AFTER last week’s launch of the Haslemere Christmas windows competition, a silver cup sponsored by the Haslemere Herald and presented to winners of a much earlier windows competition has been discovered, after being lost for almost 20 years.

Existence of the antique cup came to light when Rev Justin Manley-Cooper was discussing plans for this year’s competition with Haslemere & District Chamber of Trade and Commerce committee member Melissa King, who recalled that many years ago there used to be a similar competition, with a cup awarded to the winner.

She explained that when her father, Brian Howard, had restarted the local Chamber of Trade in the early 1980s he had been told by an employee of Grayshott funeral directors Gould & Chapman that there was a dormant bank account and a window dressing cup.

So, from 1983 until 2002 the Herald-sponsored cup was awarded to a winning retailer every Christmas, and eventually came to rest with Melissa at Marley Flowers, as its last winner.

For some unknown reason, the competition then ceased, and the cup was put in an office and forgotten.

Melissa found the Victorian silver cup, which has been cleaned and polished by Ian French of Objets d’Art, who dated it as being made in 1893 by Harry Atkins of Sheffield.

The cup has also been repaired by Andrew Nicolau of The Shoe Box, who supplied and fitted a new base ready for future winners to be engraved on.

The historic trophy, which bears an engraving of ferns surrounding the inscription ’Haslemere & District Chamber of Trade window display competition trophy - presented by the Haslemere Herald’ will now be presented to the winning window, as selected by this year’s community vote.

This year’s competition, sponsored by the Parish of Haslemere - in association with St Stephen’s, Shottermill - will be judged on December 10.

Community voting will take place between December 1 and December 13.