What a show!!
With advance ticket sales going like hot cakes right up to the Friday afternoon deadline, the 2011 Newark & Nottinghamshire County Show (14 and 15 May) proved to be all that it promised – a great day out for all the family.
Visitor numbers were well up on 20101 and the atmosphere around the showground was described as ’terrific’ by both organisers and those who came through the gate.
The inaugural Farriers’ Competition was a tremendous hit with visitors flocking round to watch skilled craftsmen at work while food lovers were attracted like bees round a honey pot to the ’Love Food Hate Waste’ campaign leader, celebrity TV chef, Richard Fox, who was demonstrating his inimitable style of cooking in the George Stephenson Exhibition Hall.
Over 1,200 animals were entered in the livestock show – a year on year increase – with pigs flying high. Nearly 150 of them were on show and Chief Pig Steward Des Allen commented: "The standard was very high, it was a good entry with thirteen different breeds". Des’s comments were endorsed by local pig producer Richard Blant: "I haven’t seen such an excellent display since the heyday of the [now defunct] Royal Show".
On the business side of the show, first-time exhibitors Porsche were delighted with the response to their range of vehicles and have confirmed they will definitely be back in 2012. Over at the t.i.m. Commercial Vehicle2 stand, interest in Isuzu vehicles resulted in a sale and promising leads that will, according to Paule Marriott, PA to the company’s Chairlady and Managing Director, ’almost certainly lead to sales’. "This was our first time at the Newark & Nottinghamshire County Show and we are very, very, pleased with the result," said Paule the day after.
In the Trade Stand competition, the Young Farmers Club was runner-up in their class to the highly professional Co-operative Village. The latter stand also took ’Best in Show’ with Wheal Rose (Countryside Area) taking second place. Other winners of note were J W Squires (agricultural stands) and John Sault in the Food Hall.
Newark & Nottinghamshire Agricultural Society chief executive Adrian Johnston said: "The show produced a brilliant atmosphere and once online advance sales had closed, the phones didn’t stop ringing for three days with people wanting to buy tickets. Such was the demand that we almost doubled our membership, which offers multiple benefits.
"One of the more special moments occurred on Sunday afternoon when Service to Agriculture Medals and Long Service (Single Farm) Awards were presented by the show’s President, Tony Strawson, in the main arena. The twenty-four recipients represented a massive 967 years of loyal work to the agricultural industry. At the opposite end of the scale were the Educational Grants; a total of £5,500 has been awarded to six Brackenhurst agricultural students to help further their studies. Two of the students, brothers John and Craig Voce, were stewarding at the show for the first time and thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
"I would like to thank each and every one of our 48 sponsors – without them we could not run the show. Nor could we run it without our fantastic volunteers; the Flower Marquee in particular was a tremendous tribute to Jill Lewis and her organising committee. The permanent team at the showground also put in an amazing effort over the two days which are, in effect, the culmination of twelve month’s planning".
