I hope you all like the new website and find navigation easy, but please if you have any problems finding anything or if you think we have missed items do let us know through the office 01635 247111.
Events since my last entry have certainly been increasing, on 4th June in glorious early summer weather around 200 members and friends gathered at Englefield House courtesy of Mr & Mrs Richard Benyon for the annual Summer Party, who also gave permission for anyone there to look round the gardens of the house, we had laid on a tractor with trailer to save walking up the hill!
I tried hard to speak to everyone there during the evening, if I missed anyone, my apologies, it was great to see so many friends old and new and especially to see Janet Scull widow of my first boss and Past Chairman of the Show, Ivor, and I was not alone in being thrilled she had been able to attend.
Special mention here must be made of my successor Ian Nutt and his team on the Events Committee who pulled out all of the stops to ensure the evening was such a success, thank you all for all of the hard work.
Over the same weekend we had a stall at the always popular West Woodhay Garden Show, and what a difference a day made to the weather, Saturday was bathed in sunshine, Sunday drenched with rain, but again so good to see so many of you there and again huge thanks to the team who manned the stall over the weekend.
Since then we have held 2 very successful Education events, firstly the Final of the Schools Farming, Sustainability and Environmental Challenge, held again this year at Sheepdrove, Lambourn, to whom we extend very grateful thanks for hosting the event and feeding us all.
And what wonderful efforts all 8 of the schools who entered had made, making it one of the hardest days judging any of us had ever taken part in. After presentations individually to the Judges in the morning, the schools then made presentations to both the judges and other schools and attending staff, before the judges went to deliberate.
Judging took a long time, but eventually, Trinity School were confirmed as the winners , and will receive their trophy on Sunday morning at The Show in September, all of the school s who took part confirmed how much each and every one of the pupils who had taken part had enjoyed the challenge and were all eager to take part again next year.
The most recent event was the Schools Potato Challenge Harvesting day and again 8 schools arrived at the Showground in glorious sunshine with their 2 sacks of potatoes which they planted several months ago during part one of this event.
This time judging was much easier as the results were based on the weight of the crops. Every school had done their very best and St Marks Cold Ash ran out the winners with Purley Infants in second, again each school received a certificate for their participation and again everyone said how much they enjoyed it.
The latter part of June has been very busy with the judging of crops and the Farm competition, thanks to all of the judges and the drivers, all of the results will be made public in the usual presentation ceremony following the Harvest Festival Service at this year`s show again on Sunday, 18th September.
Our first ever trip to Highgrove home of the Prince of Wales was at the very end of the month and a super time was had by all, if you missed out on this trip and I know we had a long reserve list, the great news is that we have been able to organise a second visit in October, for full details and to book tickets please don`t delay but contact the office today 01635 247111, you will not be disappointed.
Since acquiring Highgrove in 1981, HRH Prince of Wales has transformed the gardens, and indeed it is according to our excellent guide a never ending scene of change, nothing is wasted, and the contrast between different areas is magical, I am afraid photography is not permitted in the gardens so you will just have to take my word for it, and book up without delay for the trip in October, as always full details from the office, 01635 247111,...you will not be disappointed I can assure you.
And so into July, we will be at the Wiltshire Show July 9th & 10th at Barbury Castle just outside Marlborough and will also be in the Newbury Carnival Procession on Sunday July 10th, see if you can spot us, I will be at the Wiltshire County Show that day so if you spot the pink pig again, last seen at the pancake race in Newbury, this time it won`t be me!!!!
Our Farm Walk this year is a double visit to Doves Farm Ham and then tea at Buttermere, courtesy of Messrs Marriage and Hine and as with all of our events so far this year the response has been fantastic and we are already overbooked but have arranged a reverse trip with parties starting at each Farm and then swapping over so if you haven`t booked do so now, ring 01635 247111 for full details, or email office@newburyshowground.co.uk, or if you are passing please call in.
As the clock on the new website shows we are rapidly approaching the Show in September and advance tickets are already available
Alan Pooles
Show Chairman
SOCIAL MEDIA