Originally called the Milton and Hordle Cottage Garden Show by 1894 our show had become The Milford on Sea Cottage Garden Show, when it was held in the gardens of Newlands Manor.
There is an account in the records of the Milford-on-Sea Historical Records Society which describes the show in the early 1900s.
It seems that the show was quite an event with many of the dignitaries of the time in attendance. As well as the exhibits for judging there were sports events and contests, side shows and a brass band playing all afternoon.
A full account of the memories from these times can be found at https://www.milfordhistory.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Bruce-1948.pdf
It appears that show continued in this format until the start of the First World War when the organisers were called away to action.
We don’t have any details of a show between the wars, but we know that the Women’s Institute re-started the show in the early 1940s when they ran an annual Produce Show to back up the “Dig for Victory” campaign, and soon after the war the Milford Flower and Produce Show was up and running but still held in the WI and Church Halls.
In 1949 the increase in exhibitors and exhibits had risen from 250 and 45 to 600 and 107 respectively and this convinced the committee to abandon the halls to hold the show in a marquee.
Over the next few years prominent local residents were kind enough to allow the show to be held on their land and the shows were a great success. As well as the main show there were side shows , pony rides, fortune tellers music and a tea tent. But the show in 1954 proved to be a failure. With far fewer entries, poor weather and increasing running costs the decision was made to return to the halls.
The show was paired down to the basics of Vegetables, Fruit, Flowers, Produce and Floral Art.
In 1958 a section for Children was included and in 1960 side shows were back, and in 1965 a Dog Show was included which stayed in the programme until 1988.
A Hand Craft Section was added in 1996 and a Photography Section added in 2013.
The rules of entry remained very similar over time, but an interesting caveat was in place until 1973. There were different classes for the showing of Vegetables and Fruit, one was open to all including professional growers and a second to those who are either amateurs or residents that have paid labour for less than an average of 8 hours per week. There was also a definition of Amateur and Professional in the Schedule until 2002