Torrential downpours on the opening day failed to dampen the spirits of the thousands of eager visitors to this year’s Bristol Flower Show.

But as the weather improved so did the crowds. Over 18,000 people flocked up to Durdham Downs  for the three day event to enjoy a spectacular display of flowers and gardens, plus an action packed programme to entertain the whole family.

Fuchsia growers C S Lockyer from Coalpit Heath, Bristol, and currently nurturing 80,000 fuchsias back home, scooped the top award for the second year running for the best display in the Floral Marquee. John Lockyer who runs the 48 year old firm with his father Stuart, spent 18 hours putting the display together. “It was a great challenge,” said John. “We put a lot of time and effort into it in the hope of repeating last year’s success – and it paid off. We are really delighted.”

Large Gold winners also included Mendip Bonsai Studio from Shepton Mallet,  Pembroke Farm Nursery, Cambridgeshire, for their cactus display, and  Brackenwood Plant and Garden Centre, from Abbots Leigh, Bristol.

It was also a double success story for Doulting vegetable wizard Harry Godden – with an armful of first prizes for his vegetables, including top leeks, carrots, cucumbers, shallots, celery, and cabbage, he won the trophies for Best Exhibit in the Vegetable Section and Best in Show in the Flower, Fruit and Vegetable Marquee. Competitions steward Ray Davey praised the high standards of the produce on display and said entries were 10 per cent up on last year.

And Bernard Fletcher, another green-fingered grower from Coalpit Heath, won a staggering six cups with his flowers in the Flower, Fruit and Vegetable Marquee while  Nigel Perkins from the Alderman Moore Allotments won the trophy for the Best Kept Allotment and the Most Innovative Plot. The Frederick Brown award for the Best First Year Allotment went to Miss Hazel Burston from the Monsdale Drive Allotment. And Talbot Allotments won the Gage Cup for their house display in the Tenth Allotment Fair.

There was also a special award for 92 year old Harry Green from Bower Ashton Allotments – a special certificate from Allotments Manager Steve Clampin commemorating his 60 year long tenancy.

Bristol’s Lord Mayor, Coun Peter Abraham, toured the Show on the opening day and presented the top trophies. Other winners included Mrs Myra Tucker, from Stockwood, Bristol, winner of the Bristol City Garden Challenge Trophy. The competition for the prettiest garden in Bristol was run by the Bristol Evening Post. Readers were invited to send in photos of their gardens for judging.

Judge Mary Popham visited the finalists and selected the winners. She said it was a real pleasure to judge the gardens and meet the owners. "Overall the standard was extremely high.  The quality and range of plants grown was excellent as was the design of each garden.  All the owners displayed an enormous enthusiasm for their plots and obviously spent a lot of time outside in them not only working but relaxing. 
 
“The three gardens were of different sizes and styles which made my job so enjoyable.  One was a small courtyard filled with exotics, some brought in from holidays abroad; the next was a large garden filled with cottage garden plants and vegetables, a real touch of the country in the city; and the last one was of medium size and filled with the most wonderful plants of amazing shapes and textures, with plant treasures around each corner.  It was a real pleasure to visit all the gardens and to meet their owners.  Very well done all of you." 
 
The Lord Mayor presented Mrs Tucker with the Bristol City Garden Challenge Trophy in memory of the late well known Bristol businessman Mr John Burke who was chief executive and vice-chairman of the Bristol and West, and a director and honorary treasurer of the Royal Bath & West of England Society.

Runners-up John Bradfield, from Hotwells, and Audrey Smith, from Kingswood, were presented with pot plants.

Eleven year old Nicole Bakos, from Charlton Road, Bristol, cut short her family holiday in Cornwall to visit the Show and receive her prize for winning the competition to design the front cover the Show programme.

Youngsters from across the city entered the competition and submitted designs commemorating the 200th anniversary of Brunel.  Nicole won a framed print of her picture, plus art materials donated by Bristol Fine Arts for herself and for her new school, Henbury Secondary School. Runners-up in the 11-16 year old category were Melissa Bridges, and Kyle Taffs, also from the former Embleton Primary School.

Winner of the 7-10 year old section was Ethan Gooding (7), of Filton Avenue, Filton, from Shield Road Primary School, and runners up were Katie and Helena from Hotwells Primary School.

Organised jointly by Bristol City Council and the Bath & West Trading Company, the Show was sponsored by Bristol Blue Glass, who donated their beautiful glassware as prizes, Bart Spices who sponsored cookery and herb and spice growing competitions, Bristol-based Bowland Stone who sponsored the garden build competitions and DMG Antiques who sponsored the show programme and had their own marquee at the Show.

Highlights included the magnificent Floral Marquee packed full of spectacular blooms and displays, the fruit flower and vegetable marquee, packed full of competition entries, The Tenth Allotment Fair, and the Summer Show of the South West England District Association of the National Vegetable Society.

Back by public demand were the design and build competitions for gardens, generously sponsored by Bristol-based family firm Bowland Stone. Six glorious gardens created by local companies greeted visitors as they came through the gates.

Winner of the Best Courtyard Garden with a Large Gold Medal, was designer Christine Pritchard and Avon County Landscapes Ltd of Wrington, run by Steve Labbe who once won the cup for the best garden in the Show three years on the trot and was delighted to see the return of the garden competitions which gave him a fourth win.

The other gardens were created by Little Escapes Garden and Build, Greenside Landscaping, Bamboo Garden Design from Redland, Granite in Focus from Radstock, and Bowland Stone.

Bamboo’s woodland sensory garden is being donated to the St Monica Trust, the new Bristol facility for people suffering from dementia which opens in the Autumn.

Another highlight was the Bristol Blue Glass competition to win a garden pot made of sillimanite which attracted great interest. The pot was where molten glass is kept at a constant working temperature of 11000 degrees C inside the furnace. Sillimanite is the last rock to explode during a volcano eruption as it can withstand extreme heat.
The pot was won by Pat Jones from Brislington.

Hundreds of youngsters took part in the Children’s Trail round the show, and the team from Bristol Zoo – complete with tarantula, scorpion and giant African land snails – kept them busy with badge and mask-making.

There was hot stuff from chilli pepper expert Michael Michaud, grower of the infamous Dorset Naga – possibly the world’s hottest chilli - whose informative talk on the varieties of chillies and peppers around the world had people’s eyes watering.

And the English Garden Roadshow team of gardening experts Mary Payne (gardening broadcaster), Jon Wheatley (horticultural judge and winner of 10 successive gold medal wins at Chelsea , Steve Bradley (whose gardening page in The Sun is read by 11 million people around the world) with Viv Verrier joining in on the Sunday and compere Peter Rowell from ITV West tackled all sorts of gardening problems to full houses in the talks marquee.

Other entertainment and action throughout the three days included Bristol Morris Men, Mr Alexander’s Travelling Circus, the Rainbow Steel Orchestra, demonstrations by the Avon Fire and Rescue Service. On Sunday a special thanksgiving service with hymn singing and music from the salvation Army Band was led by the Rev. Canon Christine A. Froude. And an  extra bonus was the Morris Men’s surprise visit to local businessman Derek James, organiser of the English Garden Roadshow, who was forced into an impromptu performance – in full costume – much to the delight of his audiences.

The 62nd Bristol Flower Show was hailed as a great success by organiser Patsy Scadding.   “ The input from our Bristol-based sponsors, competitors and exhibitors of Bristol all helped pull together a really spectacular local event and I am extremely grateful to everyone who supported it and helped make it such a success,” she said. “I hope for continued support for this important event in the city’s entertainments  calendar and I hope it will be even bigger and better next year.”

Dr Jane Guise, chief executive of the Royal Bath & West of England Society, said she and her team were delighted to be involved in the organisation of such a wonderful and age-old traditional community event in Bristol.

The Lord Mayor, in his 40th year of visiting the Show a s a councillor, praised the partnership between the two organisations and said a proper quality show with horticulture at its forefront was an important asset for the city and the whole community.

Help is at hand with a series of free workshops for people in the horticultural and farming sectors in the south west.

A series of one-day workshops – aimed at smoothing the path towards retirement -are currently underway across the region. Taking place from now until mid November  at different venues the “Life After Work Retirement Planning Workshops”  are  particularly aimed at helping people unravel the intricacies of pre-retirement planning.

Run by the Royal Bath & West of England Society in association with the Life Academy (an associated institute of the University of Surrey) and Kingston Maurward College, Dorchester, the workshops are targetted at those people in their early 50s, men, women and young people, either employed or self-employed, and landowners and tenants, including those involved in agri-businesses, nurseries and farms that have diversified into areas such as tourism.

There are two different types of workshops – one for employees and self-employed contractors, and the other for owners and tenants.

The workshops will run from 10.30am to 4.30pm, and include topics such as planning, managing money, transitions, succession planning, related business issues, sustainability in retirement, health, good advice and where to get it, motivation and life planning.

These workshops will help raise awareness and understanding of pre-retirement planning and financial issues, as well as helping those who attend to consider changes in their attitudes, intentions and behaviour so that they can more effectively plan and make
provision for their retirement.  (They will not, however, provide specific individual  financial advice.)

Dates for workshops are:

For employees and self-employed contractors:
Tuesday, October 10th   Clinton Devon Estates Offices, East Budleigh, Budleigh Salterton, Devon
Wednesday, October 11th  Duchy College, Stoke Climsland, Cornwall
Wednesday, October 18th, Kingston Maurward College, Dorchester, Dorset
Wednesday, November 1st   Lackham College, Lacock, Chippenham, Wiltshire
Tuesday, November 7th  Cider Farm Lakes, Dubonni Fruit Farm, Lympsham, Weston-Super-Mare, Somerset


For owners and tenants:
Wednesday, November 8th, Duchy College, Rosewarne, Camborne, Cornwall
Wednesday, November 15th, Exeter Livestock Centre, Matford Park Road, Exeter, Devon
Thursday, November 16th, East Stour Village Hall, Back Street, East Stour, Gillingham, Dorset

The workshops are free, and refreshments and a light lunch are available.
If you wish to know more about the workshops, please contact Charlotte Phelps at the Society’s offices on 01749 822227 or via e-mail: charlotte.phelps@bathandwest.co.uk

Top speakers and topical subjects are on the menu at next month’s Dairy Show.

Farmers Guardian’s  popular Speakers’ Corner is making its first appearance at the Show which takes place on Wednesday, October 4th, at the Bath & West Showground, Shepton Mallet and is likely to be the centre of some lively debate.

Each speaker will talk for 10 minutes on a series of wide-ranging issues, and each talk will then be followed by a question and answer session giving farmers and other visitors at the Show the chance to voice their views.

Speakers include James Duke who will demonstrate his automatic cluster dipping and flushing system, Ian Potter who will be giving his personal views on the milk industry and its future, renowned TB expert Dr John Gallagher and Farmers for Action chairman and founder David Handley.

During the lunch hour,  from 12 noon to 1pm, the Corner is hosting a Milk Forum where three top industry representatives will address the topic of “Milk Pricing – Future Strategies” with audience participation at the end.

Gwyn Jones, chairman of the NFU Milk Committee, will voice his ideas on how milk prices might be lifted, Dairy Crest Milk Purchasing Director Arthur Price will look at prices from the milk processor’s point of view, and John Allen, managing partner in Kite Consulting, who has vast experience in the milk sector working with farmers, processors and retailers, will round off the session.

Also on the menu during the Milk Forum will be pasties, cheese from Westcombe Dairy, and Dry Blackthorn Cider – all free of charge while stocks last!

The action-packed Speakers’ Corner programme runs from 11am to 2pm and there’s also the chance for visitors to enter a competition and win 20 straws of sexed semen from Cogent’s world famous Lucente bull.

Meanwhile Shepton Mallet vet Peter Edmondson, will be giving a talk on “Practical Reduction of Cell Counts” in the Theatre at 12.15pm, highlighting practical measures to reduce and maintain low cell counts. Peter is one of the partners of the Shepton Veterinary Group and has specialised on mastitis and milk quality issues for 20 years and works across the world helping to improve milk quality.

Located in the heart of one of the main dairy regions in the UK, the Show, sponsored by NatWest, Dairy Crest and Farmers Guardian, is recognized as one of the country’s top speciality events for farmers.

This year’s Show features over 360 quality dairy cattle, over 230 tradestands, key players at all levels of the industry, as well as a  wealth of seminars and demonstrations, including tyre baling demonstrations by Thomas & Fontaine Ltd.

Other highlights include the cream of the country’s cattle on parade and the presentations of the coveted Dairy Industry Award to a key player in the industry in recognition of their services to dairying, the South West Dairy Farmer of the Year Award, and the Supreme Cattle Championship.

Full details can be obtained from the Showground on 01749 822200. Save £££s by booking tickets for the Show in advance on the Credit Card Hotline on 01749 822 222. Advanced saver tickets for adults are £8.50 (price on gate £10.00) or £4 for concessions - students, children and senior citizens - (price on gate £5). The ticket hotline closes on September 29th.

Gwyn Jones, Chairman of the NFU Dairy Board will be in the line-up of top speakers at a special NFU Forum at the Dairy Show next week. The NFU Forum on Sustainable Supply Chains is one of the highlights of the Show which takes place at the Bath & West Showground next Wednesday, October 4th, and is sponsored by NatWest and Dairy Crest. The broad thrust of the NFU’s  Producer Forum in the Bath & West Theatre - which is open to all in the industry – not just NFU members) - will be to address how the industry can strive to achieve a sustainable supply chain.  The panel is made up of representatives from all of the key processors and buyers (including Dairy Crest, Frits Thissen, Counsellor for Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality for the Royal Netherlands Embassy, Gwyn Jones, John Alvis, John Cottrell and Will Sanderson, from Milk Link) who will present their views on the question, and then open it up to debate from the floor.  Local farmer David Cotton chairs the event. The aim is to allow farmers to have their say and let their voices be heard, particularly on issues relating to milk pricing. Offering free bacon rolls and coffee, the Forum runs from 10.30am to 12 noon. The Forum will be followed at 12.15pm by a seminar  with Peter Edmondson from Shepton Veterinary Group, who will speak on “Practical Reduction of Cell Counts.” In today's milk market farmers cannot afford to lose any cell count penalties, and so Peter Edmondson's seminar will highlight practical measures to reduce and maintain low cell counts. Peter is one of the partners of the Shepton Veterinary Group and has specialised on mastitis and milk quality issues for 20 years and works across the world helping to improve milk quality. As a practitioner the focus will be on practical measures and the steps that need to be taken to achieve success. Some farmers have been culling and treating high cell count cows without achieving long term success and Peter will explain why this is unlikely to lead to success long term and what action needs to be taken. At the end of the mini seminar, farmers will have a clear detail of how to successfully approach the high cell count herd. Handout material will be provided and Peter will be at the Shepton Veterinary Group stand all day to answer questions or queries relating to mastitis and cell count problems. And more information as well as lively debate is expected at the Speakers’ Corner stand throughout the day, making its first appearance at The Dairy Show, and where speakers include Farmers for Action founder David Handley. View Archived News by Year 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 View current news Subscribe to our Newsletter Email Home Showground News B&W Online Shop Shows & Events Facilities & Services Membership Site Links Trader Login

© 2006 The Royal Bath and West Showground all rights reserved. View our Terms and Conditions. View our Privacy Policy.
This project is supported under the England Rural Development Programme by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the European Agricultural Guidance and Guar

The cream of the country’s cattle will be on parade at The Dairy Show at the Bath & West Showground, with entries acclaimed as “excellent” by organisers.

Entries are well up in all sections with 248 tradestands and 370 cattle, at the Show which takes place on Wednesday, October 4th at the Showground at Shepton Mallet and is sponsored by NatWest, Dairy Crest and Farmers Guardian.

Other highlights include seminars and demonstrations and the presentations of the coveted Dairy Industry Award to a key player in the industry in recognition of their services to dairying, the South West Dairy Farmer of the Year Award, and the Supreme Cattle Championship.

Farmers Guardian’s  popular Speakers’ Corner is making its first appearance at the Show and is likely to be the centre of some lively debate with the line-up of top speakers including Farmers for Action chairman and founder David Handley.

And EBLEX - the English Beef and Lamb Executive - will be demonstrating how dairy farmers can get Better Returns for cull cows at their stand (56b) next to the Mendip cattle building.

“We are very excited about this year’s Dairy Show,” said show manager Alan Lyons this week. “We have great support from tradestand exhibitors and excellent cattle entries proving this is a real hands on dairy cattle show for the dairy farmer seeking advice and information on the techniques and issues of a challenging industry.”

Full details can be obtained from the Showground on 01749 822200. Save £££s by booking tickets for the Show in advance on the Credit Card Hotline on 01749 822 222. Advanced saver tickets for adults are £8.50 (price on gate £10.00) or £4 for concessions - students, children and senior citizens - (price on gate £5). The ticket hotline closes on September 29th.

A pavilion with gifts galore and farm food halls filled with festive fare are among the highlights of the new Christmas livestock show at the Bath & West Showground.

The new Royal Smithfield Christmas Fair offers visitors the opportunity to stock up on presents, sample the very best food around, enjoy a major food challenge featuring the country’s top producers, suppliers and chefs and see the country’s premier primestock on parade -  all at the same time.

Preparations are well underway for the new two day event which takes place at the Bath & West Showground at Shepton Mallet, Somerset on December 1st and 2nd and is jointly organised by the Royal Smithfield Club and the Royal Bath & West of England Society.

The amount of interest in the new event has delighted organisers, and enquiries have been received from all over the country as well as from America and Europe.

This major new agricultural exhibition, centred around the traditional Royal Smithfield Club’s livestock competitions, offers a first class opportunity to showcase the country’s top livestock, and the services and products related to the livestock and meat industry.

The Royal Smithfield Club is supervising the livestock entries while the Society is handling the tradestands, marketing and sponsorship for the new event.  It is not the first time the two historic organisations have worked together. After the Second World War, Society staff in Bath used to help run the Royal Smithfield Show in London right up until the early 1960’s when the Society moved to its present base at Shepton Mallet.

Hotel space is being snapped up across the area by exhibitors and show-goers, many of them taking the advantage of the chance of combining their visit to the show with Christmas shopping and theatre trips in nearby Bristol and Bath.

The prestigious Meat Industry Dinner on the evening of the first day of the Show (Friday Dec 1st) is sponsored by Lloyds TSB Agriculture, and there are several sponsorship opportunities available for businesses. Farmers Weekly is the main media sponsor and there will be seminars, demonstrations and a host of guest speakers as well as butchery displays and The National Festival of Meat Beef Ribs Competition

Another feature of the new show will be The Festive Farm Food Halls, supported by NatWest, promoting meat at the heart of the food chain, to encourage visitors to appreciate all the best that British food producers have to offer and to promote a better understanding of how agriculture contributes to the nation’s health and well-being.

One of the highlights there will be a Festive Farm Food Challnege – which throws down the gauntlet to teams to come up with two recipes – one for a festive buffet lunch and the other for a three course supper. Each team must consist of a farmer or producer who will supply the main ingredient for the recipes, a butcher, fishmonger or game dealer who supplies the farmer or producer’s product to the public, and a chef who is a champion of using local suppliers.

Full details of the challenge can be obtained from Andrew Clune at the Bath & West Showground on 01749 822232, and the closing date for entries is November 1st.

 And as well as presenting a superb Christmas shopping opportunity with festive food and a gift fair in the Avalon Pavilion, there will be a Carol Service to get everyone well and truly into the Christmas spirit.

Tickets for the show can be booked now on the credit card hotline on 01749 822 222. Further information can be obtained from the Bath & West Showground on 01749 822 200 or on the website.

Advanced Saver Tickets are £10 for adults (£15 on the gate), £8 for Concessions and Students (£12 on the gate). There is free entry for children aged 15 and under, and free entry for members of the Royal Smithfield Club and the Royal Bath & West of England Society. The ticket hotline closes on Friday, November 24th.

For tradestand enquiries contact Sandra Collishaw at the Bath & West Showground on 01749 822231.

A working vet, highly acclaimed in the dairy world, and respected by policy makers and dairy farmers alike,  is the winner of this year’s Dairy Industry Award.

The coveted award was presented to Devon vet Dick Sibley in recognition of his contribution to the dairy industry by Dairy Crest chairman Simon Oliver at the prestigious Dairy Industry Dinner at the Bath & West Showground on Tuesday, October 3rd - the night before the Dairy Show.

Mr Sibley, a veterinary surgeon  at the West Point Vet Practice, in Witheridge, Devon, is highly regarded within the dairy sector and was at the forefront of advisors during the Foot and Mouth crisis five years ago.

Predominantly working with dairy farmers and with particular interest in the health, welfare and productivity of cattle, Mr Sibley has over many years been influential to the whole dairy sector in a variety of ways and is widely recognised for his leading roles in promoting herd health planning and disease control programmes.

His expertise and sensible approach to industry issues makes him respected by policy makers and dairy farmers alike, said Mark Allen, Dairy Crest’s executive managing director in his address to the audience which included leading lights from all sectors of the industry.

As well as being a vet, Mr Sibley was former national secretary and the President of the British Cattle Veterinary Association.  As President he was the only practicing vet on the Foot and Mouth Disease Advisory Group set up by the Government as the epidemic got out of control, He was also chairman of the BCVA BSE Group, bringing him into close contact with BSE policy.

He is a former director of the National Dairy Farm Assured Scheme and a current member of the Technical Advisory Committee that sets and reviews standards.

He is a member of the Government Chief Scientific Advisor FMD Group and a member of the DEFRA Bovine TB Forum.

Mr Sibley is creator of the BCVA Herd Health Plan template and software which allows vets to create and maintain farm specific health plans that endeavour to promote best health and welfare alongside efficient production. He has also been the principal trainer of vets (over 750 to date) in the use of this system, and is a current member of the English Implementation group set up to facilitate the delivery of the DEFRA Health and Welfare Strategy.

Mr Sibley has previously been awarded the RASE Bledisloe Award for his outstanding contribution to animal health – mainly for his work on strategies for BSE, TB and FMD; the RABDF Princess Anne Award for contributions to disease control in the dairy sector; and an Honorary Fellowship of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons in recognition of his contributions

The challenge has been thrown to farmers, food suppliers and chefs from across the country to join forces and take part in a brand new competition.

The Festive Farm Food Challenge is one of the highlights of the new Royal Smithfield Christmas Fair which takes place at the Bath & West Showground, Shepton Mallet, Somerset on December 1st and 2nd.

The Challenge is one of the major features of the Festive Farm Food Halls, supported by NatWest, focussing on meat, poultry, fish and game. And £2,000 worth of prize money is available to the main winners.

The competition calls for a farmer, butcher and chef to team up and combine their skills and talents and come-up with a mouth-watering recipe for a festive buffet lunch and a three course supper.

They must also window-dress a stand in the Festive Farm Food Halls, promoting the core ingredients used in the recipes, and providing a list of all ingredients.

All entries must be submitted by November 1st to challenge organiser Andrew Clune at the Bath & West Showground (01749 822 232). The recipes will be scrutinised by a team of top judges before the Fair. Their verdicts, combined with the judging of the entrants’ stands at the Fair, will decide the ultimate winners.  And random recipes will be selected for preparation in the cookery demonstration kitchen at the Fair.

The new Royal Smithfield Christmas Fair offers visitors the opportunity to stock up on presents, sample the very best food around, enjoy the major food challenge and see the country’s premier primestock on parade -  all at the same time.

Preparations are well underway for the new two day event which takes place at the Bath & West Showground at Shepton Mallet, Somerset on December 1st and 2nd and is jointly organised by the Royal Smithfield Club and the Royal Bath & West of England Society.

The amount of interest in the new event has delighted organisers, and enquiries have been received from all over the country as well as from America and Europe.

This major new agricultural exhibition, centred around the traditional Royal Smithfield Club’s livestock competitions, offers a first class opportunity to showcase the country’s top livestock, and the services and products related to the livestock and meat industry.

And as well as presenting a superb Christmas shopping opportunity with festive food and a gift fair in the Avalon Pavilion, there will be a Carol Service to get everyone well and truly into the Christmas spirit.

Tickets for the show can be booked now on the credit card hotline on 01749 822 222. Further information can be obtained from the Bath & West Showground on 01749 822 200 or on www.bathandwest.com

Advanced Saver Tickets are £10 for adults (£15 on the gate), £8 for Concessions and Students (£12 on the gate). There is free entry for children aged 15 and under, and free entry for members of the Royal Smithfield Club and the Royal Bath & West of England Society. The ticket hotline closes on Friday, November 24th.

For tradestand enquiries contact Sandra Collishaw at the Bath & West Showground on 01749 822231.

HRH The Princess Royal will attend the opening day of the new Royal Smithfield Christmas Fair at the Bath & West Showground, Shepton Mallet, Somerset, which takes place on December 1st and 2nd.

The Princess Royal will tour the Fair on the morning of the first day, Friday, and during her visit will present the awards for the Young Farmers’ Cattle and Sheep Classes and their Championship Trophies.

The Princess Royal is Vice-President of  both  the Royal Bath & West of England Society and the Royal Smithfield Club, who have joined forces to organise the new event.

Both organisations are two of  over 200 charities and organisations with which the Princess Royal is associated with in an official capacity.

It will be her third visit to the Showground – as Princess Anne she attended the Royal Bath & West Show as its President in 1986, and she has also attended the Dairy Industry Dinner as its guest speaker.

Dr Jane Guise, Chief Executive of the Royal Bath & West of England Society, said: “We are so delighted that Her Royal Highness  has pledged some of her time in what must be a tremendously busy schedule.  We are establishing a new event, so her visit will help to raise its profile and her willingness to help is seen as a compliment to the meat sector which has lived through such difficult times.”
 
John Coultrip, Chairman of the Royal Smithfield Club said  the Princess Royal has given sterling support to the Royal Smithfield Club's shows in the past. “We are so pleased that she is prepared to continue her involvement at our new venue,” he said.
 
This major new agricultural exhibition, centred around the traditional Royal Smithfield Club’s livestock competitions, offers a first class opportunity to showcase the country’s top livestock, and the services and products related to the livestock and meat industry.

A pavilion with gifts and farm food halls filled with festive fare offer visitors the opportunity to stock up on presents and see the country’s premier primestock at the same time.

The amount of interest in the new event has delighted organisers. Applications for trade stand space  are still pouring in, the machinery hall is full and extra space has been created to meet demand.   Livestock entries have closed with 312 cattle and 206 sheep from 197 exhibitors from all over the country  expected on show.

Hotel space is being snapped up across the area by exhibitors and show-goers, many of them taking the advantage of the chance of combining their visit to the show with Christmas shopping and theatre trips in nearby Bristol and Bath.

Tickets for the show can be booked now on the credit card hotline on 01749 822 222. Further information can be obtained from the Bath & West Showground on 01749 822 200 or on www.bathandwest.com

Advanced Saver Tickets are £10 for adults (£15 on the gate), £8 for Concessions and Students (£12 on the gate). There is free entry for children aged 15 and under, and free entry for members of the Royal Smithfield Club and the Royal Bath & West of England Society. The ticket hotline closes on Friday, November 24th.

For tradestand enquiries contact Sandra Collishaw at the Bath & West Showground on 01749 822231.

Pigs will play their part at next month’s new Royal Smithfield Christmas Fair.

A Pig Demonstration Pavilion will be one of the highlights of the new livestock event which takes place at the Bath & West Showground on December 1st and 2nd.

Featuring 12 different breeds, the pigs will be paraded three times a day with an informative commentary extolling the virtues and uses of the breed. The British Pig Association will be manning a stand. And the popular  Ladies in Pigs will also be there, promoting British Pork and pig products, including cooking with pork and pork sampling.

Show organisers hope that competitive pig classes will be staged in future as part of the Royal Smithfield Club  livestock competitions which form the backbone of the new event.

The pig demonstrations will take place at 11am, 1pm and 3pm.

The pigs’ participation in the show means just under 800 animals – including 312 cattle and 459 sheep from all over the country will be on show at the Royal Smithfield Christmas Fair.

The new event, organised jointly by the Royal Bath & West of England Society and the Royal Smithfield Club, also features the Festive Farm Food Halls, supported by NatWest, and other superb Christmas shopping opportunities including the Christmas Gift Fair.

Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal is attending the Show on the opening day and will be presenting awards.

Support for the new event has poured in from all over the country with great demand for tradestand space and tickets. Hotel space is being snapped up across the area by exhibitors and show-goers, many of them taking the advantage of the chance of combining their visit to the show with Christmas shopping and theatre trips in nearby Bristol and Bath.

Tickets for the show can be booked now on the credit card hotline on 01749 822 222. Further information can be obtained from the Bath & West Showground on 01749 822 200 or on www.bathandwest.com

Advanced Saver Tickets are £10 for adults (£15 on the gate), £8 for Concessions and Students (£12 on the gate). There is free entry for children aged 15 and under, and free entry for members of the Royal Smithfield Club and the Royal Bath & West of England Society. The ticket hotline closes on Friday, November 24th.

For tradestand enquiries contact Sandie Collishaw at the Bath & West Showground on 01749 822231.

The latest situation regarding proposals to redevelop the Bath & West Showground and bring it right into the 21st century was outlined at a top-level meeting last week.

Over 60 people – including Mendip District, Somerset County Council and Rural Development Agency representatives – attended the meeting at the Bath & West Showground on Friday (October 27th) to hear the latest progress on plans for new exhibition halls and a rural business village on the 240 acre site.

Consultants KPMG have been brought in to make the business case for the massive revamp to ensure the showground’s survival and future.  Facilities at the showground are becoming increasingly dilapidated and new buildings are needed to ensure the needs of event organisers and visitors are met for the future.

The facilities are let out all year round to outside event organisers – and those commercial activities help fund the charitable aims of the Royal Bath & West of England Society.

A recent economic impact study showed  that events and other activities at the Shepton Mallet-based Showground generate a massive £164 million per year boost for the rural economy.  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 the 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.

Outlining the proposals Dr Jane Guise, Chief Executive of the Royal Bath & West of England Society, said that new halls with sophisticated facilities to keep pace with demand would provide a new income stream which would generate even more for the rural economy.

With the business case for the programme in place, funding can now be sought from various bodies to make the plans a reality. “This important economic hub needs to be maintained and enhanced.” said Dr Guise.

Lord Cameron of Dillington, Chairman of the Somerset Strategic Business Partnership, said the countryside regeneration for both its economic vibrancy and social agenda. Regeneration of the countryside was vital and new areas of growth must be sought.

The area must have a venue for events which were waterproof and winterproof to attract businesses which would in turn enhance the economy. The Showground would attract top quality businesses – but it needed to be able to offer top quality facilities.

David Clifford, senior partner of KPMG said the task ahead was to reinvent the existing facilities that are tired and turn the showground into a regional and national events centre which will really add something to the national economy.

The Society will now look at the various options put forward by KPMG to fund the scheme.

The Rt Hon Lord King of Bridgwater, Chairman of the Excel conference and exhibition centre  in London and former president of the Society, said it was a “most exciting and unique opportunity  “of a way forward for the Society to secure its future as an organisation which underpinned and encouraged West Country farming.”  Unless the scheme went forward the Society would find it increasingly difficult to survive in the future. It was, he said, “at the tipping point.”

Around the world people were demanding good, modern, efficient conference and exhibition facilities. To have such facilities at the Bath & West would benefit the whole region enormously. 

The Society, he said, was in an ideal situation – it is a charitable Society which already has its own ideal site to operate events from; it has an established share of the events market. It already has a good reputation and therefore it is ready and able to play its part.

And he stressed that the sooner it happened the better. “There is an opportunity here but it needs to be picked up quick,” he said and he offered expertise and advice from Excel. “It would be a tragically lost opportunity to let the Bath & West moulder away and how difficult it would be in 10 or 15 years to get it back.”

There were  better and worse ways of spending public money – far better he said to proceed with the scheme than let the Bath & West “rot away” and become brown land and housing.

Alan Gloak, chairman of Somerset County Council said a large major exhibition and  event centre was desperately needed. And Alan Stone, marketing manager of Old Mill Rural Services, said the redevelopment would be vitally important for the whole of the West Country, socially, economically and culturally.

Paul Buchanan, deputy leader of  Somerset County Council, said they were facing a once in a lifetime opportunity to get a package together to transform the showground and safeguard its viability for the future. And he urged all present to exert their influence to make it happen.

Thousands of farmers across the country are gearing up for the Royal Smithfield Christmas Fair – the exciting new livestock event at the Bath & West Showground next month (Dec 1 and 2).

Just under 800 animals – including 312 cattle and 459 sheep as well as pigs – have been entered for the show at the Showground, at Shepton Mallet, Somerset on December 1st and 2nd chasing over £100,000 pounds worth of prize money and historic, coveted trophies.

This major new agricultural exhibition, centred around the traditional Royal Smithfield Club’s livestock competitions, offers a first class opportunity to showcase the country’s top livestock, and the services and products related to the livestock and meat industry.

The Royal Bath  & West of England Society and the Royal Smithfield Club are working round the clock to produce a first class event. Support for the new event has been “phenomenal” say organisers, with entries from 197 exhibitors from all over the country.

Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal will tour the Fair on the morning of the first day, and will present the awards for the Young Farmers’ Cattle and Sheep Classes and their Championship Trophies.

Tradestands promoting services and products related to the livestock and meat industries include manufacturers of equipment and vehicles and stands featuring tagging, nutrition, financial advice and animal health. There will also be a busy programme of seminars highlighting a variety of topics and pig demonstrations will take place daily.

Hotel space is being snapped up across the area by exhibitors and show-goers, many of them taking advantage of the chance of combining their visit to the show with Christmas shopping and theatre trips in nearby Bristol and Bath.

The prestigious Meat Industry Dinner on the evening of the first day of the Show (Friday Dec 1st) is sponsored by Lloyds TSB Agriculture. The guest speaker will be Baroness Byford DBE, the Shadow Minister for Food and Rural Affairs. During the evening the Royal Smithfield Club Bicentenary Award will be presented – in recognition of an individual or company’s significant contribution for the benefit of the British meat industry. Previous winners include John Thorley, former Chief Executive of the National Sheep Association, in 2002, and Don Curry in 2000. Tickets for the dinner, price £45 each, are available from the Showground office (01749 822 223).

Another feature of the new show will be the Festive Farm Food Halls, supported by NatWest, with plenty of festive food available and food demonstrations throughout the day.

As well as hosting the Festive Farm Food Challenge they will be promoting meat at the heart of the food chain, to encourage visitors to appreciate all the best that British food producers have to offer and to promote a better understanding of how agriculture contributes to the nation’s health and well-being.

And while the country’s premier primestock go on parade, there’s also the chance to stock up with gifts galore for Christmas  in the Avalon Pavilion.

Tickets for the show can be booked now on the credit card hotline on 01749 822 222. Further information can be obtained from the Bath & West Showground on 01749 822 200 or on www.bathandwest.com

Advanced Saver Tickets are £10 for adults (£15 on the gate), £8 for Concessions and Students (£12 on the gate). There is free entry for children aged 15 and under, and free entry for members of the Royal Smithfield Club and the Royal Bath & West of England Society. The ticket hotline closes on Friday, November24th.

Tickets will be available on the gates at the show, which is open from 8.30am to 6pm Friday and Saturday.

Bus shuttle services will be available from and to Bristol International Airport, Bristol Temple Meads Station and Castle Cary Station.

Scottish livestock exhibitors are being encouraged to continue their December foray to the South of England in pursuit of  over £50,000 worth of prize money and valuable trophies at the Royal Smithfield Christmas Fair.

Following Quality Meat Scotland’s announcement of a £1,000 programme to give payments of £20 per beast and £5 per pen of lambs entered into this year’s Royal Smithfield Christmas Fair Competitions, to help with transport costs., the number of entries has soared.

And to make sure that every Scottish exhibitor receives the same support for their entries, well known Borders farmer and livestock buyer, Hugh Veitch, has offered an additional £500 to help fund the array of Scottish challengers attending the new event which takes place at the Bath and West Showground, Shepton Mallet, Somerset on December 1st and 2nd.

The support will help offset the transport costs for farmers bringing their livestock down south to the new event which takes place at the Bath & West Showground, Shepton Mallet, Somerset on December 1st and 2nd.

The Fair – centred round the prestigious Royal Smithfield Club livestock competitions – is being organised by the Royal Bath & West of England Society and the Royal Smithfield Club.

The two day event concludes with a major auction sale, where competition for the champions and class winners is intense.  In 2004 record prices of £16,000 were paid for The Merial Supreme Champion Beast and £1,000 per head for the Supreme Champion Pen of Lambs.

Over 770 of the country’s very best primestock cattle and sheep will be competing with 26 of the 197 exhibitors coming down from Scotland, bringing 55 cattle and 25 sheep entries.

Mr Veitch, a stalwart supporter of the Royal Smithfield Livestock competitions, said he was pleased to be able to help.  He said he has been contemplating sponsoring a class but then decided to pledge support for the transport costs instead  as he felt it would benefit the Scottish exhibitors all round.

Mr Veitch who farms 240 acres in Berwickshire said: “Everyone up here is very positive about the event – it is going to be a brilliant show and we are all looking forward to it.

“This event is very necessary for the good of the livestock and meat industry. It is essential we have a national show.  Smithfield was always looked on as the best – I think this new event will be just as good if not better!”

QMS Chairman Donald Biggar said: “Scotland’s reputation for breeding world class cattle is important for our whole farming industry.

“Scotch Beef has strong links with Smithfield, indeed the Scotch name came from the historical practice of driving Scotch Oxen - down to Smithfield for sale to discerning London consumers. For years the show had prizes for the best Scotch Cattle.

“Supporting Scottish farmers in attending such a high profile show not only respects the historical significance, but helps raise awareness of the high standards of care and attention of not only show animals, but all parts of the Scottish production chain.

“It’s also a good way to highlight the great skill in stock handling and husbandry that has been built up over generations of Scottish farmers.”

In welcoming the extra support, Chairman of Royal Smithfield Club John Coultrip said: “It is marvellous to receive this endorsement for our new event from Scotland, and in particular from Hugh who has been a staunch Smithfield supporter all his life.

“Scottish exhibitors have always been a major part of the Smithfield Show and we hope to see even more at Shepton Mallet on December 1st and 2nd .

Full details of the Show being held at the Shepton Mallet Showground on Friday 1st and Saturday 2nd December are available from The Royal Smithfield Club
Tel: 01225 837904

The show opens from 8.30am to 6pm each day. Advanced Saver Tickets (price £10 for adults, £8 for senior citizens, disabled and students, and free for children and members of the Royal Smithfield Club and the Royal Bath & West of England Society) can be booked now on the credit card hotline on 01749 822 222. For tradestand enquiries and further information about the Show ring the Bath & West Showground on 01749 822 200

Lord Cameron of Dillington, Ilminster, the former High Sheriff of Somerset, is the new President of the Royal Bath & West of England Society.

He took over the reins from The Rt Hon. Lord Waldegrave, PC, DL at the Society’s Council meeting at the Bath & West Showground on Thursday (November 23rd).

Handing over his presidential badge of office Lord Waldegrave paid tribute to his successor as “a major player in the countryside and farming policy and developing the rural economy.” The Society  could not, he said, have a better man at its helm at such an important time in its history.

Presenting him with a commemorative album Mr John Alvis,  member of the Society’s Executive Board, paid tribute to Lord Waldegrave’s tremendous support for the Society during his year in office. His support had been paramount and his presence at the Society’s many events and his skill and  diplomacy much appreciated.

He followed in his late father’s footsteps at a time when the Showground once again faces a new phase – a multi-million pound fund-raising project to finance new exhibition halls and redevelopment at the Showground.

His father, Earl Waldegrave, had been one of the team of leading Society members who spear-headed the Society’s move to a permanent home at the Bath & West Showground in the mid-sixties.

Lord Waldegrave, of North Hill, Chewton Mendip said he had very much enjoyed his year in office and that it had been a privileged and a pleasure for him to hold the presidential office his father had held before him

Lord Ewen Cameron runs the Dillington Estate in Somerset.  He was founding chairman of Orchard Radio (1989-99) and chaired Lets Go Travel Ltd (the South-West travel chain) (1998-2006).  He currently chairs an internet travel company called Airport Direct Travel.

Lord Cameron is a former Chairman of the Countryside Agency (1999-2004) and was the Prime Minister’s Rural Advocate (2000-2004).  He was President of the Country Landowners Association (1995-97) and has lobbied on behalf of the countryside for many years.  He was knighted for services to the countryside in 2003.  He currently represents rural interests as a crossbencher in the House of Lords and also chairs the Somerset Strategic Partnership.

Lord Cameron, who has been a member of the Society’s Council for nearly 25 years, said he was looking forward to a busy year in office and would continue to promote the regeneration process underway at the showground to ensure it had first class all year round income-earning facilities.

The environment and renewable energy areas at the Royal Bath & West Show were also extremely important areas and needed to be expanded, he said, and he looked forward to them becoming permanent features of the showground along with the new Royal Smithfield Christmas Fair becoming a permanent feature in the Society’s calendar.

The success of the event was so phenomenal that jubilant organisers announced at its close that it would be a firm annual date in the Bath & West calendar. This means that the prestigious  Royal Smithfield Club’s livestock competitions are once again back as a major annual event.

Said Geoff Burgess,  Chief Executive of the Royal Smithfield Club: “It has been a fantastic event – and the numbers of visitors have far exceeded our expectations. We were hoping for about 10,000 but to get 15,000 is really brilliant and the atmosphere has been amazing.”

Mr Burgess said the 459 sheep and 312 cattle entries from across the country and Ireland were the same number as when the competitions were held in 2004 at Earls Court. Support from livestock and tradestand exhibitors had been stalwart – interest in the show had been so great that an extra marquee had had to be added to cope with demand as bookings for space poured in.

He added that the prices at the auction of the animals  at the close of the show had held comfortably above the market price – an important factor for all shows.

“The fact that everyone involved has backed our move here is really great and the support from the livestock and trade exhibitors has been amazing. We will be back here next year and it will be an annual event – a cracking livestock event!”

Show manager Alan Lyons said: “I am extremely proud of all the Royal Bath & West staff who worked so hard in the last seven months to deliver this superb event. We thoroughly enjoyed working with the Royal Smithfield Club and feel we have made friends for life.

“The exhibitors who came from across the United Kingdom were impressed with the “West Country” welcome and the facilities here at the Showground. It has been a great moment in the history of the Royal Bath & West of England Society and we look forward to building on the success of this event for an even better Christmas Fair in 2007.”

The Royal Bath and West of England Society has launched a package of additional membership benefits for farmers.

The new package of extras was launched at the prestigious Royal Smithfield Christmas Fair where 10 farmers eagerly joined up.

In addition to the ‘normal’ membership package, farmers will be entitled to:

• Invitation and free entry to all of the Society Winter Conferences.
• Free general telephone and signposting advice.
• Discounted detailed consultancy.
• Free Cross Compliance Year Planner
• Twice yearly newsletter.

All of these benefits are obtainable for an additional annual payment of £30 to the normal membership fee of £50 /year.

Dr Jane Guise, Chief Executive of the Royal Bath and West Society said: “The provision of these additional benefits for farmers is consistent with the Society’s aims to promote and support the rural economy as a whole and agriculture in particular.   Whilst the outlook for farming is beginning to look more optimistic,  incomes remain low and farmers need help to develop and plan the way forward.  The team of agricultural and rural advisers is well equipped to do just that.

“The Society has a long history in helping and supporting agriculture and the provision of these additional membership benefits is another way in which the Society can carry on this tradition, and more importantly, help farmers in these changing and challenging times”.

For details of the membership package ring Membership Secretary Alison Fox on 01749 822238.

There will be something for everyone again at this year’s Royal Bath & West Show – and once again children can get in free when adult tickets are bought in advance.

Preparations are well underway for the South West’s biggest and best agricultural show which last year enjoyed glorious sunshine and plenty of action which brought in record crowds of over 163,000 – resulting in the highest attendance for 28 years.

This year’s highlights will include the Dog Show – bigger and better than ever before – which will be a Premier Open Show with selected Best of Breed winners qualifying for Crufts 2008.

Main ring action includes the Army Air Corps Blue Eagle Display Team and the Band of the Royal Signals.

There are extra show-jumping classes, the Inter Hunt Relay is back plus a special pageant is being staged to mark the 60th anniversary of the British Horse Society. The Alpaca classes have been extended to run over three days instead of one and a half – making the show the venue for the largest gathering of alpacas outside Peru

Last year’s popular Sustainability Area has been expanded into an exciting new Eco-Zone, focussing on wind, solar, biomass, biofuel, construction and green consumables - and there is also a sustainable transport challenge and parade featuring vehicles which derive their power from renewable energy.

French ornithologist Christian Moullec who held the crowds spellbound at last year’s Show with his incredible display of geese flying in formation behind his microlight makes a welcome return.

Canoeing, the Heavy Horse Centre, the action-packed Imagineering Fair, the wild wolves, Wookey Hole’s dinosaurs and the Orkneys are also all back by public demand, and with over 1000 tradestands, the very best of food and drink on offer and the country’s finest livestock on parade the show is not to be missed.

For full details check out the website on www.bathandwest.com or ring the Bath & West Showground on 01749 822 200.

Advanced saver tickets are available now on the credit card hotline on 01749 822 222, price £16 for adults or £13 for senior citizens and concessions.

Each adult saver tickets allows two children aged 15 and under into the show for free.

On the gate  prices are £20 for adults, £16 for senior citizens and concessions, £6 for children or £42 for a family ticket for two adults and three children.

The Royal Bath & West of England Society has taken the bold step to be the first agricultural showground in the country to showcase products and ideas focussing on sustainable living and technology.

A unique sustainability area was piloted at the Royal Bath & West Show last year, and received immense support from a broad range of businesses and interest from the 164,000 visitors who attended. The new ‘Eco-Zone’ has been created as a result and is set to be a strong attraction. Designed to cover a broad spectrum of issues, the Zone will feature six key areas: wind, solar, biomass, biofuel, construction and green consumables.

EDF Energy is once again the Show’s main sponsor, and the company has also pledged its continued support this year for the exciting and educational initiatives within the Eco-Zone.

The ‘Eco-Zone’ is designed to raise awareness about sustainable living and the need for each individual to consider their own daily impact on the environment. An Advice Centre will provide information about the practical steps visitors can take to reduce their carbon emissions.

The Show is designed to be an enjoyable experience, so the ‘Eco-Zone’ has been devised to reflect this, offering inspiration and entertainment in addition to hands-on guidance. Initiatives such a parade featuring vehicles which derive their power from sustainable energy will also draw attention.

Exhibitors are coming from all over the country to promote the very best renewable and sustainable energy practices within the Eco-Zone. The Society’s long term plan is to make it a permanent all year round feature at the Showground and it has joined forces with the Renewable Energy Foundation to help develop the project.

The Royal Bath & West Show attracts visitors from around the world, and is therefore seen as the perfect platform to campaign for a sustainable future, spreading the message to a wide audience including people of all ages and all walks of life. The Show takes place at The Bath & West Showground, at Shepton Mallet, Somerset from May 30th to June 2nd.

The event is a showcase for all aspects of country life and visitors enjoy an educational, fun and diverse day out.

For further details about the Eco-Zone please ring Kristen Thorpe on 01749 822 211

For tickets to the show, please ring the ticket card hotline on 01749 822 222 or for further information please contact: 01749 822 200

Sweet success and a lonely, unclaimed top trophy await Cornish honey-makers and beekeepers at this year’s Royal Bath & West Show.

The gauntlet has been thrown down to them to enter the Show’s Bees and Honey competitions and compete for the prestigious “Cornwall Bee Keepers Association Challenge Cup.”

The beautiful silver rosebowl, first awarded in 1949, has remained on the Bath & West Showground’s shelves – unwanted and unwon - for as many years as show organisers can remember.

It used to be vigorously competed for in the years when the Royal Bath & West Show moved to a different venue around the country each year – Plymouth, Truro, and Falmouth were regular ports of call. It made its final excursion to Cornwall in 1955 when it was held in Launceston.

But since the Show moved to its permanent home at the Bath & West Showground in 1965 the number of exhibitors and visitors making the grand trek up from Cornwall has tailed off.

Now keen beekeeper Mrs Gillian Searle, editor of the Cornwall Beekeepers Association’s monthly magazine, has issued the challenge to her 200 strong membership, urging them to enter this year’s bees and honey classes at the Show and compete for the trophy that is rightfully theirs.

“No-one has won this trophy for as long as I can remember,” said Mrs Searle, who lives in Bodmin. “I know people might feel it is now a long way to travel up to the Show from Cornwall but I think it is a tragic shame that no-one from Cornwall competes for this beautiful trophy anymore.”

Mrs Searle hopes her appeal will jar Cornish people’s memories and get them buzzing up the A30 with their entries for this year’s Show which takes place at the Bath & West Showground, Shepton Mallet, Somerset, from May 30th to June 2nd.

The Cornwall Bee Keepers Association Challenge Cup is awarded to the resident member of the Cornwall Bee-Keepers’ Association who notches up the most points  in classes for light, medium, dark and set honey.

It is just one of hundreds of trophies and prizes competed for each year at the show which attracts over 10,000 entries from all over the country for classes ranging from art and alpacas, to shoeing and steam engines.

Fun for all the family is promised at the south west’s biggest and best agricultural show, sponsored by EDF Energy, with action and entertainment galore and over 1,000 tradestands and 2,000 of the country’s finest livestock expected on parade.

Full details of all the competitions can be obtained from the Bath & West Showground on 01749 822200 or visit the website on www.bathandwest.com  where closing dates can be found and where entry forms and schedules can be down-loaded.

And for all those eager Cornish beekeepers spurred on by Mrs Searle’s challenge, and beekeepers everywhere – a gentle reminder that the closing date for bees and honey entries is April 3rd.

You’ve made it - the rest of us want to see it.

That’s the message going out from Royal Bath & West Show organisers as entries for this year’s popular Village Hall Competitions start to pour in.

From the juiciest jams to the nattiest knitwork, the call has gone out to would-be competitors to step forward and show off their talents in the Village Hall on the Village Green at this year’s Show which runs from May 30th to June 2nd at the Bath & West Showground, Shepton Mallet, Somerset.

Classes range from handicrafts and crafts, cookery, photography, knitting and patchwork to  pizzas, pickles and dressed teddy bears.  There are three special classes for children, and for clubs there is the “Show Time from the Theatre” craft class, and “A Taste of Europe” cookery class. Entry is free for all the classes.

The Bath & West team of Livestock and Entries Officers are looking forward to the usual high standard of entries from those culinary wizards and nimble-fingered knitters from all over the area who want to show off their skills.  And the more classes they enter the more cash prizes they can win. 

The closing date for entries in the Village Hall Competitions has been extended to April 3rd. And if anyone has lost their entry form there are plenty more available at the Bath and West Showground on 01749 822 209.

Meanwhile the closing date for entries for the Dairy Produce classes, sponsored by Pilgrims Choice, has also been extended until April 18th. Entries in this year’s art exhibition  look set to burst through the records book.. The closing date for art is March 29th. And keeping neck and neck with art are the entries for horses – Horses and Donkeys classes close on April 3rd and the Show Jumping classes close on May 2nd.

The closing dates for other classes at the Show are: Cattle, Pigs, Alpacas, Sheep & Goats, Junior Section Calf Show 2nd April; Bees & Honey, Shoeing, and Floral Art 3rd April; Poultry & Eggs 16th April; Orchards & Cider, and Wrought Iron 18th April
Terriers 1st May; YFC Stock Judging 8th May; and Sheep Shearing 23rd May. Schedules are available for down-loading on the show website: www.bathandwest.com

Fun for all the family is promised at the south west’s biggest and best agricultural show, sponsored by EDF Energy, with action and entertainment galore and over 1,000 tradestands and 2,000 of the country’s finest livestock expected on parade.

Full details can be obtained on 01749 822 200,or book advanced saver tickets now on the credit card hotline on 01749 822 222.