, the Winter Fair Floral Art competition demands imagination and original thinking as well as an eye for colour and form. It is judged in accordance with the rules of the National Association of Flower Arrangement Societies and, as with many events of this kind, part of the competition’s function is to encourage the love of plants and flowers and demonstrate their decorative value.
Traditionally, the Winter Fair competition is linked to the Christmas season and this year the chosen theme is ‘Rejoice’. Seven classes have been scheduled including exhibits entitled ‘We Three Kings of Orient are’, ‘A Hint of Frost’, and ‘A Christmas Party’. They will be among more than 100 flower arrangements which will be staged in the Royal Welsh showground’s Clwyd Glamorgan Hall (the old Food Hall) at Llanelwedd, Builth Wells, and they will be on view for the duration of the two-day Winter Fair on Monday and Tuesday, November 28 and 29.
Another major attraction at the Fair is the Produce and Handicrafts Show which will also be held in the Clwyd Glamorgan Hall.
The 29 classes have drawn exhibits from individuals and schools across Wales and from other organisations such as the Women’s Institute and Merched y Wawr. The number of exhibits has soared in recent years indicating the enthusiasm of competitors and the success and popularity of this feature of the Fair among visitors.
The classes have acquired a reputation for testing the flair, inspiration and skills of the exhibitors in the produce sections and their ability to prepare and present delicious confections and mouth-watering savouries, while in the handicraft classes competitors can demonstrate their inventiveness and dexterity as craftsmen and women.
In both sections the Christmas theme will again be evident with Christmas confectionery, mince pies, canapés for a Christmas cocktail party, and decorated Christmas cup cakes among the items on the menu, while classes for children will challenge the youngsters to produce edible Christmas crackers, an edible Christmas stocking or an edible igloo.
Handicrafts competitors can also choose from a range of Christmas articles among them a Fabergé egg, an item illustrating Snowdon in winter, a Christmas wreath made from recycled materials and photography featuring autumn colours.