http://www.middevonshow.co.uk

Mid Devon Show 2008 Saturday 26th July is the date for this year’s Mid Devon Show which will be at Hartnoll Farm, Post Hill, Tiverton. The organisers have continued the expansion of the showground, moving a few of the features in order to improve the overall presentation and incorporating an extra 200 metres of trade stands to help cope with the consistently lengthy waiting list for sites. Great care has been taken to consider all aspects and to try and improve access and facilities. The show charity for 2008 is Marie Curie Cancer Care, which will have a stand site by the main ring (L131) and will be promoting the charity throughout the showground. Facilities for the public are arranged to make visiting the show as easy as possible. Parking is free and a half hourly free bus service from Tiverton is available, with pick-up points at Kingdom’s Garage, opposite Westexe South car park, factory gate (Shillands), Baptist Church, Lowman Green, Tiverton Hotel, roundabout by McDonalds, Merriemeade Hotel (Sampford Peverell) and opposite the Halberton Club. The organisers have also introduced a free bus service from Crediton this year, one run commencing at 9am and picking up at The Green, Old Town Hall, Old Cinema, Cadbury Garage and opposite Fisherman’s Cot at Bickleigh. The scheduled bus service from Cullompton passes the showground on a regular basis. Cyclists may like to use the route along the Grand Western Canal to access the showground. A reserved parking area is set aside for disabled visitors and there is the added assistance of Mid Devon Shopmobility providing wheelchair and electric scooter facilities. Customers are strongly advised to book in advance, contact tel: 01884 242099 or email: dave.griffey@tdcta.org for further information. There are plenty of toilet facilities around the showground and also the Thornbuds Creche for youngsters complete with a baby changing unit. The children’s play areas are well supplied with a variety of entertaining rides, trampolines and climbing equipment. The Thomas Cook cash and banking services will be based at Brown Gate. Refreshments will be on hand around the showground from regional businesses at mobile units offering burgers and baps to ice-cream, yoghurt and healthy fruit drinks. Ashfords Solicitors are also offering light refreshments, ring side, for members and other sponsors in the members marquee. The show opens to the public from 9am when the first cattle classes commence. At 9.30am sheep and pig classes start, with the Angora goats at 10am. The carriage driving competition will commence at 10am in the horse ring, and the heavy horses at 11.30am. The first performance in the youth marquee display area will start at approx. 10.15am and the working farm demonstrations start at 11am. Both the music and dance pavilion and the performances in the main ring are due to start from 10.30am with the main ring in full action until 5.30pm. The main ring programme is as full and lively as ever, sponsored this year by the South West Media Group which is celebrating the 150th year of the local Mid Devon Gazette newspaper, and it is also the main sponsor of the 2008 Mid Devon Show. The entertainment starts with local town crier Frank Housam announcing all systems go with the Young Farmers competition. The Pony Club games allow juniors and seniors to show off their competition tactics as used in the Prince Philip Games, competed for every year. The Rockin’ Horse Stunt Team and The Rockwood Dog Display Teams are the professional performers and are backed up well by local falconer Jonathan Marshall from North Devon. Hounds from four different packs will be part of the parade of hounds, the heavy horse competition winners will be showing their style and holding their turn-out class, and the carriage driving will be parading all of their exhibits too. The classic cars and motorbikes are parading the best of their exhibits and the livestock will be another highlight when all the prize winners, the cream of livestock in the Westcountry at the moment, will be on show and filling the ring in the grand parade. http://www.middevonshow.co.uk http://www.middevonshow.co.uk In the farm demonstrations area will be teams of heavy horses using vintage farm equipment as well as the vintage machinery, highlight of which will be a working thresher. The demonstrations then move on to the modern machinery and the whole area will be concentrating on working the ground. Livestock entries are looking good with a full complement of dairy and beef cattle, sheep, pigs and Angora goats. As well as the general livestock competitions, fleeces and wool on the hoof classes, the show is also host to the Devon Holstein Club Young Breeders 2008 Calf Show. Of particular interest are the new exhibitors classes in dairy and beef cattle and the young handlers classes, encouraging young people and novices alike in animal husbandry. Trade stand space has been completely filled with all sites outside taken up early in June, even with the additional space which the expansion has allowed. The organisers are very pleased with the reputation which the Mid Devon Show has earned over the years. Trade stands are of a wide variety, with agricultural, sporting pursuits, horticulture, clothing, services and many more, with most being from the local area and generally within the Westcountry. The three marquees which specialise in promoting local business and products will be very busy. They are the Mid Devon Business Association, Small Industries Group Craft and Gift Co-operative, and a new Trading Post marquee sponsored by DA Wright Ltd. A Farmers’ Market Marquee will be present, sponsored by NatWest Plc, with a variety of produce all from farmers within the area, and the Lloyd Maunder Westcountry Family Butchers Food Hall and Craft Marquee will be as excellent as ever. The other features are around the showground and include a rabbit competition and a variety of domestic fowl and, new for 2008, a cavie exhibition , which organisers hope will develop into a competition in future years. The WI will be holding a display and their country markets will be open for purchases. The local group of churches welcome all visitors for a quiet sit down and some refreshment, if needed. The Flower and Garden Marquee will be resplendent, decked out with flowers of all shapes and colours. This year it is holding a schools competition for the best planted wheelbarrow. The Exe Valley Group of Young Farmers is hosting its annual rally at the show with a large variety of classes and competitions. The Youth Marquee is growing from strength to strength with a full display area this year as well as their stands inside the marquee. The heavy horses and carriage driving have their own competition area but finish up with the last class and their own parade in the main ring. The countryside area with a variety of sporting pursuits to investigate and try is developing from its first year in 2006 into a full feature of its own. The Music and Dance Pavilion is one of the highlights of the Show, with a full programme of entertainment hosted by Tony Beard, the Wag from Widecombe. The organisers would very much like to acknowledge all the help and support received from so many sources which enable the Mid Devon Show to be such a successful event. A full day’s entertainment is being planned with a huge variety of competitions and features to do and see. Everyone is welcome and we hope will enjoy their visit to the Mid Devon Show. http://www.brayaccounts.co.uk http://www.thisismiddevon.co.uk http://www.homefindersdevon.co.uk http://www.westcountryhottubs.co.uk http://www.devondiecast.com http://www.trainsandtrack.co.uk http://www.lighterlife.com/lisabennett http://www.devonshirehomes.co.uk http://www.stonemanandbowker.co.uk http://www.justpineandoakfurniture.co.uk http://www.pennymoortimber.co.uk http://www.middevonshow.co.uk/ http://www.middevonshow.co.uk http://www.redrubydevonbeef.co.uk http://www.bowaquatics.co.uk/ http://www.eggesfordgardens.com http://www.peppers-som.com http://www.creativefurniture.co.uk http://www.middevonshow.co.uk/ http://www.middevonshow.co.uk http://www.edfenergy.com