The Country Show.

It’s been many years since I went to a country show but surprisingly little had changed over the years.

The highlight of the show was always an aerial display by the Armed Forces. This year a display by the Paratroop Regiment who drew shapes in the air as they jumped from the plane, before landing on a cross in the main arena.

All of the services had display stands and activities for the children as well. Recruiting for the future!

It took me most of the day but I finally worked my way round to the horticultural exhibits. Tables of plants and seeds to buy and displays to admire.

I obviously had to visit the beekeeping stand and admire the honey and associated wares on show. I wasn’t so impressed by the observation hive but it wasn’t aimed at those of us who are in the know!

The small livestock cages were full of variety. My childhood rabbit looked just like this one. He was called Bobtail and had a kick like a mule and was happy to show you. He would not have won a prize in any sort of show!

The incubator of eggs and chicks seemed cruel in a hot and stuffy room full of noise and bustle. The cockerels added to the experience by crowing constantly and competitively.

The smallholding area had lots of cute animals and skilled homemakers.

The main arena had displays all day. Most of them were horse based and Miss C was in her element.

The carts and horses were polished to perfection and demonstrated the best of the past. The parts we should remember and celebrate but some of the past is best swept under the carpet and we need to let it go. The hunt in my opinion is part of that and the shows blatant support for it left a nasty taste in my mouth.

I eat meat, abhor the current abortior system and appreciate how one unexpected shot could be kinder than that. However I could not have been the only person around the ring who found the pampering to the hunt over the top. The watching children were all encouraged to enter the ring and meet the dogs. Dogs who will happily rip a furry creature limb from limb. We were told hunting is a sport for all, rich or poor, young and old. While we all know that horses cost a fortune to keep, farm land does not belong to all and it’s no fun running through cold muddy fields with arthritis or cheap boots! We also know hunting live prey is illegal, but dogs can’t read, and that everyone else has to wear a riding hat on a horse. Like slavery, cock fighting and bear baiting some traditions are best left in the past.

Rant over!

This was the best part of the show. A very funny sheep shearer and his dancing sheep. It seems they perform all over the country.

They were informative, well planned, slightly risque at times, funny and cute. A fine example of exactly what a good show should have.

We came home, hot, dusty and tired. We didn’t get time to see everything but covered a lot. We had a good old fashioned day out. Something Britain did so well before commercialisation and greed got the better of us!

June update.

It’s been all work here but finally the garden is planted and the summerhouse is almost emptied of seedlings.

The weather is very dry and watering is taking up a lot of time. I have a policy of watering less often but making sure everything then gets a good soaking but obviously young plants just don’t have enough root to take advantage of this so have to be done more often. The 1000l tanks have been a back saver but all three are nearly empty so I may yet have to carry the cans the length of the garden. How I envy people with water pressure and hose pipes then!

I think some things like this celery are a bit late being planted but, as I am running out of space, they have just had to wait for room.

It’s finally warm enough for the tomato to come out of the polytunnel. But if I’d known about the tail end of Storm Hector yesterday I might have left it until today. It’s definitely looking a bit battered.

The blueberries also took a battering and lost a lot of berries. It’s a pity as thanks to HubB’s new raised ericaceous bed they were looking like being the best we’ve ever had.

The oca is looking very healthy and has grown every time I look. We loved them roasted last year so I’m pleased to have 3 good sized plants this year. I have also given a friend a couple of plants, so hopefully she will discover the delights of them as well.

The onions are just starting to fall over. Some are huge and some tiny, even next to each other in the beds, so it can’t be anything I’ve done differently. I’ll be pleased to lift them and have learned my lesson. I brought so many extras in the winter sale I actually left myself no room for other things. Kale and calabrese are waiting in pots for at least one of the onion beds.

The strawberries are going to have a bumper harvest, after previously being so poor I had decided to dig them all out this autumn. I’m just a bit torn on what to do now.

Purple mange tout are pretty but the pods are still green at the minute which wasn’t meant to be.

Polytunnel Pak choi has cropped once and is now regrowing from the middles. Lucky really as the outside ones just keep going straight to seed.

The sweet potato is growing rampantly. It’s only been in a week after I gave up on my own slips and just brought one. Obviously this week my slips have now started to shoot but that’s gardening for you!

All in all the veggie beds, polytunnel and garden are all looking good. We only used the caravan last month but even that has a good covering of greenery to blend it in.

I’m giving myself this weekend off. We have three father’s to pamper, a BBQ to plan and cakes to bake. I plan to start a new book and paint my nails just to remind myself there is life away from the garden but it won’t last, I’m only really happy in workboots and earth. Anything else is just killing time until I can get back to my garden!!