Tintwistle talent on display for 12th year

The Tintwistle Allotment and Gardener’s Association (TAGA) Show once again proved to be a highlight of village life this past weekend.

Now in its 12th year, the show gave allotment holders, gardeners, residents and children the chance to showcase their skills across a wide range of categories including fruit, vegetables, flowers, plants, cookery, preserves, eggs, handicrafts and photography. This year’s special theme, ‘Textile Mills of Longdendale’, paid tribute to the rich industrial heritage of the area. 

Judges David Stirland, National Allotment Society East Midlands Regional Representative, alongside wife Alison Stirland and Dave Shaw, were tasked with the difficult job of selecting winners from an impressive array of entries. 

Opening the event, David said: “Welcome to the 12th Tintwistle Allotment and Gardeners Show. Thank you to all the committee, exhibitors and volunteers. For a small village this is an amazing show and you should all be proud of it. We’ve travelled 70 miles today and it’s lovely to meet you all.” 

Photo: Judges David and Alison Stirland with Chair Marianne Stevenson.

The event was a full day of entertainment and community gathering. Visitors enjoyed refreshments throughout, including a traditional afternoon tea from 1pm, all homemade by villagers. A plant sale, raffle and live music from Tintwistle Band added to the atmosphere. The show concluded with the awards ceremony from 4-5pm, followed by the ever-popular auction of exhibits at 5pm. 

Show committee chair Marianne Stevenson praised the efforts of all involved: “We do this every year because it’s one way of demonstrating all the hard work that gardeners and allotment tenants put into looking after their fruit, vegetables and flowers, and also for the children who love to get involved. 

“This show is run by a small committee of people who come up with the ideas, put all the arrangements together, do all the organisation and all of the work involved in the day. We’re particularly grateful to the judges who come every year and to our refreshments team, which is a totally new team this year that we’ve not had before. As I speak, they’re working together beautifully and everybody’s getting their lovely afternoon teas! All the ingredients, the sandwiches and the cakes and the sausage rolls and so on are made by people in the village for this show. So we’re very grateful to all of them. 

“We’re also grateful to those who decorate the tents and sets up all the tables for us, and for Tintwistle Band who support us every year with a lovely background accompaniment to the day.” 

Thanks to the dedication of the TAGA Show Committee, supported by local businesses, organisations, and individuals, the event continues to thrive. With its mix of tradition, talent, and community togetherness, the show remains one of Tintwistle’s proudest annual highlights. 

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