This is a sample post from Lynne Pearl’s blog on Tumblr
Blog by Lynne Pearl, June 2022
After the Devon County Show there are the local shows, we have them all, North Devon, Tavistock, Honiton and those are just the ones I know. I like to go to the ones I can, it never fails. There are the horses for one thing, those wonderful heavy horses, adorned with brasses and ribbons. They are truly a magnificent animal, beautiful with their manes plaited in ribbons and their tails fluffy. From far off you can hear the sound they make as they enter the main ring driven by their owners. It’s rather like the Morris Men with bells on their boots that tinkle as they dance.
The Mid Devon Show has rides for children, a whole corner devoted to it, under a magnificent oak tree. The site of the show is Knightshayes Court, one of our local stately homes owned by the National Trust. The Trust has its own booth as part of the show as do many other merchants and businesses. There is row upon row of stands set up in temporary side streets that I combed thoroughly to see what was for sale. There were handbags, dresses, jackets, blankets, soap, hats, all manner of things for the garden, wooden furniture, hot tubs, sheds, it went on and on.
Then there were all the service organisations of the area represented. There are the schools, the scouts, the housing charity, U3A, the police, everyone who is anyone is there. Also, if you wanted to buy farm equipment there is more and larger equipment than you have ever seen. There are the accountants, law firms and vets as well to help you on your way.
I stopped and enjoyed music. There is always good music and dancing at the Mid Devon show. I don’t know where they find them, but they always get good singers. There is the craft tent and the flowers. All the things that we otherwise would take for granted. It is a gift to be able to arrange flowers and bake beautiful things.
In the main ring there was a terrifying show of stunt riders on motorbikes, which was so exciting I had to turn away and not look as the crowd ooh’d and aah’d as they flew over an enormous black slide. I just hoped they could land on somewhere soft if need be. Very exciting.
There were collections of antique cars and buses, buses that had not been on the road since I was a child. It was very nice to see them again and say I used to ride on that bus. There even was an antique car that was an Austin Cambridge which my father had bought when my brother and I were small. It superceded a van that was rather primitive, so we were very pleased with how modern the Austin Cambridge looked when it sat in our spacious garage. It took us on picnics and holidays and we loved it. There was the same model in all its glory on the showground at Tiverton. A trip down memory lane.
Then best of all there are animals, everywhere; beautiful animals bred to be the best in their class, and of every size and shape. In the sheep class alone there were sheep of every size and shape and their coats of every density, thickness, curliness. There were black face sheep, white face and so it went on. The choice was dizzying and they were all beauties and the owners did them proud.
I drank cups of tea in the church tent at the back of the showground as the only place with tables and chairs to sit under canvas. There was free cake and there had been sandwiches too but they were all gone by the time I showed up.
It was a tired but happy crowd that made their way back to the free bus to Tiverton centre and the park and ride. I had met people from Somerset and all over, it had been a grand day out until the same place next year. We are grateful to be able to celebrate the work of the farmers the rest of the year.
Tags: Mid Devon, Agricultural show, heavy horses, black face sheep
This is a sample post from Lynne Pearl’s blog on Tumblr
