“Something for visitors of all ages”

within the Show including the Sheep Shearing and Wool Handling Competitions, the Farriery Competition where blacksmiths compete to make the perfect horseshoe before using it to shoe a horse, the Egg, Cavy (guinea pigs and hamsters) and Rabbit Show together with the Bee & Honey Show with its working hive.

TheStaffordshire County Show will be held on Wednesday, May 31, and Thursday, June 1.

The show offers something for visitors of all ages. Youngsters will enjoy riding on the narrowgauge steam railway or traditional attractions such as Punch & Judy and donkey rides.

Teenagers and adults will be thrilled by the Bolddog Lings Motorcycle Display Team as they perform heart stopping stunts in the Main Ring. Whilst the next generation of farmers will be inspired by the first-class entries in the livestock competitions which are held across the Showground.

The show, which is held at the Staffordshire County Showground on Weston Road, some four miles from Stafford, is one of the area’s major events of the summer and is expected to attract more than 65,000 visitors.

During the school half-term holidays the show offers a full day out for all the family from as little as £42 for two adults and up to three children. A packed Main Ring programme includes a range of attractions, in addition to the Bolddog Lings Motorcycle Display Team, the Young Farmer’s Floats (Thursday) which this year has a theme of ‘A Day in History,’ show jumping (Wednesday), the Grand Parade of Livestock as well as the Parade of Hounds (Wednesday).

New for this year in the Country Pursuits Arena is an incredible demonstration of dog agility and obedience from the West Lancs Dog Display Team. Visitors can also watch the birds of prey display, the ferret roadshow, have a go at fly casting or sit back and learn all about sheep with the Sheep Show.

Around the Showground there will be demonstrations of traditional rural crafts such as thatching, coracle making and drystone walling as well as a display of vintage cars and agricultural machinery.

However, at the heart of this traditional county show that has been held for over 200 years is livestock with over a thousand cattle, sheep, pigs and goats and over fifteen hundred horses and ponies.

There are a number of competitions and shows

In addition the Dog Show will attract around 2,000 dogs representing every breed of dog in the UK, so if you thinking of buying a dog this is an ideal opportunity to compare the various breeds and talk to their owners.

Children of all ages are especially well catered for with a children’s farm, fairground rides and the opportunity to have their picture taken with the giant tortoises that are up to 80 years old. Shopaholics will be able to browse over four hundred trade stands selling everything from cars to hot tubs.

In addition there is a food hall with a further 50 stands selling a range of mouth-watering local produce for immediate consumption or fresh and packaged items to take home.

When it’s time to take a break what better way to relax than having a picnic next to the bandstand listening to the brass band or the jazz band. However, for something more tranquil there is a twenty-acre wood – ideal for a walk in the shade or a quiet picnic.

Once again the show organisers are delighted that Rea Valley Tractors and Dunstall Holdings will be the event’s main sponsor.

Early Bird tickets, which offer a substantial saving on the gate price, are on sale now until midnight on May 27 to print at home or download to your phone.

Further details about the show and details of how to purchase early bird tickets are available on the website at www.staffscountyshowground.co.uk or follow the show at Facebook@staffscountyshow.

Now more than ever there are so many questions when choosing a new car, and with what looks like an electrified future, Pinkstones MG Stoke have put together some of the biggest concerns drivers face when thinking about going electric.

EVs have a low range.

Most EVs have a similar range to a comparable vehicle in their class with an internal combustion engine. The average UK driver covers only 142 miles a week. The MG4 EV and MG5 EV boast ranges of up to 323 miles and 250 miles respectively. That means more than enough range to cover most people for over a week without the need to charge. For those longer journeys, MG EVs have a great cruising range to get you to your next toilet/coffee stop and a halfhour charge bringing you to 80% battery to continue your journey.

There aren’t enough charging stations. Whilst it’s true that there are no where near as many charging points as fuel pumps in the UK right now, there is also little need to visit a charging point if you’re able to do your every day charging at home. If you do need to charge on the road, there is lots of opportunity to charge at supermarkets, restaurants and even apps helping you find one of over 39,000 charging points to fit within your lifestyle.

EVs need a long time to charge. With the fantastic range of EVs today, it’s rare you’ll need to wait for your car to charge at all.

If you’re able to charge at home, simply plugging in once a week to cover your milage over night is the perfect way to avoid waiting for a charge. If you do need a faster charge whilst you’re out and about, the MG4 EV is capable of reaching 80% charge in just 35 minutes, while the MG5 EV attains the same level in 61 minutes.

The battery will be expensive to replace. In the early days of EVs, battery replacement was a concern for people thinking about the transition to electric, however, most electric vehicle batteries outlast many other components of the car. With the MG4 EV and MG5 EV your battery is covered under the 7 Year Warranty giving you confidence in your new EV throughout ownership.

Electric vehicles are too expensive.

It’s true that electric vehicles are slightly more expensive on the forecourt than a comparable internal combustion engine car. Savings to be made in the cost of ownership of an EV can be found through vehicle tax, emissions charges and the biggest saving is the cost per mile on the road, with reductions of up to 50% per mile giving you an overall cheaper cost of motoring.

If you’re not quite ready for the move to full EV, Plug-in Hybrid Electric vehicles are the perfect choice. With the average driver only covering approximately 30 miles per day, the MG HS PHEV is the perfect option to use electric on most journeys, but when you need that extra range for longer trips you can seamlessly switch to petrol.