Former Kiama Show secretary Nancy Waters proudly shows off her winning entry in the knitting section of this year's show which won her her first ever ribbon. Picture: DAVID HALL
NANCY Waters' smile said it all as she passed on the news of her first-ever ribbon at the Kiama Show to all and sundry at last weekend's 165th Kiama Show.
Mrs Waters - long considered as the face of Kiama Show after more than 50 years as a supporter and official - decided to enter a three-piece infants set she had been making for her great-grandchild due in May, but really didn't expect to win anything.
"I have always been a knitter - it's my night-time relaxation - and when I had finished I asked my daughter Brenda if she thought it was worth entering in the show.
"She encouraged me to enter and I not only won two first placings and a second from three items entered, but also a wonderful sash, which holds extra significance as it was a memorial sash named in the honour of my late cousin, Isabelle Rutledge," the 81-year-old said.
"I was always too busy to get around to entering anything and can't believe that after 50 years involvement in the show I have finally won something."
She would not be drawn on when she first became involved in shows, but said her first experience with competition was "many years ago" when she was a member of Jamberoo Junior Farmers.
She has been involved in Kiama Show as a committee person for about 25 years, served for 15 years as show secretary and is a patron of Group 5 Show Society.
"But I think I can honestly say this is my biggest thrill," Mrs Waters said.
The show was officially opened at a special event last Thursday night by NSW Treasurer Mike Baird, who commented on the beauty of the venue and magnificent history of the show, and congratulated the show committee on the work they do to keep up the high standards of the event.
Overall the show was hailed as an outstanding success by Show Society president David Young, who also said they were lucky to avoid the wet weather that followed.
"We had good crowds across the entire show, with great weather and plenty of entertainment," Mr Young said.
"Crowds on Friday were on par to last year, while on Saturday were down around 5 per cent, but considering it was Australia Day and there were lots of other things on in town, that was to be expected."
He said the new entertainment, including Circus Monoxide and the camel racing, was a big hit, but the best thing was the big increase of entries in the junior pavilion exhibits.
"While the number of flower and vegetable exhibits were down after the recent heatwaves, the increase in the kids' art, cooking and lego sections was ... a very positive sign for the future," he said.