“I REMEMBER the shops used to close at midday for the show, everyone would get dressed up and you would see them hobbling around in their high heels,” Mount Gambier resident Joan Aikman said as she wandered through the main hall in the lead up to the city’s spring show.
A volunteer with the Mount Gambier A&H Society since the end of World War II, Ms Aikman now said she was too old to be involved, but still loves viewing the variety of arts and crafts on display.
“I was the chief steward of the senior section, organising everything in the lead-up to the event,” she said.
“But I’m too old now to help out – it is a tiring job and there is a lot of book work involved.”
A multiple prize winner for her beautiful embroidery pieces, Ms Aikman is well-known in the society for her excellent needle work, wearing her life member badge proudly on her jacket as proof.
Now aged in her 90s, Ms Aikman likes to reflect on how times have changed and how the show has developed over the years.
“Years ago they used to have an open section and a local section – if you did well in the local grade you could go on to the big open one,” she said.
“The glass cases are also an improvement, we used to have to display items on an A-frame with a sheet over the top to protect them – this looks much better.
“There were a lot more men involved back then too, they would do all of the pay sheets.”
Still active in the embroidery guild and spending much of her time creating pieces, Ms Aikman said it was sad to see the number of people getting involved diminishing.
“Embroidery has definitely dropped off, the younger people are more involved in sport and technology and don’t have the time,” she said.
“When I was in school at Mil Lel we had a wonderful sewing teacher, but I don’t think it is being taught much anymore.”
However, eager to keep traditions alive in her family, Ms Aikman said she had taught her daughter and granddaughter the difficult skill.
“My granddaughter took around three years to do a little tree and her mother likes the machine better, but it is still good to see them having a go,” she said.
“A lot of people tend to like the machine, but I like doing things by hand.”
Hoping to encourage more people to become involved in the arts and craft sections of the show in the coming years, steward Cheryle Hellyer said it was something that needs to be passed on by grandparents.
“There are some beautiful embroiderers out there and many are passing on the skill to the younger generation,” she said.
“Grandmothers have to step up and teach their grandchildren.”
On the look-out for younger volunteers to help out with next year’s show, Ms Hellyer said it would be great to see some new faces on the committee.
“It is fun and very sociable, but we are all getting older and need young people, whether they are male or female – all are welcome,” she said.
