The Horticultural Society usually arranged an annual flower show with prizes, but it was cancelled in 1914 and was turned into a fundraiser in 1915 for local war funds.

The president was Clement Armstrong, coal agent, and the secretary was George Paterson, tailor.

At the 1915 fundraiser, Clement Armstrong introduced Lady Ewart, who opened the event. Stalls offered flowers, vegetables, textiles, refreshments and guessing competitions. Music was provided by the Eskdale Orchestra and everything had been sold by 6 pm, raising £21 6s (£1,840 in 2024).

In 1913, the last ‘normal’ show before the war, there were 829 entries in the following categories:

• Cut flowers and pot plants.
• Vegetables and fruit.
• Industrial: sewing, knitting, painting, drawing and photography.
• Birds: cage birds, pigeons, poultry.

John Hotson, mason, won most of the prizes for roses and Simon Hyslop, draper, took most of the carnation awards. John Jardine, grocer, excelled with his vegetables. No-one dominated the industrial categories.

The cage birds groups were Border fancy canaries, goldfinches, any other British birds and foreign birds, with Thomas McVittie, joiner, winning most of the prizes.

The pigeons were almost all working homing pigeons and the poultry consisted mainly of Rhode Island Reds, Orpingtons and Wyandottes.