FREE TRAINING DAYS FOR FARMERS

Expert advice is on hand with two more special free training days in the south west for people venturing into the world of growing non-food crops.

The days give people thinking of diversifying an ideal opportunity to learn about issues connected with non-food crops – particularly crops used in chemical, pharmaceutical, cosmetics, fibre, industrial oil and lubricant manufacture.

Hosted by local farmers, the Non-Food Crops Training Days are being organised by the Royal Bath & West of England Society, thanks to funding from the Rural Development Service.

Experts from the National Non-Food Centre and Aubourn will give presentations on various aspects including market demand, opportunities for farmers and co-operatives, contract options, processing facilities, supply and production issues, agronomy, farm system impacts, and grants, incentives and legislation.

Over 60 people attended the first session at the Bath & West Showground, Shepton Mallet, Somerset, last month, hosted by Jeremy Padfield and Rob Addicott of Stratton Farms.

The second training day takes place on Tuesday, Match 14th, from 10.30am – 3pm at the Village Hall, Stoke Climslands, Callington, Cornwall, hosted by Benn Bennett of Lower Norton Farm.

The third and final day takes place on Wednesday, March 15th, from 10.30am – 3pm at Great Larkhill Farm, Long Newnton, Tetbury, Gloucestershire hosted by Julian Hasler.

There will also be the opportunity for brief one-to-one sessions with the experts, sample crops will be available to look at, and useful literature will be available to take home.

The sessions are free to all farmers and include refreshments and a light lunch.

(* Energy and bio-fuel crops will NOT be covered at these training days.)

Anyone interested in attending the training days should book a space now by ringing Charlotte Phelps at the Bath & West Showground, Shepton Mallet, on 01749 822 200 or e-mail: charlotte phelps

Mention the Bath & West Showground and most people conjure up a vision of a four day spectacular with plenty to see and do – a great fun day out, especially if the weather is right!

But the Bath & West is not just about the Royal Bath & West  Show – events happen all year round at the busy Showground, and a recent study has shown the Shepton Mallet-based event centre generates a massive £164 million per year boost for the rural economy.

Dire Straits and Lulu have performed there in front of screaming crowds. Frank Bruno and Prince Nazeem have fought there. The Queen and most leading members of the Royal Family have graced  it with their presence over the years.  And the chances are that several readers have visited on many an occasion too!

The Bath & West Showground  - a venue so versatile that one day it can be residence for a herd of pristine dairy cows on show, and the next transformed into a glittering gourmet restaurant  or a stage for a chart-topping star.

From antique fairs to show jumping, from motorcycle shows to gardening events, from dog shows to adventure sports there’s something to suit everyone happening all year round at the south west’s biggest and best agricultural and event centre.

From just 15 events in 1979 there is now a hardly a clear space in the diary. And as well as being used for every public event imaginable the venue is also popular for private functions from weddings and 21st celebrations to dinners and balls and private meetings.

Beside busy events the Showground runs its own special interest shows. Now in its eleventh successful year the National Amateur Gardening Show in September attracts over 34,000 visitors and is hailed as the little Chelsea of the West.  Specialist shows for the farmers include Grassland UK which attracts nearly 5,000 farmers, and the Dairy Show in October, which plays a vital role in this major milk and livestock producing area. But the jewel in the crown is the Royal Bath and West Show, which attracts over 160,000 people.

The Showground employs 33 permanent staff, and is spear-headed by 56 committees, but its ranks are swelled during the Royal Bath & West Show to over 1,000 thanks to the dedicated team of helpers who volunteer their services to ensure the event goes like clockwork.

It also has an active ever-growing membership – members enjoy free entry to all four days of the Royal Bath & West Show, discounts to various shows and other events, and can take advantage of offers and discounts from several businesses and companies.

Over one million visitors pour through the Showground gates each year. But while the variety of events widens, supporting agriculture and the farmer is still very much at the forefront of all its operations.

The Royal Bath & West of England Society, a registered charity, was founded in 1777 in the Georgian City of Bath - making it the oldest agricultural society in the country. In those days the shows went to the people - to publicise and popularise the very latest developments in husbandry, livestock breeding and machinery to the farming community.

A group of foresighted gentlemen, led by Sir Edmund Rack,  got together in Bath and formed a Society aimed at encouraging “agriculture, arts, manufactures and commerce”, and so the Royal Bath & West of England Society was born.  Its original aims are the foundations of the Society’s work today - through its events, conferences and the many scholarships and competitions it spearheads, and the huge boost it gives the rural economy.

For many years the Show was held at different sites around the country travelling as far and wide as Nottingham, Birmingham and Wimbledon. It was known as a peripatetic show - and the logistics of packing up, storing, transporting and setting up on different sites all over the country year after year must have been overwhelming for all those involved - as well as extremely costly.

And so the search was launched for a suitable permanent base and in 1964 the Society bought 212 acres of farming land from the Longman family and over the years many purpose built buildings and roadways have been added. The site now covers 240 acres.

Now the historic organisation faces a new chapter in its success story. The in-depth report into the economic impact of the Showground and its far-reaching effects has just been unveiled, highlighting the fact that its events generate a massive £164 million per year boost for the rural economy, from tourism and employment to education and agricultural industries.

The findings now form the corner-stone of the Royal Bath & West of England Society’s mission to draw attention to the important role it plays in the region and underpin its case for the future funding of an ambitious re-development programme which includes new multi-purpose exhibition halls, new catering facilities and an on-site business village which will offer a range of  business, community and training activities and help it to continue to fulfil its charitable aims of supporting agriculture and the rural economy.

 Mr John Vintcent, chairman of the Society’s Executive Board said: “We have always been very proud of what the Society does and of its value to the local community and the entire region. But we have never been able to substantiate our claims until now,” he said.

“Now we have firm anecdotal evidence to use to talk to people when we are trying to get funds for the future development of the Showground. We have a professionally prepared piece of work which gives huge amounts of detail about the benefits the Society provides go the local community and local business people.”

The clock is ticking fast for enterprising and successful South West farmers to show the world what they are made of!

Entries for this year’s Rural Business Development Awards close on March 14th. And South West Farmers who have developed and diversified have four chances of being rewarded in this special competition run by the Royal Bath & West of England Society.

The Awards offer farmers the chance of winning in four different categories. There is a prize in each category of £500 each, plus an engraved rosebowl commemorating their success – and every one who enters  the competition receives two free tickets to this year’s Royal Bath & West Show (May 31 – June 3) where the awards will be presented.

The four sections of the competition are: The Farm Diversification Award – where farmers have branched out from traditional farming to generate income from different enterprises; The Innovative Building Design Award – for new or converted buildings which demonstrate excellent design combined with a safe work environment; The Rural Business Award – for a new business that has given employment to local people and helped sustain the local community and tourism; and The Community Award – for a building or idea which promotes a sense of community.

The Rural Business Development Awards are one of the major competitions run annually by the Society, which was founded in 1777 with the aim of encouraging "agriculture, arts, manufactures and commerce."

Those aims are still very much the foundations of the Society's work today - through its many events, conferences, scholarships and competitions it spearheads, and the tremendous boost it gives the rural economy.

Open to all farmers from Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Somerset, Wiltshire, Bristol and Bath, the competition is now in its second successful year and is again being sponsored by Farmers Guardian and NatWest, with additional support and sponsorship from RIBA (the Royal Institute of British Architects), RTPI (the Rural Town Planning Institute), RICS (the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors) and Cartwheel (the South West’s leading rural tourism organisation).

Last year’s competition attracted entrants from all over the south west and organsiers are hoping for an even higher turn-out this year. Last year’s winning entries ranged from a Dutch barn that was converted into first class office accommodation, to redundant barns being transformed into a busy conference centre, and a children’s nursery operating in the middle of a working dairy farm.
Entry forms for the competition can be obtained from the Bath & West Showground, Shepton Mallet, Somerset, BA4 6QN and the closing date for all entries is March 14th. Further details can be obtained from the Showground on 01749 822  200.

Farmers and landowners in the South West can receive expert advice on the diversification and development of farm buildings at a conference at Rookery Manor next week. (Thursday 23 February).

The Royal Bath & West of England Society Conference “Planning…Development On Farm” will take place at Rookery Manor, Edingworth, Nr Weston-Super-Mare on Thursday 23 February from 7 – 10pm.

Sponsored by NatWest, DEFRA and Business Link the conference will provide guidance to farmers from expert speakers and the opportunity to probe deeper during a question and answer session.

The first speaker is Janet Montgomery, Brimble Lea & Partners tackling the necessary paperwork connected with all forms of planning application regarding agricultural buildings and urban accommodation.

 Tony Kernon of Kernon Countryside Consultants, the second speaker, will concentrate on rural planning covering change of use of farm buildings; further development of farm buildings; the removal of agricultural ties and the diversification of farm buildings to provide non farm income.

The evening will also feature Ian Clapp, Managing Director of Rookery Manor, who will speak from first hand experience about the award winning hotel complex which has most of its hotel rooms situated in converted barns.

Tickets for the conference are £5 for Royal Bath & West of England Society and RABDF Members, or £15 for non-members, and include tea and coffee and a light buffet.  Book now on the credit card hotline on 01749 822 222

Budding garden designers have the chance to showcase their talents at one of the country’s top gardening shows.

The Student, Showcase, Feature, and  Allotment Garden Design Competitions are one of the major highlights of the National Amateur Gardening Show each year. And next Wednesday, (Wednesday, April 5th) potential entrants have the chance to find out more about them all at a special Gardens Day at the Bath & West Showground, Shepton Mallet, where this year’s competitions will be officially launched.

Previous winners have progressed to great things. Several have gone on to launch their own landscape and design companies. Others have seen their careers flourish with big names in the gardening world.

Julian Compton from Ilminster, Somerset, had a hat trick of successes at last year’s Show – scooping the awards for Best Feature Garden, Gold Medal and Best Garden

 for his garden using the Golden Section, a ratio used in design since ancient times.

Julian who runs his own garden design company Land Art, won the Best Showcase Garden and the Best in Show awards at the 2004 with his Help Yourself garden. His work then captured the interest of expert horticulturalists nationwide – so much so that Amateur Gardening Magazine, which runs the Show in conjunction with the Bath & West Trading Company, invited him to design and build their “Arts and Crafts” garden for them.

Any eager garden designers wanting to follow in Julian’s mudprints and take up the gardening challenges at the Show this year, should contact show organiser Patsy Scadding now on 01749 822235 for entry forms in all categories. Individual applications and entries from students on horticultural courses at colleges are all welcome.

Entries for Showcase gardens need to be based on 6m x 6m plots, Feature Gardens can be any size, allotments are 5m x  5m and the designs for the Student Challenge Competition, which is sponsored by Bowland Stone, need to be for 4m x 4m plots.

Further information can be obtained at The Gardens Day which takes place at 10.30am on Wednesday, April 5th at the Showground and where last year’s winners will be expanding on the all the pleasures and the pitfalls. People interested in attending the Gardens Day should book in with Mrs Scadding in advance.

As well as the kudos of the chance of winning top accolades in one of the country’s top gardening shows, trophies, certificates and thousands of pounds worth of cash prizes await the winners.

The National Amateur Gardening Show, now in its 11^th successful year is once again sponsored by Renault and takes place at the Bath & West Showground, from September 1^st to 3^rd. Entries should be submitted by mid April and all designs need to be submitted with full details by May 1^st.

Are you a Red Hot gardener?

Do you have a burning desire to show fellow gardeners just what you can do?

Then enter The Chilli Challenge which will be one of the highlights at the National Amateur Gardening Show in September.

Just send a stamped addressed envelope to the show organisers at the Bath & West Showground and you will be sent a FREE packet of six chilli seeds, generously supplied by chilli specialists Simpsons Seeds. There are 170 packets available on a first come, first served basis - one pack per household. Grow your chilli seeds at home and bring your best plant along to the National Amateur Gardening Show for judging on the Show’s opening day, Friday, September 1st.

The winner will be the gardener who grows the best-looking plant with the most chillies on it.  Entries will be judged by Matt Simpson of Simpsons Seeds, and Tim Rumball and Lucy Halsall of Amateur Gardening Magazine.

Participants must buy a ticket for the Show and bring along their chilli plant with their empty Simpsons seed packet for judging at The Hall of Flame at the Show at 11am. On production of their ticket stub they will receive a cash refund to the value of the ticket.

Take part and you will have a chance to win great chilli prizes, plus the refund on the cost of your Show ticket.

For your free pack of seeds send in your self addressed envelope now to Show organiser Patsy Scadding, The Bath & West Showground, Shepton Mallet, Somerset, BA4 6QN. (Tel:01749 822235 for further details) or e-mail

Children will be allowed in free at this year’s Royal Bath & West Agricultural Show - when tickets are booked by grown-ups in advance.

It is the first time in living memory that youngsters can enjoy a free fun day out to remember at one of the country’s biggest and best agricultural shows.

The decision has been made by show organisers to emphasise the fact that the four day show is a fantastic, enjoyable learning experience for all the family, and also to boost attendance figures which were hit hard by bad weather last year.

The 2006 Show, sponsored by EDF Energy,  takes place in half-term week, from May 31^st to June 3^rd.  All children aged under 15 will be allowed in free of charge when the adults accompanying them book their tickets in advance. Each adult saver ticket admits two children. However children’s tickets bought at the gate on the days of the Show will still have to be paid for.

Meanwhile all other tickets for the 2006 Show are being held at the 2005 prices – a move again aimed at driving the message home that the spectacular show is exceptional value for money and not to be missed.

New features at this year’s show, which aims to attract over 160,000 people include a Canoe Village, a Heavy Horse Village, Double Harness Scurry classes, Belted Galloway Classes, a unique Sustainability Area and exciting adventure action with the  Bolddog Lings Motorcross Display Team.

The Royal Bath & West Show will be the first show in the country to feature a Sustainability Area, highlighting the importance of renewable energy, technology, and developments that help save energy and cut costs.

Another  star attraction will be the legendary Christian Moullec and his flying geese and cranes. Christian will wing his way into the main ring aboard his microlite, followed by his trained flock of geese in perfect formation behind.

Other highlights at this year’s Show include the return of the wild wolves, a Polo display, Imagineering and the Orkney Village, the show-stopping Wurzels, spectacular chain-saw action from the Tree Pirates, the fun, fact-finding Family Trail, the biggest gathering of alpacas outside Peru, the popular Dog Show -  which is expanding to three days  -  and the chance to savour the very best food and drink and see the cream of the country’s livestock on parade.

Show-jumping, over 1,000 tradestands, the Somerset Life Food and Drink Awards, and the magnificent Floral Marquee will all add to the action-packed four days.

Advanced saver tickets can be booked on the credit card hotline on 01749 822 222

Children aged 15 and under will be allowed in free of charge when adults book their advanced tickets. Two children are admitted with each adult saver ticket bought in advance.

Other Ticket Prices will remain the same as 2005.

Advanced ticket prices:
Adult saver tickets: £15
Senior citizens: £12
Children (up to 15): FREE - but only when booked in advance

Unfortunately we cannot offer an advanced family ticket

On the gate prices:
Adults: £18
Senior citizens: £15
Children (aged 5 – 15): £5
Family Ticket: £40
Children under five: FREE

For further details ring the Bath & West Showground on 01749 822200

Demand for tradestand space and demonstration plots at Grassland UK  has exceeded expectations – so much so that the original site marked out for the show has had to be expanded to cope.

Aiming to meet all farmers’ needs - from seeds to feeds - Grassland UK takes place on 100 acres of farmland next to the Bath & West Showground, Shepton Mallet, on Wednesday, May 10th.

Preparations are in full swing at the show site at Bridge Farm, Pylle, just a stone’s throw away from the Showground. Dual purpose Grass Max seeds sown on 40 acres of the site in readiness for working demonstrations at the show are flourishing well.

And this month saw tenant farmer Mark Dunford and his team using a Vicon Rotaflow spreader to cover the whole site with First Cut fertiliser, made by Terra Nitrogen.

Thousands of farmers and representatives from agricultural businesses are expected at what is the only grassland event being held in the country this year, and is sponsored by Dalgety, NatWest, Terra and Farmers Weekly.

This triennial show, first held 20 years ago and organised by the Royal Bath & West of England Society, will feature over 40 acres of grass trials and working demonstrations and over 100 trade stands.

Leading manufacturers will be demonstrating their latest machinery, experts will be on hand with a wide range of technical and financial advice, several new products are being launched and a full programme of seminars, spear-headed by the British Grassland Society, is being organised.

Visitors to Grassland UK can attain 2 NRoSO Continuing Professional Development (CPD) points simply by registering at the event. In addition the Show has applied for recognition for BASIS CPD points.

Interest in this specialist show, aimed at farmers and agricultural contractors, is fast and furious with plots, tradestand space and tickets being snapped up.  Further details can be obtained by ringing Show Organiser Rachael Hann at the Showground on 01749 822 200.

Ticket prices £8 in advance or £10 on the gate, and can be booked on the credit card hotline on 01749 822 222. The show runs from 9.30am to 5pm.

The intricacies of growing vines and making wines will be uncorked at this year’s National Amateur Gardening Show.

The new feature, entitled British Vines to Wines, will be one of the highlights of the Show which takes place at the Bath & West Showground, Shepton Mallet, Somerset, from September 1st to 3rd.

Show organisers are now inviting exhibitors and growers to play a part in this exciting new showcase. British wine producers, growers, nurseries and importers of suitable vines for our climate are invited to book trade stand space and exhibit.

A full programme of talks and demonstrations on growing vines and making wines is planned, appealing to connoisseurs and amateur enthusiasts alike.

The new feature in its own pavilion will enhance an already successful show, organised by the Bath & West Trading Company in conjunction with Amateur Gardening magazine. The Show is now in its eleventh year, and attracts around 35,000 people over the three days.

Highlights this year also include the magnificent Floral Marquee, flower fruit and vegetable competitions, a specialist food hall, cookery demonstrations, a children’s area, a Farm Shop offering fresh farm produce, the National Dahlia Society Show and the UK National Giant Vegetable Championships. This year the Show also hosts the area championships of NAFAS and another new feature will be the Hall of Flame, complete with a chilli-growing contest.

Gardening celebrities sharing their top tips and expertise include flower arranger Sarah Raven, organic guru Bob Flowerdew and TV gardener Joe Swift.

For further information about exhibiting at the British Vines to Wines pavilion at the Show contact organiser Patsy Scadding on 01749 822235

Children will be allowed in free at this year’s Royal Bath & West Agricultural Show - when tickets are booked by grown-ups in advance.

It is the first time in living memory that youngsters can enjoy a free fun day out to remember at one of the country’s biggest and best agricultural shows.

The decision has been made by show organisers to emphasise the fact that the four day agricultural show is a fantastic, enjoyable learning experience for all the family, young and old alike, and also to boost attendance figures which were hit hard by bad weather last year.

The 2006 Show, sponsored by EDF Energy, takes place in half-term week, from May 31st to June 3rd.  All children aged 15 and under will be allowed in free of charge when the adults accompanying them book their tickets in advance. Each adult saver ticket admits two children. However children’s tickets bought at the gate on the days of the Show will still have to be paid for.

Meanwhile all other tickets for the 2006 Show are being held at the 2005 prices – a move again aimed at driving the message home that the spectacular show is exceptional value for money and not to be missed.

New features at this year’s show, which aims to attract over 160,000 people include a Canoe Village, a Heavy Horse Centre, Double Harness Scurry classes, Belted Galloway Classes, a unique Sustainability Area and exciting adventure action with the  Bolddog Lings Motorcross Display Team.

The Royal Bath & West Show will be the first agricultural show in the country to feature a Sustainability Showcase area, highlighting the importance of renewable energy, technology, and developments that help save energy and cut costs.

Businesses are lining up to play their part in the Sustainability Showcase, promoting the very best renewable and sustainable energy practices embracing all relevant areas including, transport, buildings and measures to reduce the carbon footprint and protect the planet.

This theme will be reflected across the whole Show this year. All food and drink served by mobile caterers at the Show will be served in recyclable containers, with paper plates and wooden forks.

• And a magnificent prize of an eco-friendly QPOD – kindly donated by Noel Edmonds - awaits the winner of the Show’s Grand Prize Draw. Tickets are £1 each and are available before and at the Show.

The Society has joined forces with the leading environmental charity, the Renewable Energy Foundation – of which Noel Edmonds is chairman - to develop the sustainability theme.

• Noel Edmonds, himself a farmer, and passionately concerned about sustainability and the environment, has pledged his support to the Society and its sustainability initiative, and has donated the QPOD vehicle from his Unique Motor Company.

Proceeds from the Draw will go towards renewable energy projects and towards the funding of Children’s Hospice South West – the new children’s hospice which Noel Edmonds is also backing.

Innovative, practical, safe and reliable, fun to run and affordable, QPODS  are powered by bio-ethanol and are capturing people’s imagination. When these star little cars were featured on Top Gear, the Unique Motor Company’s website (which usually receives 22,000 hits a day,) was deluged with 240,000 after the programme, and an incredible 380,000 hits the following day!
 
Other highlights at this year’s agricultural show include the return of the wild wolves, a Polo display, Imagineering and the Orkney Village, the show-stopping Wurzels, the fun, fact-finding Family Trail, the biggest gathering of alpacas outside Peru, the popular Dog Show -  which is expanding to three days  -  and the chance to savour the best food and drink and see the cream of the country’s livestock on parade.

The region’s very own top tastes and talents will be on display in the Wealth of Wiltshire,  Best of Bath and Celebrating Somerset areas. And show-jumping, over 1,000 tradestands, the Somerset Life Food and Drink Awards, and the magnificent Floral Marquee will all add to the action-packed four days.

For food fans the River Cottage HQ team, headed by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, will be running the cookery theatre demonstrations.

There will be celebrations down in the Power of the Past area where the treasures of yesteryear will be on display and where the little grey Fergie will be celebrating its 70th anniversary.

The Showground’s own miniature railway is being extended, offering visitors the chance of an even longer exciting trip round the Show.

Canoes are another form of transport to be highlighted as the Canoe Village on the lake makes its debut. Organised by the Association of Canoe Trades on the Showground’s lake there will be have-a-go sessions ask-the-expert sessions, and equipment, water safety and discipline demonstrations. And, once you’ve got the bug, there will be plenty of information about venues where you can carry on enjoying this exciting sport.

Back on dry land will be the giant stars of the show – the heavy horses who for the first time have been given their very own area for showing, demonstrations and classes - a move that has pleased enthusiasts everywhere.

Advanced saver tickets for the Show can be booked on the credit card hotline on 01749 822 222.

Children aged 15 and under will be allowed in free of charge when adults book their advanced tickets. Two children are admitted with each adult saver ticket bought in advance.
 
Other Ticket Prices will remain the same as for 2005.

Advanced ticket prices:
Adult saver tickets     £15
Senior citizens             £12
Children aged 15 and under are free - only when booked in advance
No advanced family ticket

On the gate prices:
Adults                              £18
Senior citizens                 £15
Children (aged 5 – 15)     £5
Family Tickets                  £40
Children under five are free.

For further details ring the Bath & West Showground on 01749 822 200 or visit  www.bathandwest.com

WIN A Q-POD

Tickets £1.00 - please ring Diane on 01749 822215 or e-mail Diane

Visit the Sustainability area at the Bath & West Show to see the Q-Pod's on display

ALL proceeds are in aid of Children's Hospice South West
(reg.Charity No 1003314) and
The Royal Bath & West of England Society (reg Charity No 1039397)

Draw will take place on Saturday 3rd June at the Royal Bath & West Show

Q-Pod from The Unique Motor Company and kindly donated by Noel Edmonds.

Draw registered under section 5 of the Lotteries & Amusements Act 1976 with Mendip District Council - licence number LN/295/06

A new feature – the Heavy Horse Centre – will be a show within the show at the four day spectacular which takes place at the Bath & West Showground, Shepton Mallet, Somerset, from May 31st to June 3rd.

This year the gentle giants have been given their very own area for showing, demonstrations and classes – a move that has pleased enthusiasts everywhere.

On Wednesday and Thursday, May 31st and June 1st, the first two days of the Show, there will be demonstrations to educate the public on how to get heavy horses ready for showing, as well as demonstrations on harnessing the magnificent beasts to ploughs and wagons.

Showing and In-Hand classes take place on the Friday and Saturday at the Centre, while Turnout and Ridden classes take place in the Main Ring.

Top horses and riders from all over the country are expected to be competing and chasing thousands of pounds worth of prizes in all of the equestrian sections of this year’s show which is expected to attract over 150,000 visitors and is sponsored by EDF Energy.

This year in the Ridden & Working Cob Section, there is a brand new class for Maxi Cobs, sponsored by Baker Tilly in association with the South West Large Cob Owners’ Club, and a new Double Harness Scurry class, sponsored by Great Leighs Racing.

Other new features are classes for Appaloosas –an amazing breed with their distinctive markings and spots, known as the “good doers” of the horse world – athletic, colourful and willing.

Once again there are Royal International Horse Show qualifiers for Ridden Hunters, Working Hunters, Cobs, Hacks and Riding Horses, and Horse of the Year Show qualifiers for Coloured Horses and Ponies (ridden), BSPS Intermediate Show Riding Type and Show Hunter Type, the Cuddy in Hand Championship and BSPS Summer Championship Qualifiers.

The closing date for entries for the Heavy Horses, Horses and Donkeys is Thursday, April 13th, and Show Jumping classes close on May 2nd. Schedules for all classes and competitions can be obtained from the Bath & West Showground on 01749 822 209, or further details visit the new website on www.bathandwest.com

The Royal Bath & West Show will be the first show in the country to feature a Sustainability Area, highlighting the importance of renewable energy, technology, and developments that help save energy and cut costs.

Other new features include a Canoe Village, and exciting adventure action with the  Bolddog Lings Motorcross Display Team.

Highlights include the best of British livestock on parade, the return of the wild wolves, Polo, Imagineering and the Orkney Village, the popular Dog Show -  and the chance to savour the very best food and drink.

This year children will be allowed in free when tickets are booked by adults in advance.

For further details ring the Bath & West Showground on 01749 822 200

Plans are blossoming for this year’s Bristol Flower Show with added attractions, extra entertainment and more classes than ever before – and free entry for children.

Celebrating its 62nd year, the popular annual show promises three days of spectacular colour, competitions and fun for all at Durdham Downs, Bristol from August 18th to 20th. 

The show, jointly organised by the Bath & West Trading Company and Bristol City Council, promises to offer something for everyone from the serious horticulturist to the person who just likes to potter, with a wealth of trade stands offering to meet every gardener’s needs from tools to seeds.

Show organisers are keen to welcome back everyone who has supported the show so well in the past and are appealing for all past competitors and newcomers eager to enter for the first time to contact them now for schedules.

There are competitions for handicrafts, cookery, and flower arranging as well as the normal flower, fruit and vegetable classes, plus a separate section for allotments, classes for children and the magnificent Floral Marquee.

And back by public demand are two garden design and build competitions. The Courtyard Garden competition, sponsored by Bristol-based Bowland Stone, is open to all companies, garden designers and builders. The challenge is to design and build a garden on a 5 square metre plot suitable for relaxation within a confined space behind a house. Bowland Stone will provide £300 worth of product to help each garden, and a prize fund of £1,500 awaits the winners plus a Bristol Blue Glass bowl for the designer awarded first place.

The Feature Garden competition is open to all business exhibiting at the Show. The winner will receive £100 plus a Bristol Blue Glass Trophy, and runners up receive £75 and £50.

Entertainment to delight all ages at the Show includes Morris dancing, bands, face-painting and an entertainer. And the popular Sun Gardening Roadshow will be there offering a whole host of top tips from the experts.

Highlight of the opening day will be a reception hosted by the Lord Mayor of Bristol. Organisers are also pleased to welcome back St Peter’s Hospice who will be running a stand to help promote their fund-raising work.

Following its successful debut last year the Bristol City Garden Competition will again be run in conjunction with the Bristol Evening Post. Entrants will be invited to send in a photograph of their garden which will then be judged and a presentation to the winner will be made during the Show.

A new Bristol City Garden Challenge Trophy will be presented by Mrs Sally Burke, in memory of her husband, the late Mr John Burke, who died two years ago. Mr Burke who lived at Bishops Sutton, near Bath, was one of the West’s most respected businessmen and charity supporters.  He was well known in the community for his roles as chief executive and vice-chairman of the Bristol & West, and was awarded the OBE for his commitment to charity.  He was also a director and honorary treasurer of the Royal Bath & West of England Society.

The Show is being sponsored by Bristol Blue Glass who are donating some of their beautiful glassware as prizes, Wessex Water, Bowland Stone who are sponsoring the Courtyard Garden competition and Bristol-based Bart Spices Ltd who are sponsoring the children’s competitions at the Show. The Show is also supported by BBC Radio Bristol.

Admission is £8 for adults on the gate, or £6 in advance, £6 for senior citizens on the gate or £5 in advance, and free for children.

For further information about the show, or details regarding tradestands, schedules and classes, please ring 01749 822 200 or save £££s by booking your advance tickets now on the credit card hotline on 01749 822 222.

A new partnership has been announced between the Royal Bath & West of England Society and The Royal Smithfield Club, under which a new event will be jointly organised and run by the two Societies.  This will be run at the Bath & West Showground at Shepton Mallet on Friday 1st and Saturday 2nd December this year.

Dr Jane Guise, Chief Executive at the Royal Bath & West of England Society, was overjoyed at the decision of the Royal Smithfield Club to accept the offer of The Bath & West to host the new Smithfield Event at Shepton Mallet.  “This is a wonderful opportunity to host an internationally recognised event, and very good news for the West Country rural economy.  We feel honoured that our Showground should have been chosen as the venue for the Royal Smithfield Club’s plans to continue their support for the livestock industry in these pivotal times.”

For The Royal Smithfield Club, Chairman John Coultrip, said: “This is a marvellous opportunity for the Club to preserve the long tradition of presenting the very best of British primestock in competitions that represent the pinnacle of the Winter Show season.  The offer to join the Bath & West in a partnership to create a new Show was one that our Trustees were unanimous in accepting.”
The plans are for the two day event to focus on all aspects of the livestock industry centered around the Smithfield livestock competitions, whilst at the same time highlighting the important role the meat industry plays in the food chain.

Jane Guise explains: “In the run up to Christmas we hope not only to perpetuate The Royal Smithfield competitions which offer the agricultural industry the opportunity to promote their wares, but also to highlight the quality of produce available from British farms."  

For further information contact:
Geoffrey Burgess - Chief Executive & Secretary
The Royal Smithfield Club
Brierley House, Summer Lane, Combe Down, Bath, BA2 5LE        Telephone: 01225 837904

Dr Jane Guise, Chief Executive
Royal Bath & West of England Society
The Showground, Shepton Mallet, Somerset BA4 6QN
Telephone: 01749 822202                                     

Preparations for this year’s popular Bike Show South West are at full throttle.

The two day show which attracts motor cycle enthusiasts from all over the country takes place at the end of this month on 29th and 30th April at the Bath & West Showground, Shepton Mallet, Somerset.

Show-goers can look forward to an action packed weekend with entertainment for all the family, live music, stunt displays including “Blaze” - the ultimate in fire performance - and all the usual motorcycling thrills and spills plus over 100 tradestands to make every biker’s dreams come true.

Stars of the show will be the hundreds of gleaming classic and custom bikes from all over the country on display and chasing over £3,000 worth of prize money.

There’s also the chance to see and win an eco-friendly QPod – the revolutionary car that runs on bio-ethanol. The car has been kindly donated by TV celebrity Noel Edmonds as the prize for a Grand Draw at this year’s Royal Bath & West Show which takes place May 31st to June 3rd.

The Royal Bath & West of England Society has joined forces with the leading environmental charity, the Renewable Energy Foundation - of which Noel Edmonds is chairman - to develop a Sustainability Showcase area at the Show, highlighting the importance of renewable energy, technology, and developments that help save energy and cut costs.

Noel Edmonds, himself a farmer, and passionately concerned about sustainability and the environment, has pledged his support to the Society and its sustainability initiative, and has donated the QPOD vehicle from his Unique Motor Company. Tickets for the Grand Draw are £1 and will be on sale at Bike Show South West where the QPod will be on display along with the QT Runner Sports Car.

Proceeds from the Draw will go towards renewable energy projects and towards the funding of Children’s Hospice South West – the new children’s hospice which Noel Edmonds is also backing.

Admission prices to Bike Show South West are being held at 2005 prices – advanced tickets are £7 for adults and £4 for children, senior citizens and concessions, or £8 for adults and £5 for children, senior citizens and concessions on the gate. Children under five are free.

The campsite is open from 3pm on the Friday until 5pm on Sunday and camping rates are £20 for adults and £7.50 for children. Senior citizens and concessions for advance bookings, or £25 for adults and £10 for children, senior citizens and concessions on the gate.

For full details of the show ring organiser Kim Limb on 01749  823260; e-mail:  swcc@ukonline.co.uk

Tired of tyres littering up your farmyard? The solution to the problem causing many a headache for farmers lies in a special demonstration at Grassland UK next month (May).

Waste tyres can now be turned into a low cost, environmentally friendly construction material on-farm thanks to a new mobile tyre baler system developed by Thomas & Fontaine Ltd.

The Shropshire-based firm will be demonstrating their Secure Block Tyre Recovery Service at Grassland UK which takes place on 100 acres of farmland next to the Bath & West Showground at Shepton Mallet, Somerset.

The service uses a mobile tyre baler that can compress 120 whole car tyres into a Secure Block measuring 30”x50”x 60” and weighing almost 1 tonne. The service is fast and effective, producing 4-5 bales per hour. The Secure Block has no associated environmental risk and has many on-farm uses including: -
·        Replacing aggregate in track and gateway construction
·        Building stock barriers
·        Building retaining walls
·        Erosion control
·        Constructing silage clamps and feed stores

The increasing use of Secure Covers (a high quality finely woven polyethylene mesh sheet) for keeping silage sheets in place and preventing bird damage has highlighted the existing problem of what to do with redundant waste tyres. There are estimated to be at least 50 million waste tyres on UK farms. With the imminent introduction of new Agricultural Waste Regulations, on-farm disposal of loose tyres will no longer be an option, and off-farm disposal is becoming increasingly expensive.

This year’s major national grassland event looks set to be the best ever.

Demand for tradestand space and demonstration plots at Grassland UK  has exceeded expectations – so much so that the original site marked out for the show has had to be expanded to cope.

Aiming to meet all farmers’ needs - from seeds to feeds - Grassland UK takes place on 100 acres of farmland next to the Bath & West Showground, Shepton Mallet, on Wednesday, May 10th.

Preparations are in full swing at the show site at Bridge Farm and Bagborough Farm, Pylle, just a stone’s throw away from the Showground. Dual purpose Grass Max seeds sown on 40 acres of the site in readiness for working demonstrations at the show are flourishing well.

Tenant farmer Mark Dunford and his team used a Vicon Rotaflow spreader to cover the whole site with First Cut fertiliser, made by Terra Nitrogen.

Thousands of farmers and representatives from agricultural businesses are expected at what is the only grassland event being held in the country this year, and is sponsored by Masstock, NatWest, Terra and Farmers Weekly.

This triennial show, first held 20 years ago and organised by the Royal Bath & West of England Society, will feature over 40 acres of grass trials and working demonstrations and over 100 trade stands.

Kelvin Cave Ltd will be demonstrating the AG BAG system a safe way to increase margins in milk, beef and sheep production, while Thomas & Fontaine Ltd will be demonstrating their mobile tyre baler system which aims to eradicate the problems of tyres littering farmyards and to transform them instead into environmental friendly useful construction material.

Leading manufacturers will be demonstrating their latest machinery, experts will be on hand with a wide range of technical and financial advice, several new products are being launched and a full programme of seminars, spear-headed by the British Grassland Society, is being organised.

The British Grassland Society’s six 20 minute long seminars will be held between 10.40am and 3pm thanks to generous sponsorship from the Milk Development Council’s Grass+ programme, British Seed Houses and Business Link Devon and Cornwall – which delivers DEFRA’s Farm Business Advisory Service in the south west..

Sessions will include two talks on Cross Compliance, one aimed at contractors and one at grassland farmers, by consultant David Pettitt, from Kingshay Farming Trust.

Grass and total mixed rations will be the theme of a session by Piers Badnell, MDC extension officer, while his colleague Hugh Black will reveal some of the latest trial information on cow tracks.

Silage expert and MVF director Steve Edmunds will address the practical problems for farmers and contractors making and managing long chop silage. And improving productivity of red clover swards will be the theme of the talk by Dr Heather McCalman of the IGER Grassland Development Centre.

Each seminar will be followed by question and answer sessions.

Visitors to Grassland UK can attain 2 NRoSO Continuing Professional Development (CPD) points simply by registering at the event. In addition the Show has applied for recognition for BASIS CPD points.

Interest in this specialist show, aimed at farmers and agricultural contractors, is fast and furious with plots, tradestand space and tickets being snapped up.  Further details can be obtained by ringing Show Organiser Rachael Hann at the Showground on 01749 822 200.

Ticket prices £8 in advance or £10 on the gate, and can be booked on the credit card hotline on 01749 822 222. The show runs from 9.30am to 5pm.

This year’s major national grassland event looks set to be the best ever.

Demand for tradestand space and demonstration plots at Grassland UK  has exceeded expectations – so much so that the original site marked out for the show has had to be expanded to cope.

Aiming to meet all farmers’ needs - from seeds to feeds - Grassland UK takes place on 100 acres of farmland next to the Bath & West Showground, Shepton Mallet, on Wednesday, May 10th.

Preparations are in full swing at the show site at Bridge Farm and Bagborough Farm, Pylle, just a stone’s throw away from the Showground. Dual purpose Grass Max seeds sown on 40 acres of the site in readiness for working demonstrations at the show are flourishing well.

Tenant farmer Mark Dunford and his team used a Vicon Rotaflow spreader to cover the whole site with First Cut fertiliser, made by Terra Nitrogen.

Thousands of farmers and representatives from agricultural businesses are expected at what is the only grassland event being held in the country this year, and is sponsored by Masstock, NatWest, Terra and Farmers Weekly.

This triennial show, first held 20 years ago and organised by the Royal Bath & West of England Society, will feature over 40 acres of grass trials and working demonstrations and over 100 trade stands.

Kelvin Cave Ltd will be demonstrating the AG BAG system a safe way to increase margins in milk, beef and sheep production, while Thomas & Fontaine Ltd will be demonstrating their mobile tyre baler system which aims to eradicate the problems of tyres littering farmyards and to transform them instead into environmental friendly useful construction material.

Leading manufacturers will be demonstrating their latest machinery, experts will be on hand with a wide range of technical and financial advice, several new products are being launched and a full programme of seminars, spear-headed by the British Grassland Society, is being organised.

The British Grassland Society’s six 20 minute long seminars will be held between 10.40am and 3pm thanks to generous sponsorship from the Milk Development Council’s Grass+ programme, British Seed Houses and Business Link Devon and Cornwall – which delivers DEFRA’s Farm Business Advisory Service in the south west..

Sessions will include two talks on Cross Compliance, one aimed at contractors and one at grassland farmers, by consultant David Pettitt, from Kingshay Farming Trust.

Grass and total mixed rations will be the theme of a session by Piers Badnell, MDC extension officer, while his colleague Hugh Black will reveal some of the latest trial information on cow tracks.

Silage expert and MVF director Steve Edmunds will address the practical problems for farmers and contractors making and managing long chop silage. And improving productivity of red clover swards will be the theme of the talk by Dr Heather McCalman of the IGER Grassland Development Centre.

Each seminar will be followed by question and answer sessions.

Visitors to Grassland UK can attain 2 NRoSO Continuing Professional Development (CPD) points simply by registering at the event. In addition the Show has applied for recognition for BASIS CPD points.

Interest in this specialist show, aimed at farmers and agricultural contractors, is fast and furious with plots, tradestand space and tickets being snapped up.  Further details can be obtained by ringing Show Organiser Rachael Hann at the Showground on 01749 822 200.

Ticket prices £8 in advance or £10 on the gate, and can be booked on the credit card hotline on 01749 822 222. The show runs from 9.30am to 5pm.

The many important historical links between the City of Bath and the Shepton Mallet-based Royal Bath & West of England Society have been highlighted in a new leaflet.

Hailing the project as an example of real partnership between all concerned, Bath’s Mayor unveiled the latest landmark in the Society’s 229 year long history at a special champagne reception in the city of the Society’s birth.

The leaflet contains a wealth of interesting facts and information and solves the frequently asked question – why is the Bath & West called the Bath & West when it is situated 25 miles outside the city?

It had been the long-held dream of the Society’s Library and Archives Committee to answer that question and produce a leaflet outlining and preserving the great historical associations between the city and the Society – but funding was always a major stumbling block.

But this month the dream came true thanks to the support and backing of the Rt Worshipful Mayor of Bath, Coun. Peter Metcalfe, with funding from the City Council’s Charter Trustees and local accountancy firm Tenon.

Long links and associations with many worthy organisations were all part of the historical development of the city, Coun Metcalfe said at the launch of the new leaflet in the magnificent setting of the Mayor’s Parlour at The Guildhall in Bath, where guests included Somerset’s Lord Lieutenant Lady Gass.

He was, he said, absolutely delighted that the City Council had been able to help the Society in getting such an important record of those links produced at long last.

Mr Arthur Davies, chairman of the Society’s Library and Archives Committee, thanked the City Council and the Mayor for their co-operation, help and enthusiasm in bringing the leaflet to fruition.

And he paid particular tribute to the Society’s former honorary librarian for 25 years Philip Bryant, and John Davies, Assistant Secretary of the Society from 1961-73 and its Secretary from 1971-86,   for all their hard work and research to produce its interesting contents. Their mighty task was also helped by the city’s archivist Colin Johnston.

Explained Mr Bryant: “We wanted to demonstrate our pride in the association between this important city and the historic Society.” And he also thanked the Bath printers Ralph Allen Press for all their hard work in helping to produce such an important record of the past which was now preserved for the future.

The Society was founded by Sir Edmund Rack and a group of like-minded erudite and fore-sighted colleagues in 1777 at York House in Bath in 1777 “for the encouragement and improvement of agriculture, arts, manufacturers and commerce.”

Those aims are still very much the foundations of the Society's work today - through its many events, conferences, scholarships and competitions it spearheads, and the tremendous boost it gives the rural economy.

From the Society’s inception scholarships were awarded, lectures organised  on new developments and issues in farming,  prizes given for inventions and innovations and for cheese-making and cider making, floral and horticultural floral exhibits – all still very much the bones of the popular Royal Bath & West Show and the Society’s important work today.

In 1790 it held “a publick exhibition of fat sheep of different lands” in the courtyard of Hetling House in Bath which was the origin of the annual show which now attracts over 150,000 people each year. In the 1850’s it was decided to move the show every year to a different town around the country – so its work and its benefits could be enjoyed by people nationwide.

However the Show returned to its birthplace on several occasions until the permanent base at the Bath & West Showground was found in 1965.

All these links are now recorded for posterity in the leaflet – and to provide interesting information for visitors and tourists to the City.  The leaflet is available from Tourist Information Centres, the City Council and the Society and in hotels in the city.

*The Mayor of Bath is always one of the many VIPs invited to grace the Show with his presence each year. The leaflet also plays tribute to Thomas Ploughman, who, apart from Edmund Rack, was the Society’s most significant and influential Secretary.

In 1912 Thomas Ploughman was both Mayor and Society Secretary at the same time. One of the favourite tales is of him writing an invitation to the Mayor to attend the Show from himself as Secretary from the Society Offices in Pierrepoint Street, and then running round to The Guildhall to reply to it from himself as Mayor and send it back to himself as Secretary! Not many people know that!

Gordon Ramsay has taken up a new challenge – entering into the cut-throat world of exhibiting for the first time.

The mighty master of the kitchen is leaving the pots and pans behind to tackle the rigours of the Royal Bath & West Show. Accompanying him on the path to success in the show world will be his two latest recruits – a couple of perky Berkshire piglets!

Renowned for his culinary expertise and for his acclaimed TV series which include Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares, Hell’s Kitchen and “Gordon Ramsay’s F-Word”, Gordon, who received on OBE for his services to the hospitality industry in this year’s New Year’s honours list, is making his first foray onto the show scene.  And the whole experience will be televised for his F-Word programme and will be televised later in the year!

Gordon spent months doing his homework properly before embarking on becoming a pig exhibitor. He approached several Berkshire pig breeders around the country for advice with a view to him rearing a couple of pigs in his back garden.

He settled on Christine Coe and her husband Kevin Major who run Glebe Farm Berkshires in Warwickshire – one of the largest registered pedigree herds in the UK.

They helped him choose a pair of gilts (girl piglets) born in January. “He was keen to get free range pigs; he came along with his children and chose them, took them back home to London and he and his family have been looking after them ever since in the run-up to the Show” explained Christine.

Gordon will be bringing his latest prodigies along to the Show which takes place at the Bath & West Showground, Shepton Mallet, Somerset from May 31st to June 3rd. And they have been entered in the Exhibitor Judging class in the pig competitions on the final day of the Show.

Added Christine, whose pigs won the awards for Breed Champion and Reserve Inter-Breed Champion at the Show last year: “It has been an exciting experience for us all and it is fantastic for the British pig industry and for the British farming industry in general.”

The Royal Bath & West Show, sponsored by EDF Energy, promises an action-packed four days. New features at this year’s show include a Canoe Village, a Heavy Horse Centre, a unique Sustainability Area and exciting adventure action with the  Bolddog Lings Motorcross Display Team.

Other highlights include the best of British livestock on parade, the return of the wild wolves, Polo, Imagineering and the Orkney Village, the show-stopping Wurzels, the fun, fact-finding Family Trail, the biggest gathering of alpacas outside Peru, the popular Dog Show -  and the chance to savour the very best food and drink.

Show-jumping, over 1,000 tradestands, the Somerset Life Food and Drink Awards, and the magnificent Floral Marquee will all add to the action-packed four days.

All children aged 15and under will be allowed in free of charge to the Show, when the adults accompanying them book their tickets in advance. Each adult saver ticket, price £15, admits two children. However children’s tickets bought at the gate on the days of the Show will still have to be paid for.

Advanced saver tickets can be booked on the credit card hotline on 01749 822 222. Gate Ticket Prices will remain the same as for 2005.

For further details ring the Bath & West Showground on 01749 822 200 or visit  www.bathandwest.com

For further information and pictures please contact:
Fran Weelen, Marketing Department, Bath and West Showground, Shepton Mallet, Somerset
Tel: (01749) 822 213  Fax: (01749) 823 169
e-mail: fran.weelen@bathandwest.co.uk