COUNTRYSIDE, WILDLIFE & FARMING
life
The 2008 Winners
2008 Hedgelaying
competition
was a real
success.
Tom Colley, Sam Millard and Tom Coates -
A cold, occasionally damp,
February day could not
keep away the largest
crowd of spectators ever
seen at this years Isle
of Wight Hedgelaying
Competition, with over a
thousand people estimated
as visiting the site
throughout the day.
With five competitors/
teams in each section
(open, novice and team)
it also saw the strongest
field ever taking place.
Many, were not only vying
to win their section, but
also a new award, given
by ‘W Hurst and Son’ for
the ‘Best Laid Hedge using
only Hand Tools’.
Last years judges,
Paul Sivell, local artist
and previous winner
in the open and team
section along with Alan
Ashby former National
Hedgelaying Champion,
were joined by guest
judge Phil Allen a coppice
worker from Hampshire
who had the difficult and
unenviable task of scoring
each hedge.
For the first time on the
island, a demonstration
section of hedge was
laid by Peter Tonks a
former ‘Supreme National
Champion’.
‘Two Toms and a Tit’
Fiona Hanna with Dick Pullaine
James Cook
Simon Creed, Libby Brett-Hill and Hester
Jones – ‘Hedge Babes and the Dude’
Crowds watching the prize giving
Tom Murphy
Matthew Chatfield, IW Council, Jay
Arran Hobday and Alex Gilbert –
Southcott, Alex Ely and Luke Abraham
Yer But No But
with Tony Ridd
Robin Lang
Nat Purcell and Lee Taylor –
The Wench Layers
Mrs. Mary Sitch with Paul Trickett
David Langford the Island’s High Sheriff with
Mrs. Mary Sitch with Richard Temple
Alex Holmes
Rob Richards
For more details and
results visit –
www.iwhg.org.
Andrew Turner, Luke Abraham
Mrs. Mary Sitch with Rob Richards
Island Life - www.isleofwight.net
and Tom Coates.
Paul Sivell (Judge)
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