Spring Countryside Show 2024

North Dorset’s Turnpike Showground, SP7 9PL

Race you to the Spring Countryside Show! Celebrate rural life with racing pigs, comedy car acts, equestrian displays, exciting dog shows, free tractor rides, interactive farm exhibits, local crafts and lots of local food and drink. Join us June 8th and 9th at Turnpike Showground!

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Dingle Fingle’s Clown Town Crime Watch

Join Dingle Fingle as he goes undercover on the relentless pursuit of Slippery Sid the classic car thief

What not to miss!

The G&S team have put their heads together and picked some of their favourite attractions throughout the show

Eat for a fiver!

Helping your ‘big day out‘ budget go further – lots of our food stands will feed you for £5

Meet one of the world’s leading landscape photographers

The man behind LPOTY, Charlie Waite is in demand world-wide for his photography talks – we’re thrilled to have him at the show

Come for a goat cuddle

Come and meet Lil and her kids ‘because they just love people’, plus Dancer and Peanut the ponies, and have a go at some fun craft too

Map and Timetables

Save the map so you can find what you’re looking for, and keep an eye on the timetable for your day so that you don’t miss anything!

It all starts with the car park

Our Shows could not happen without our army of volunteers – we spoke to Jake Sheen and Tom Milligan to find out why they do it

Dingle Fingle’s

Clown Town Crime Watch

Dingle Fingle is an undercover policeman, and he’s on the relentless pursuit of Slippery Sid the classic car thief. Slippery Sid has been selling classic cars, having rigged them up to break down so he can steal them from underneath their owner’s noses. YOU are the Clown Town Crime Watch – and Dingle Fingle needs your help…

Dingle Fingle headlines the Spring Countryside Show

Prepare for a spectacle of slapstick, stunts, and high-speed thrills at this year’s Spring Countryside Show, where the main arena attraction will be none other than the extraordinary clown, Dingle Fingle. This undercover policeman will be hot on the heels of Slippery Sid, a notorious classic car thief, in a performance packed with classic Keystone Cops antics, guaranteed to entertain the entire family!

Despite having no prior performing experience, Dingle Fingle competed against more 300 clowns to secured a spot in the first-ever UK clown course, guided by legendary figures OBE Norman Barrett and Tommy Fossett, aka Grimble the Clown.

On the streets

Dingle Fingle’s determination to clown professionally led him to Gandeys Circus, where he started by shovelling poo as a stable boy and ultimately becoming lead clown, known in the circus as the Principal Joey. But his time at Gandeys Circus was just the beginning – with the circus sawdust firmly in his veins, he performed with the European Circus Monte Carlo in Oman, before deciding to find a new challenge – on the streets of Covent Garden he developed a successful street show, and went on to secure a long term contract clowning with Chessington World of Adventures.

A Family Man

Despite his busy professional life, Dingle Fingle cherishes his role as a devoted husband and father, balancing the travelling and performing with his responsibilities as a house husband to his two children.

Dingle Fingle’s dedication and talent have

earned him numerous accolades, including the prestigious London 2010 Children’s Entertainer of the Year award. With over 30 years of experience entertaining children with his blend of clowning, slapstick, magic, mime, juggling, unicycling, balloons, and audience participation, he remains a beloved figure in the world of children’s entertainment.

‘Don’t miss the chance to witness Dingle Fingle in action at the Spring Countryside Show. Join him as he outwits Slippery Sid in a thrilling Rural Arena attraction that promises laughter, excitement ... and a LOT of audience participation!

Dimgle Fingle’s Clown Town Crime Watch is the UK’s ONLY Comedy Car Act & Slapstick Stunt Show!

The G&S insider’s guide on what not to miss!

We spoke to the G&S show team to get the inside track on the Spring Countryside Show – here’s their top tips on what not to miss this year when you dare to move away from the Rural Ring:

The Heavy Horse Village

Meet the shire horses, talk with their owners, discover the details of show preparation, ask any questions you might

Have a go at archery with Purbeck Archers – next door to the Farmyard Area

have, and then watch them plait and harness the horses ready for competition time.

In the Potting Shed

BBC Gardener’s World presenter Jane Moore will be in The Potting Shed talking about Planting for Wildlife on Sunday at 2pm. Renowned landscape photographer Charlie Waite will be inspiring audiences with his ‘just try it’ philosophy on outdoors photography at 10am on Saturday.

David Usher, Head Gardener of the worldrenowned Lutyens and Jekyll formal garden at Hestercombe for almost 20 years, will be talking ‘Something Old, Something New’ at 2pm on Saturday.

Meet the animals

Head to the Farmyard Area, where you’ll

The Spring Countryside Show has something for everyone – with amazing acts to watch, animals to meet, live entertainment, plenty of activities for the kids plus trade stands and food stalls, the whole family is guaranteed to have a blast.

find rare breed goats, friendly sheep and can even handle the chicks.

Entertain

D’Ska Assassins will be on stage at 15:40 on Saturday – guaranteed to get the audience up singing and dancing, they’re an exciting six piece, up-tempo Ska band performing a mix of classic ska covers

and originals. Ska music is dance music! And yes, there’s a full bar alongside the music stage too!

The ‘Have A Go’ Marquee

This is your chance to try a variety of crafts and skills, with the help of our resident experts. Make a coin pendant with A Pretty Penny, needlefelt a bear brooch with Furzies,

try sand art with Marlowes Makes, or maybe pottery painting with Sophie’s Ceramics

The Dogwise Ring

See the demonstrations of gun dog work, fitpaws, agility, scentwork and obedience. There will also be a fun dog show, and taster sessions for agility, so be sure to bring your own doggo!

Meet the smallest sheep in the world!

The Ouessant sheep is a rare heritage breed originally from the island of Ouessant in Brittany. They are renowned for their character, their hardiness ... and for the fact that they are the smallest naturally-occurring breed of sheep in the world!

They are an intelligent, inquisitive and gentle breed – and they are apparently absolutely full, of character (we think the picture says it all!). The rams have impressive, outward turning horns and ewes are polled (do not have horns). Ouessants are typically far friendlier than other primitive breeds of sheep: they are easy to tame and they can make excellent pets. Stephanie Nice will be in the Farmyard Area with some of her flock on Saturday 8th – do come along and meet them!

Don’t miss the beautiful Liberty Routine of Trigger, Trampus, Dule and Sonny: both days in the Rural Ring.

Don’t miss the boys! ...

We’re thrilled to welcome circus performer Amanda Sandow to the Spring Countryside Show, with her ‘boys’, her beautiful miniature spotted ponies. Amanda comes from a long line of performers – she can trace her circus family back to the Yieldings and the Fossetts in the 17th Century. She has performed most acts in the circus ring, from flying trapeze to wire walking on

stilts, but her true love has always been horses and ponies. Her ‘boys’, as Amanda calls them, are sure to capture the hearts of everyone at the show with their charm and characterful personalities as Trigger, Trampus, Dule and Sonny perform their Liberty Act.

• See Amanda and the ponies in the Rural Ring on both days at 10am, 1.30pm and 4.15pm

Eat for a fiver!

At the Spring Countryside Show, we understand that a family day out at the show might be a lot for some family budgets. To ensure everyone enjoys their time, we’ve arranged for a wide variety of our food traders to offer delicious meals for just £5 – it might be a portion of cheesy chips, or it might be a bacon roll and a drink. But there should always be something available to you when you get to the front of the queue!

The team have worked hard behind the scenes to ensure your visit is as affordable as possible – our goal is to provide a diverse selection of tasty, budget-friendly options so that every family can savour the day to the fullest, and spend the whole day exploring all the wonderful attractions our show has to offer!

Food stands in the ‘Eat For A Fiver’

• Capital Caterers

• Oz Catering

• Original Pasty Company

• Dorset Farm Foods

• Taste of the Wild

• The Curry Man

• Hidden Pizza

• Marie’s Cakes

Charlie Waite

Once seen, Charlie Waite’s photography is rarely forgotten. His style is perhaps a natural result of his theatrical roots –every image a scene patiently crafted, a set design, where light and shadow

are carefully composed to balance and expose. There is an essence of deep stillness which pours from every frame, as Charlie finds the quiet beauty in even the stormiest of scenes.

Buttermere II, Cumbria by Charlie Waite: ‘It was something of a game between me and the clouds as, for nearly an hour, they conspired to deny me the stab of light that I wanted. Finally, for a mere few seconds, the tree acquired its deserved nobility and stature as the sun honoured it with oblique, early warm autumnal light.

Shangri-La, Yunnan, China by Charlie Waite ‘I was thankful for the soft drizzle which diffused what would have otherwise been a non-descript background.’

As one of the world’s leading landscape photographers, Charlie’s career has included solo exhibitions at top venues in the UK, the USA and Japan, countless awards, and he is a sought-after speaker, frequently invited to share his insights on landscape photography all over the world.

‘We left London when our daughter was eight, moving here to Dorset. And it’s a neverending relationship, it’s just wonderful. I’ll look along a lane less than two miles from here, and think “I’ve never been up there! Oh my word. Look at that beautiful land shape. Look at that line of bushes. How could that have been here all this time?”

‘And then within the first few weeks of being here, Dorset says “oh, by the way, I’ve got a nice coast as well.” And all of a sudden, there’s this mind blowing cliff. I think I’m in a state of permanent wonder. Heaven. It’s an extraordinary county. But I’m still learning. I’m still discovering. Dorset never ends. I relish it all the time.

‘And you can be so brilliantly alone in Dorset. There’s so many silent places. I can go with

‘I’m obsessed with landscape photography, but also the natural world. I go on and on about it. It’s not just “taking a shot”. It’s the entire, huge production. The camera’s a wonderful conduit to get closer to nature. Because you notice everything.

‘Most of us say “Oh, lovely! A rainbow.” And off you go. ‘But hold on a minute. It’s a rainbow. I mean, just think about that. It’s a RAINBOW! And that’s a snail! And

LOOK at the shape of this cloud! That’s what I’m like all day long. I’m absolutely obsessed.’

Charlie Waite

my camera and be there for four or five hours. There’s a place near Mere – I never knew they would be available to me. And it’s just six miles away. I usually set off in the rain – after the rain, the light is incredible for about three to four minutes. That moment the rain has passed, it’s impossible to believe the quality of the light. There’s a tiny window of clarity … and then it’s gone. ‘In 2007 I thought it be great if we found a way to use the camera to celebrate our amazing landscapes, and I managed to launch Landscape Photographer of the Year, which went on to become one of the world’s most prestious photography competitions.’

We’re genuinely thrilled and honoured that when we asked Charlie – a Gillingham resident – if he’d be part of the G&S shows this year, he said yes!

It’s a terrific opportunity to hear one of the world’s most sought-after photographers speak – Charlie is known for his warmth and humour, and he takes the audience on

a colourful and highly illustrated journey around the world. At the Spring Countryside Show, he’ll be sharing insights into the art of landscape photography, his passion for the natural world, and the stories behind his most iconic images.

It’s a Must Not Miss event for photography enthusiasts and nature lovers alike.

• Catch Charlie’s talk at 10am on Saturday in The Potting Shed

We left London and moved to Dorset in the 80s. It’s an extraordinary county. Heaven. And you can be so brilliantly alone in Dorset. There’s so many silent places. I can go just a few miles from my house with my camera and be there for four, five hours, still and quiet. I usually set off in the rain – after the rain, the light is incredible for about three to four minutes. That moment the rain has passed, It’s impossible to believe the quality of the light. There’s a tiny window of clarity … and then it’s gone.

Charlie Waite

Autoire, France by Charlie Waite ‘Nostalgia and sorrow came to my mind when I arrived here. Splatterings of orange lent a little warmth to a brutally cold Christmas Day morning.’

Come for a goat cuddle

Tokes Farm Education is a local land-based learning centre and family-run farm.

‘Dad is an organic dairy farmer – he’s farmed the Wardour Estate for 40 years, and I basically had an idyllic childhood growing up on the farm,’ says Lily McClleland, founder of Tokes Farm Education. ‘I went into teaching, but I had a dream of bringing farming and education together. It turns out it’s much harder than it sounds!’

Tokes Farm is an education smallholding, where every part is educationally purposeful. There is a market garden which supplies the farm shop as well as local independent outlets like Compton McRae in Semley and Providence in Tisbury. Any surplus is given

to the community fridge in Shaftesbury.

But it’s also a valuable teaching resource, along with the flock of sheep, the pigs, chickens and goats.

The site works with local schools and home education groups as well as offering holiday clubs. They are also an alternative education provision, providing regular sessions or day release for those children and young people who are struggling within the school system.

‘We’re all about connecting with the land – helping disconnected kids and young people understand where food comes from.

But there’s also a huge mental health and wellbeing aspect – we strongly believe that providing access to the land for purposeful

Lily McClleland (right) is the founder of Tokes Farm Education

processes is incredibly beneficial. In a world so filled with both technology and stress, it’s just good for the soul. We’ve been going five years now, and it’s amazing to have come so far. We’re really beginning to understand the power of what we do – watching the kids thrive is just astonishing.’

Come and meet Lily and her team at the show. They’ll be bringing Lil and her kids ‘because they just love people’. Dancer and Peanut the ponies will also be there, and there’ll be Tokes Farm creative workshops: ‘Everyone can have a go at some fun crafts like whittling,’ says Lily. ‘We encourage everyone to stop by, have a chat, and don’t miss out on having a goat cuddle!’

• tokesfarm.org

‘It’s amazing to see the kids thrive – we’re just beginning to understand the power and potential of what we’re doing.’

PUBLIC CAR PARK

RURALRING

TRADERS & MEMBER’S

CAR PARK

PUBLIC CAR PARK

TRACTOR

RURAL RING

10:00 Amanda Sandow’s Spotted Ponies

10:30 Terrier Racing

11:15 Dingle Fingle’s Clown Town Crime Watch

12:00 Racing Pigs

12:45 Heavy Horse Display

13:30 Amanda Sandow’s Spotted Ponies

14:00 Terrier Racing

14:45 Dingle Fingle’s Clown Town Crime Watch

15:30 Racing Pigs

16:15 Amanda Sandow’s Spotted Ponies

AXEMEN’S RING

10:30 Timber Demonstration

14:30 Timber Demonstration

HEAVY HORSE VILLAGE

10:00 Meet the Horses

10:30 Plaiting

11:00 Leg & Body washing

11:30 Show Preparation Demonstration

12:00 Harnessing

13:30 Open Village - your chance to get up close to the horses

14:00 Plaiting

14:30 Harnessing

15:00 Question Time

16:00 Feeding & Open Village

DAY 1 8th June

MUSIC STAGE

10:00 Charlie Greenwood

11:10 Set Ready 12:40 Belle Street Duo

14:00 Monkey Touch 15:40 D’Ska Assassins

POTTING SHED

10:00 Charlie Waite - Having a Go 11:30 Geoff Hobson - Bonsai Basics

13:00 TBC

14:00 David Usher - ‘Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue’

DOGWISE AGILITY RING

11:00 Gun Dog Demo

11:45 Fitpaws Demo 12:30 Agility Demo & Races

12:00 Racing Pigs

13:00 Scentwork Demo

13:15 Obedience to Music Display Team

13:30 FUN DOG SHOW! The Loveliest Lady The Handsome Fella Best Rescue Dog

14:30 Obedience to Music Display Team

15:00 Beginners Agility Sessions (Pre Booking on the day)

Don’t Miss Demonstations in our Working Steam area, trying your hand at Crafts in the Have a Go Marquee, or Tractor & Trailer rides!

Please note timings subject to change

RURAL RING

10:00 Amanda Sandow’s Spotted Ponies

10:30 Terrier Racing

11:15 Dingle Fingle’s Clown Town Crime Watch

12:00 Racing Pigs

12:45 Heavy Horse Display

13:30 Amanda Sandow’s Spotted Ponies

14:00 Terrier Racing

14:45 Dingle Fingle’s Clown Town Crime Watch

15:30 Racing Pigs

16:15 Amanda Sandow’s Spotted Ponies

AXEMEN’S RING

10:30 Timber Demonstration

14:30 Timber Demonstration

HEAVY HORSE VILLAGE

10:00 Meet the Horses

10:30 Plaiting

11:00 Leg & Body washing

11:30 Show Preparation Demonstration

12:00 Harnessing

13:30 Open Village - your chance to get up close to the horses

14:00 Plaiting

14:30 Harnessing

15:00 Question Time

16:00 Feeding & Open Village

DAY 2 9th June

MUSIC STAGE

10:00 The 2 Hats Busking Band

11:10 Lizzie

12:30 Mustang Sally 15:00 Loose Connections

POTTING SHED

10:00 TBC 11:30 Sally Nex - Plastic Free Gardening

13:00 Paul Williams - Big Yellow Garden Project

14:00 Jane Moore - Planting for Wildlife

DOGWISE AGILITY RING

11:00 Gun Dog Demo

11:45 Fitpaws Demo 12:30 Agility Demo & Races

12:00 Racing Pigs

13:00 Scentwork Demo

13:15 Obedience to Music Display Team

13:30 FUN DOG SHOW! The Loveliest Lady The Handsome Fella Best Rescue Dog

14:30 Obedience to Music Display Team

15:00 Beginners Agility Sessions (Pre Booking on the day)

Don’t Miss Demonstations in our Working Steam area, trying your hand at Crafts in the Have a Go Marquee, or Tractor & Trailer rides!

Please note timings subject to change

commercial & domestic

commercial & domestic Over 20 years’ experience

Over 20 years’ experience

• Registered Electrician and NICEIC Approved Contractor

• Covering South Somerset, North Dorset and West Wiltshi

• Registered Electrician and NICEIC Approved Contractor

• Covering South Somerset, North Dorset and West Wiltshire

• 3 phase and single phase installations

• 3 phase and single phase installations

• Electric vehicle charge rs and Battery storage systems

• Electric vehicle chargers and Battery storage systems

• Condition reporting (EICR) and appliance testing for tenanted properties

• Condition reporting (EICR) and appliance testing for tenanted properties

• Condition reporting (EICR) for vendors and buyers

• Condition reporting (EICR) for vendors and buyers

• Consumer Unit/Fusebox changes

• Consumer Unit/Fusebox changes

• Remedial works and fault-finding

• Remedial works and fault-finding

• New-builds and extensions

• New-builds and extensions

Phone: 07400 22 88 42

Phone: 07400 22 88 42

Email: info@wattselectricaldorset.co.uk

Email: info@wattselectricaldorset.co.uk

Web: www.wattselectricaldorset.co.uk

Web: www.wattselectricaldorset.co.uk

To verify go to:

To verify go to:

https://niceic.com/find-a-tradesperson/ or https://www.electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk/find -an- electrician/ and enter postcode SP8 4GP

https://niceic.com/find-a-tradesperson/ or https://www.electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk/find -an- electrician/ and enter postcode SP8 4GP

Geoff Hobson, Bonsai Man

‘Bonsai are tender, sensitive indoor plants? Total fallacy!’

Meet Geoff, chat to him about his plants and listen to his talk in the Potting Shed.

Geoff Hobson, from The Blackmore Vale Bonsai Group, will be at the show with a fascinating talk on the history, cultivation, and creation of these miniature masterpieces. We caught with him to chat about his 25-year passion

Bonsai are the same trees that you see in the wild … but much much smaller!

‘The art originated in China,‘ says Geoff. ‘Perhaps 4,000 years ago, monks – the healers – wanted to keep herbs and plants alive while they were traveling vast distances, so they planted a big pot with them. Over the

next 1,000 years it gradually moved from a practical medicinal and culinary use to an ornamental art, and they started to style trees. In the Middle Ages, a Japanese trading mission went to China, and they brought that Chinese art of penjing back with them, calling it bonsai – it literally translates as “planted in a container.”

‘My interest in bonsai started in 1998. My mum was more or less housebound, and I went looking for a Mother’s Day present. I bought her a tree, and I thought “I could do that!”. So I bought one for myself too. I retired in 2006, and it sort of snowballed from there. We formed the group in 2007.

‘The first question I‘m usually asked is “where do you keep them?” But it‘s a fallacy to think bonsai are tender, sensitive indoor plants – there’s only two or three species you‘ll get away with indoors, the rest are hardy outdoor plants, they‘ll die inside!

Trees have to have a cold period – and I‘m speaking from experience: I had a Chinese juniper when I first started, and I tried to keep it through the winter indoors. It just died on me!

What makes a tree bonsai?

‘In China, there are some which are well over two metres tall, they‘re colossal. But I personally don‘t describe them as bonsai. They might be penjing, the more open Chinese style, but up to about a metre is generally the maximum size for bonsai. A

‘Bonsai are the exact same trees that you see in the wild … just much, much smaller! I’m going to take this one out of the pot, remove a lot of the soil and prune the roots. Then I’m going to put it back in the same pot. In a couple of years time I’ll do the same thing again.’

mame is up to 10cm, chohin up to 20cm.‘ Like so many hobbies, Geoff says the cost is as big as your pocket – it‘s easy and affordable to get started: ‘This little spruce cost £10. My cotoneasters were seedlings which cost me £3. You can spend more, obviously, but you don‘t have to. It‘s a great, relaxing hobby, and you can spend as much or as little time as you want! Obviously you need to water the tree, but apart from that it‘s adding a bit

of fertiliser in the summer, a bit of pruning, and then a re-pot every couple of years with some root pruning. And that’s it!

‘It’s not a speed result – in three to five years my latest larch will be looking really nice. In three years time, I’ll have this baby spruce into a glazed pot and it will be quite a nice little tree. It just it takes a year or two. But that‘s the joy of bonsai. We always like to have something that we‘re working on.’

Needlefelting involves a small amount of wool tightly rolled into a small bundle, and then stabbed repeatedly with a felting needle to lock the fibres together, eventually creating a firm felt

The sky’s the limit with needlefelting

Usually, a creative craft has its root in an ancient trade or skill which was once a craftsmen’s industry or everyday task –knitting, pottery, whittling, weaving etc.

Wet felting is an ancient craft dating back millennia, but needlefelting is a relatively new way of working with wool, a spin-off from the industrial felting process. Special notched needles are repeatedly pressed through the fibres, gathering and matting them together as they go, producing a piece of felt. It’s possible to construct complex shapes and structures, particularly when built around a wire armature, and with no sewing or glueing it is an easy craft to learn the basics of.

Michelle Hickman of Furzies took up needlefelting just over ten years ago, and for the last nine she has been teaching workshops in the technique across the country.

‘It’s such a wonderful hobby. It’s so easy to pick up – it requires no sewing or needlework skills, the fibres in the wool simply begin to mat together as they are repeatedly ‘stabbed’.

But as simple as it is, it also has no limits for those who become more skilled. If you can imagine it, you can needlefelt it.’

Originally Michelle was travelling the country, holding classes at a variety of venues, but in 2022 she moved to Somerset to open her own workshop near Taunton. Here, on a site

‘It requires no sewing or needlework skills. But as simple as it is, it also has no limits for those who become more skilled. If you can imagine it, you can needlefelt it.’

overlooking the Somerset Levels, she can host small groups, one-to ones and masterclasses. Her first book on needlefelting was recently published by The Crowood Press.

‘I teach a single day’s course, and participants start with a six inch wire armature. It’s such a wonderful job, watching a group of very serious, studious crafters end a day with pride, beaming at their creations. It’s a very peaceful craft – usually with a nervous and polite start to the day, then as every one settles in there’s periods of chatter and laughter, interspersed with waves of calmness. It’s very companionable.’

At the Spring Show Furzie will be holding drop-in workshops to make a small wearable bear brooch – or you can buy a kit to make at home. The workshops should last about half an hour. Please note these are not suitable for under 12s due to the use of very sharp needles.

• furzie.co.uk

• Needlefelting by Michelle Hickman

‘‘On show day, it feels like you see everyone you know! Everyone‘s happy being here, mucking in and getting involved.’

Turnpike Showground volunteers

Tom Milligan (left) and Jake Shean

It always starts with the car park ...

Our Shows simply could not happen without our army of volunteers –around 300 work the August show alone. We spoke to long-time Turnpike Showground volunteers Jake Shean, 29, and Tom Milligan, 37, to find out just why they give up their time to work on

the Gillingham & Shaftesbury Shows.

Jake’s ‘day job’ is at local business Shean & Hare construction – starting out as a carpenter, he now takes on a more officebased role. Tom is a district distribution inspector for Wessex Water, where he’s worked since he was a teenager.

‘When I was 14 or 15 I was at school with the son of Sam Braddick MBE, the show secretary at the time,’ Jake says. ‘His son roped me into helping with the car park “just for one show” … and I‘m still here!’

‘I joined probably a year or two after Jake,’ says Tom. ‘We play hockey together, and

’It is like a family. I wouldn‘t change it. The work’s in my blood, and I hope it is for the rest of my life.’

one summer he said “come down the showground and help me out…” and here I still am!’

‘Yeah, I think I kept with tradition and asked you to just come and help with the car parking!

‘Our main role is the physical logistics – though sometimes we just come here and hinder, I think!’ continues Jake. ‘Anything that needs doing on the showground to put the show on, we‘re part of that team. If it needs doing, we just get on and get it done.’

‘When it comes to show week itself, we’ve been doing it long enough that we know exactly what we‘re doing,’ says Tom. ‘We don‘t need to check every two minutes, asking “Where do you want this fence? Where do you want this water main? Where do you want this generator?” We just know we know how it runs, so we can get on with what needs doing. One of the main things we do is the barrier-ing – all the fencing around the showground. There‘s five or six of us that have done the fencing for the last 10 years, so unless there’s a layout change we can just get on with it.

‘And we’ll offer suggestions too,’ says Jake. ‘Sometimes things have always

been done a certain way, and can see what might need changing. The team do listen, and take our advice – but sometimes we’ll suggest something and they’ll say “that won’t work because of these reasons.” It’s always a team approach.

‘It‘s challenging if it rains though. My second year was a really wet one. That was bad. We were there til the early hours of the morning getting people out of the field. But I was 16, in a tractor, pulling people out – personally, I was having the time of my life!’

The Show matters

‘On Show Day you‘re so busy,’ says Tom. ‘We‘re here from five in the morning til late. You can‘t relax – you‘ve got the traders coming in, then the public arriving, you need to do all the little things that haven‘t been done (that we should probably have done already and we‘ve forgotten about…). Throughout the day we troubleshoot where needed, and there’s general stewarding required, like getting the main acts into the ring. Then as things start to calm down you‘ve got the traffic coming out… It’s absolutely non-stop for 14 or 15 hours!

‘People do ask us why we do it every

year… and I don’t really have a good answer! Everyone just comes to do a good job and put on a great show. It is like a little family. I wouldn‘t change it.

The work’s in my blood now, and I hope it keeps going for the rest of my life.’

‘For the big shows we bring caravans and we move in,’ says Jake. ‘We obviously have full time jobs, but we put as much time in as we can. There’s a lot of pride in what we do. When you get to the end of the show and you see people leaving and they‘re happy – it just means that all the work we‘ve put in, it’s been worth it.

The G&S Show is one of the biggest dates on the calendar for the local community, everyone goes to the show! It‘s just nice to see people happy and enjoying it.’

‘That‘s what I love most,’ says Tom. ‘On show day, it feels like you see everyone you know, including people you don’t get to see all year round. Volunteering as part of the show is just brilliant, friendly fun. Everyone‘s happy being here, mucking in and getting involved.’

‘I’d say the same as Tom – I would recommend it to anyone,’ says Jake.

‘Come up and see us, and help out. It’s a great vibe, and a brilliant bunch of people. Everyone‘s so friendly. Just come and enjoy it.’