National Kelsae Onion Festival

National Kelsae Onion Festival

by Medwyn Williams, MBE FNVS National Chairman of the NVS

This article was originally published on 23rd December 1999

Continuation of last week's article.

The National Kelsae Onion Festival was organised by Sinclair McGill Ltd in 1975, they were seed merchants who had the sole rights to the Kelsae onion and this competition was undoubtedly the dream of Robin Hogg. Robin was at the time part of the management team and was responsible for the selection of onions to make sure that the Kelsae remained the one to beat on the show scene.

Another interesting point, and probably the main reason for Robin’s interest, is the fact that his father, T Hogg improved a sport from the Kelsae onion during the 1950’s and as it was distinctly different to the Kelsae it was called the ‘Border’ onion. During the 50s and 60s there was great rivalry and competition between the two types of onion but in the end the Kelsae onion dominated to the extent that the Border onion ceased to be grown. Even though the ‘Border’ at that time could achieve a circumference of 22inches (which was unbelievably large) it’s downfall undoubtedly was it’s rather flat shape.

The man who really moved things forward though was Mel Ednie, even today, five years on, he is still the world record holder for the heaviest onion with a stupendous specimen weighing 15lb 15.5 ounces and measuring over 33 inches in circumference. Interestingly this record was broken at the home of the Kelsae onion at Kelso in Scotland on a Saturday in September. Equally interesting is the fact that Mel had broken the previous World record on the Friday before with an onion weighing 15lbs 9 ounces, so he broke the World Record twice in two days! This record will certainly last for many years to come, since Mel broke it, no one has come within a few pounds to it.

Mel was a keen Chrysanthemum grower in the days before he attempted to grow onions and the strange thing is that a number of the top growers such as Ivor Mace Vin Throup and Mel have all grown Chrysanthemums to the highest standards. During the 1980 - 81 season Mel decided to have ago at growing the large onions and was given some onion plants from Bob Rodger with which he did remarkably well. In those early days there’s no doubt that the influence of the two great growers Bob and Bill Rodger helped Mel to get on to the right track. Mel however is very much a thinking gardener himself and over the latter years has certainly worked things out himself.

When I recently spoke to Mel I asked him if he would ever have a go at breaking his own record, his reply was that he might well do so once he retires from his regular employment as a builder. I just hope that I shall be around to see that day.

Below is a list of the winners of all the Kelsae Heaviest Onion competition from the first show in 1975 to the present day where they are now held at the Harrogate Show Ground and run by the North of England Horticultural Society. This years heaviest onion competition was the 25^th to be staged and during that period 8 World records were established.

* Later that year at the Northern Club Show Ashington, a World Record was achieved by S Hill of Galashiels with a 7lb 6oz onion after trimming the foliage.

* * New World Record set.

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