With the weather being dry, the ground was near-perfect and the cross-country course rode very well with many competitors commenting on what a lovely, well-built course it was. The course was designed by Olympic course designer Mike Etherington-Smith, who very kindly agreed to design the Bath and West courses despite usually being associated with national and international level events. This gives local grassroots riders a very unique opportunity to jump a cross country course designed by an Olympic level course designer. Malcolm Beaton, the owner of local company and overall sponsors Southwood Waste Management, said he was delighted that the event went so well and provided such a good competition for local grassroots riders, and very much looks forward to a long association with it in the future.

Many grassroots riders competed from Somerset, Wiltshire and Dorset, whilst some came from as far a field as Cornwall, Essex and Staffordshire. Local riders fared well with Emma Weight from Mark in Somerset winning Intro Section A on her dressage score of 34.2, Sophie Hawke from Crewkerne winning Pre-Novice Section G on her excellent dressage score of just 22 and Leonie Dodgson from Bridgewater winning the hotly contested Pre-Novice Section H on a score of 32.5, just half a penalty point in front of Lucinda Fenny from Wedmore, who finished second on a score of 33.

British Eventing's Southern Regional Director, Robert Mackenzie, attended the event on Sunday and commented:
"The Royal Bath and West of England Society One Day Event, sponsored by Southwood Waste Management and supported by Sportsmatch, was a very happy and successful day. The event was very much enjoyed by the 423 competitors who participated on the day. Everything went very well and even the weather was kind!"

The Society is delighted that the One Day Event was such a success and that so many local grassroots competitors, volunteers and businesses were involved, fitting well with the Society's aims and objectives of promoting agriculture and rural practices and encouraging allied trades connected with the rural economy. Plans are underway for the autumn event on 8th and 9th October 2005, where a new layout will enhance an already successful event.

Eventing relies heavily on the support of volunteers for duties such as stewarding and fence judging, if you would like to become involved with the autumn event, no experience necessary, please contact the Society by emailing horsetrials@bathandwest.co.uk or telephone 01749 822200.

In fact interest in the popular enthusiasts’ show has been so great that organisers have had to open up an extra hall this year to cope with demand.

New this year is the Trike Hall with nearly 40 exhibits booked in and more to confirm. And well over 200 custom and classic bikes are also expected – making this the biggest bike show for several years. “I am absolutely delighted,” said show organiser Kim Munden. “I think it is an accumulation of everything – people like the Show and this year we have the weekend camping back.”

Motorcycle enthusiast and writer Bel Mooney - one of the country’s best known journalists - will roar into Bike Show South West next weekend, Saturday April 30th – Sunday May 1st on the back of a purple Harley-Davidson to present the prizes to the winning owners of the hundreds of gleaming custom and classic motor cycles on display.  The self-confessed Harley addict will ride in on the back of a machine belonging to her friend, Robin Allinson Smith. Bel has just started a new column in The Times, and is a regular contributor to The Daily Mail as well.  She has written many travel articles about motorcycle road-trips in the USA and in July is presenting a new six week run of her long-running interview series 'Devout Sceptics' on BBC Radio 4. Many motorcycle enthusiasts enjoyed her centenary tribute to Harley-Davidson on Radio 4, and her trip to the States included meeting the legendary Willie G Davidson, Harley-Davidson's vice president of styling. In addition she has written over 25 books, including the best-selling series of 'Kitty' stories for children.

Bel said: 'I've been to the show with biker friends a few times now, and always have a great time. To me the custom bikes are works of art, which is why I am very excited to have the chance to present the prizes to all the talented people who create them. '

Show goers can look forward to an action packed weekend with entertainment for all the family, live music, stunt displays and all the usual motorcycling thrills and spills plus over 100 tradestands to make every biker’s dreams come true.

And the stars of the show will of course be the hundreds of gleaming classic and custom bikes from all over the country on display all chasing over £3,000 worth of prize money.

Blazing displays, fantastic fire stunts and the ultimate robot combat experience are all part of the show’s action-packed weekend. A fire stunt spectacular complete with flaming gyroscopes, a Box of Death, and a Wall of Fire, will be staged by the dare-devil Manchester Company of Extreme Largeness.

And Robogeddon - a brand new entertainment concept - complete with a battle zone, Cyber Raptor Robots and Robotic Combat Vehicles will delight Robot Wars enthusiasts of all ages.

Other new acts include quad bikes, bungee trampolining, an assault course, and radio controlled tanks and cars from Combat FX.

There’s the chance to handle hawks and see a host of birds of prey courtesy of Ye Olde Redtail Falconry Display, while the X-treme Trials display stunt team will amaze the crowds with their death-defying antics combining stunt riding, showmanship and choreography.

And the Pre 1965 British Trials Champion for the last four years - John Young (60) of Whitstone Road, Shepton Mallet - will be bringing along his many trophies plus his acclaimed 1954 Ariel HT 500 trials bike and his 1936 Triumph Jap Sprint that hits the quarter mile at over 100 miles an hour.  With his son Paul (25) in the sidecar the father and son partnership have been British motorbike and side car racing champions for the last four years running. Veteran motorcyclist John’s 40 year career in motorcycle sport has included scrambling, trials, enduros and sprints on two wheels and three.

The Show at the Bath & West Showground, Shepton Mallet, opens Friday, April 29th for campers only, with the two public days for everyone on Saturday, April 30th and Sunday, May 1st.

The campsite is open from 3pm on the Friday until 5pm on Sunday and camping rates are £20 for adults and £7.50 for children for advance bookings, or £25 for adults and £10 for children on the gate.

Admission prices to the Show are £7 for adults and £4 for children for advanced tickets, or £8 for adults and £5 for children on the gate. Children under five are free.

For full details of the show ring organiser Kim Limb on 01749 823260. Save £££s by booking now on the advanced ticket saver hotline on 01749 822 222.

The south west’s biggest and best agricultural show takes place at the Bath and West Showground, Shepton Mallet, from June 1st to 4th, and once again promises four days of half-term holiday entertainment for all, from traditional stock parades to high tech action.

There’s the chance to walk on the wild side with real live wolves in the woods, lead camels and llamas through the forest, feast on the very best food and drink from across the country, and see a military gun stripped and re-assembled in seconds.

A military tattoo will be the highlight of the main ring events featuring the Household Cavalry, the White Helmets – the Royal Signals Motorcycle Display Team, a spectacular sight and sound sensation, bands, the Royal Marines Commando Display Team, and a Gun Run Challenge. The Royal Navy Raiders Parachute Display team will swoop down from the skies into the Main Ring and a moving parade by the Chelsea Pensioners will bring the show to a close on the final day, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II.

The tattoo is in aid of the Royal Star and Garter Charity whose vice-president Simon Weston OBE will be making a personal appearance at the Show, which is once again sponsored by EDF Energy.

Every dog will have its day at this year’s Show and dog lovers would be barking mad to miss it as new features at the Show include the Rockwood Dog Display team, and the Barkshire Bandits Flyball Competition, promoting the fastest growing dog sport in the country.  The Dog Show run by Taunton and District Canine Association is the West’s leading canine extravaganza offering everything for dog lovers and is the perfect setting to see favourite breeds of dog being judged from around 1,000 exhibits.  Utility, Gundog, Toy, Pastoral, Working, Hound and Terrier Groups will compete on 1st and 2nd of June, while on Friday and Saturday 3rd & 4th June there are competitive classes for flyball, the fastest growing dog sport in the country. Teams of dogs run over four hurdles and retrieve tennis balls from a spring loaded box as a relay race.  The Barkshire Bandits Flyball Teams were formed in 1996 and have since climbed the ladder of success culminating in winning the Summer Championships 4 years running. They now have three teams that run on a regular basis, of which their top team is amongst the fastest in the country. This year they are running a series of sanctioned flyball tournaments at several shows around the country.  And the Rockwood Dog Display Team will deliver a fun-packed show full of daring stunts and clever routines designed to entertain audiences of all ages.

More animal excitement is promised with the wolves in the woods from the UK Wolf Conservation Trust. The wolves will be with a team of experienced handlers and the Trust’s aim by bringing them to the show is to dispel myths and misconceptions that surround these beautiful animals.  As well as meeting wild wolves there’s the chance to coax camels and lead llamas through the trees down in the Woodland and Wildlife area of the Show.

Another newcomer is the Showground’s own Bath &West Railway which will be officially opened at the Show, offering rides to the public on its steam and petrol powered miniature trains.

And there’s the chance to see exciting action from the Tree Pirates – the UK’s Number 1 Chain Saw Sculpture team whose work includes the highly acclaimed giant 35 foot scorpion sculpture at last year’s Glastonbury Festival

The magical beauty, charm and history of the Orkney Islands is being transported 700 miles to enchant the crowds at this year’s Show.  A whole Orkney village – complete with musicians, food producers, artists, sculptors, craftsfolk and story tellers - will be created next to the Orchards and Cider area at the show, just a salmon’s leap away from the Main Ring.  The aim is to show off the work, wonders and culture of the Islands and so encourage Bath & West visitors to put Orkney goods on their shopping lists and visit Orkney for a truly relaxing holiday.  “We have chosen to come to the Royal Bath & West Show because it is the best consumer show in the south west and so it is the ideal place for us to raise awareness of all the treasures we have to offer,” said John Clarke, head of Orkney Marketing.

Closer to home there will be a celebration of the region’s top tastes and talents in the Celebrating Somerset and Wealth of Wiltshire areas. And Somerset Life is itself once again championing and showcasing the county’s very best through its Food and Drink Awards which will be presented at the Show.

Show jumping, alpacas, the popular fun and fact-finding tour round the Family Trail and the high tech innovations of Imagineering will all be back, plus over 1000 trade stands offering the best “shopportunity” ever!  There’s the chance to see the very best of British livestock on parade - from the tiniest Call duck to the mightiest Aberdeen Angus bull – plus the opportunity to enjoy the country’s biggest cheese show with over 500 taste tingling cheeses jostling for awards.

Celebrities at the Show include Keith Chegwin who will be helping children judge their favourite cheeses on the opening day, and Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall who will be helping judge the champion ciders in the Orchards and Cider Area on the Friday.

Over 10,000 entries will be on show from art and wrought ironwork to jams and prize bulls, with many new livestock classes this year – including Bluefaced Leicester, White Park, Beef Shorthorn, British White, Any Other Native Breeds and Suckled Calf Classes, and new Horse of the Year Show qualifiers.

Musical delights range from the First Battalion of the Black Watch Pipes and Drums, the 6th Fleet US Naval Band, the Hampshire Ex-Servicemen’s Concert Band, the Band of HM Royal Marines from Plymouth, to Casablanca Steps, the Rainbow Steel Orchestra, The Wurzels and an Abba tribute band.

Save £££S and book now on the saver ticket credit card hotline on 01749 822 222. Advanced saver prices are £15 for adults, £12 for senior citizens and disabled, £4 for children aged 5 – 15, or a Family Tickets for two adults and up to three children is £35. Children under five go free.

On the gate prices are £18 for adults, £15 for disabled and senior citizens, £5 for children aged 5 – 15 or £40 for a Family Ticket.

For further details ring 01749 822200 or visit the show’s website on www.bathandwest.co.uk

But instead of tearing round a track, these six famous lads will be taking a gentle trek through the trees in the Woodland and Wildlife area of the Show.

They are the six llamas who along with a couple of camel colleagues -Teifet and Jasmine - will be delighting the crowds at the Show that takes place at the Bath & West Showground, Shepton Mallet from June 1st to 4th.

And there will be the opportunity for youngsters to lead a llama and actually ride a camel safely and sedately through the trees, under careful supervision.

The animals are owned by Alastair & Moira Fraser who live in the heart of the Forest of Dean. And when they are not busy being filmed or taking a star role in natural history documentaries on TV they spend their days walking out with visitors to the forest or appearing at shows.

Four years ago retired garage owner Alistair fulfilled his dream of bringing llama trekking to the Forest and it proved so popular that two years ago he expanded his menagerie to include the camels too. “They are not just incredible animals – they are very interesting and have lots of uses. And walking with people is just a natural thing for them to do,” he enthused.

“It is a unique combination and trekking with them is a great experience for people to enjoy. We love doing the shows – and it has an educational role too, teaching people all about these wonderful animals.”

The llamas and camels are among the highlights of new attractions at this year’s Royal Bath & West Show which also offers people the opportunity to watch wild wolves in the woods. The UK Wolf Conservation Trust will be bringing a trio of wolves to the Show in a bid to dispel the fears, myths and conceptions that surround these beautiful animals and raise funds for wild wolf conservation projects around the world. Trained wolf handlers will answer questions from the public and there will be opportunities to meet and greet the animals.

A special display of what is hailed as one of the most exciting games in the world will be one of the highlights of the Main Ring action of the Show on the third day, Friday, June 3rd.
Members of the Beaufort Polo Club and their agile polo ponies will provide a 30 minute display including two chukkas plus a commentated demonstration at half time of the various elements of polo skills and the speed and energy the sport demands. The commentator will be Mike Tucker, a familiar voice at the Bath & West as well as other major events around the country.

Originally founded in 1872 by Captain Frank Henry, Beaufort Polo Club is a small and friendly club set alongside the Westonbirt Arboretum near Tetbury in Gloucestershire.
In 1989 the club was revived by Simon and Claire Tomlinson with the main aims of providing first class polo facilities to enable a high standard of polo to be played at all levels, and to encourage young players.

The club now has six boarded polo grounds, a stick and ball area, a polo pit and an indoor arena. It offers coaching for individuals and groups of all levels from the complete beginner to the more experienced player. It also runs polo activity and corporate team building days for businesses.

The Club is home to some of the country’s leading English players, including current Internationals Luke and Mark Tomlinson who regularly represent their country. Luke is currently England’s highest handicapped player on seven goals. HRH Prince Charles is Patron of the Club, and Prince William and Prince Harry are keen enthusiasts too.

The Club’s coaching skills speak for themselves. During the 2003 season the Beaufort Polo Club teamed up with production company RDF Media to produce a programme for the award winning Channel 4 series “Faking It.” Club coaches Caspar West and Claire Tomlinson successfully managed to pass off 30 year old mountain bike courier Malcolm Woodcock (Woody) into a professional player in just 28 days – and he’d never ridden a horse before arriving at the Club!

The Polo Club is generously donating two tickets to the Argentine Club Cup on 18th June as part of its support for the Royal Bath & West Show’s prize draw, and Royal Bath & West of England Society members are being offered special tickets for the Argentine Club Cup Day and the International Test Match.

For further details about Beaufort Polo Club visit www.beaufortpoloclub.com or ring 01666 880 510.

Celebrating its 61st year, the popular annual show has a firm tradition to uphold, a strong reputation to maintain and a large and loyal following. For this year’s new look show Bristol City Council has joined forces with the Bath & West Trading Company to produce a first class three day spectacular at Durdham Downs from August 19th – 21st.

The City Council team has a wealth of experience of years of involvement with the Show, while the Bath & West Trading Company is the commercial arm of the historic Royal Bath & West of England Society, running successful shows and events throughout the year at its Shepton Mallet base.

The show promises to offer something for everyone from the serious horticulturist to the person who just likes to potter, with a wealth of trade stands offering to meet every gardener’s needs from tools to seeds.

Show organisers are keen to welcome back everyone who has supported the show so well in the past and are appealing for all past competitors and newcomers eager to enter for the first time to contact them now for schedules.

There are competitions for handicrafts, cookery, and flower arranging as well as the normal flower, fruit and vegetable classes, plus a separate section for allotments, classes for children and the magnificent Floral Marquee.

Entertainment planned so far to delight all ages includes Morris dancing, bands, face-painting and a pianist playing in the Floral Marquee. And the popular ITV West Gardening Roadshow will be there offering a whole host of top tips from the experts.

Highlight of the opening day will be a grand midday reception hosted by the Lord Mayor of Bristol in aid of BIBIC, the British Institute for Brain Injured Children. This is being supported by Sanders Gardens Centre, who have chosen the Bridgwater-based BIBIC as their chosen charity for the year. The reception offers a first class business and corporate hospitality opportunity for local organisations and firms as well as the ideal platform to help raise funds for a worthy cause.

Organisers are also pleased to welcome back once again St Peter’s Hospice who will be running a stand to help promote their fund-raising work.

Another new feature for this year is the Bristol City Garden Competition run in conjunction with the Bristol Evening Post. Entrants will be invited to send in a photograph of their garden which will then be judged and a presentation to the winner will be made during the Show.

A new Bristol City Garden Challenge Trophy will be presented by Mrs Sally Burke, in memory of her husband, the late Mr John Burke, who died suddenly last year. Mr Burke who lived at Bishops Sutton, near Bath, was one of the West’s most respected businessmen and charity supporters. He was well known in the community for his roles as chief executive and vice-chairman of the Bristol & West, and was awarded the OBE for his commitment to charity. He was also a director and honorary treasurer of the Royal Bath & West of England Society.

The Show is being sponsored by Bristol Blue Glass who are donating some of their beautiful glassware as prizes, commercial residential and agricultural property agents Knight Frank LLP who are sponsoring the programme and tickets, and Bristol-based Bart Spices Ltd who are sponsoring the children’s competitions at the Show.

For further information about the show, please ring 01749 822 200.

Surprises galore plus the chance to take part in a national reality TV challenge await visitors to next month’s Royal Bath & West Show (June 1-4).

The pirates of the trees are the Tree Pirates, the UK’s Number One Chainsaw Sculpture Team, who will be demonstrating their cutting-edge skills down in the Woodland and Wildlife zone throughout all four days of the Show, sponsored by EDF Energy, at the Bath & West Showground from June 1st to 4th.

Highlight of their demonstrations will be the construction of a mighty wooden gryphon – the mythical winged monster with an eagle-like head and the body of a lion. The 15 foot high creature with a 30 foot wing span will be transported to nearby Worthy Farm after the show to have pride of place at this year’s Glastonbury Festival. The Farm already boasts the Tree Pirates’ highly acclaimed giant 35 foot high scorpion constructed for last year’s Festival while Wookey Hole down the road is home to their four ton Dragon Seat, a Witch’s Hat Pagoda and a fairytale bridge.

Meanwhile further into the woods the ships of the desert will be camels who will be joining their llama cousins for some trekking expeditions through the forest. Show-goers will be able to lead the llamas through the trees and there will even be the opportunity for youngsters to ride a camel under the careful supervision of owner Alastair Fraser and his team from Servernwye Llamas and Camels.

And highlight of the Woodland and Wildlife area will be the incredible opportunity to meet and greet wild wolves. The UK Wolf Conservation Trust will be bringing a trio of wolves to the Show in a bid to dispel the fears, myths and conceptions that surround these beautiful animals and raise funds for wild wolf conservation projects around the world.

The three North European wolves will be kept in a safe, controlled and secure enclosure. Trained wolf handlers will answer questions from the public and there will be opportunities to meet and greet the animals, and even stroke them.

Meanwhile the producers of the popular Channel 4 programme “Shipwrecked” will be targetting fit youngsters with personality and aged between 18-23 to compete in their next series. The lucky 30 selected from entrants across the country will be shipwrecked on Cooks Island in the South Pacific and survive for five months in the experience of a lifetime with a cash prize at the end.

The Imagineering Fair, one of the major attractions at the Royal Bath & West Show, Shepton Mallet, returns to this popular family show again this year. Bigger than ever, there are scores of free, fun-packed activities on twenty stands for children of all ages, encouraging today’s youngsters to become tomorrow’s engineers. Visitor figures to the Fair this year are expected to surpass last year’s 20,000 figure.

Special activities have been organised by some of the UK’s most prestigious companies and organisations. From submarines to aerospace – and everything in between – there are opportunities to learn about how things are designed, how they are made and how they work. From machining, milling and laser-cutting to CADCAM, aerodynamics and robotics – there is something for everyone, with opportunities for some close-up inspection of some fascinating equipment from the Royal Navy, Royal Air Force and the Army.

There are some exciting highlights of this year’s Fair to look out for:

• The Imagineering Team Challenge – A new thrilling daily Main Ring event where teams of apprentices and young engineers from Airbus, Rolls Royce, Bristol and Westland Helicopters, Yeovil race 3/4 tonne Army trailers around a demanding obstacle course and against the clock, under the watchful eye of REME adjudicators, testing the teams’ ingenuity and strength. The teams will be competing for a magnificent Bristol Blue Glass Trophy donated by the Fleet Air Arm Museum.

• Westland Schools Challenge – featuring Stanchester School from Stoke-sub-Hamdon and Bucklers Mead School from Yeovil competing twice a day every day in some challenging engineering projects.

• West of England Aerospace Forum has a special guest popping in during the Fair in the form of Robbie the Talking Robot.

• There is free entry to a Grand Draw for a mountain bike, kindly donated by REME (Royal Electrical & Mechanical Engineers)

Imagineering, the exciting initiative designed to promote engineering to young people as a future career, was first developed in the Midlands. Its main aim is to introduce 8-16 year olds to the exciting creative world of engineering and manufacturing through fun, hands-on activities, hopefully to encourage them to consider engineering as a future career and fill the ever-widening skills gaps in industry.

Participants at Imagineering Fair 2005 include: Airbus, BMT Defence Services, City of Bristol College, Fleet Air Arm Museum, Glos Setpoint, Jaguar F1 in Schools with Avon Vale Training, John Cabot City Tech. College, Imagineering Clubs, 6 Bn REME (Royal Electrical & Mechanical Engineers), Rolls-Royce, Rotork, Royal Air Force, Royal Navy, SWMAS, Thales, University Centre Yeovil, West of England Aerospace Forum, Westland Helicopters, Yeovil College/Aim Higher.

Imagineering in the Southwest at the Royal Bath & West Show has been developed in association with Year in Industry and is supported by the West of England Aerospace Forum, Airbus, BMT Defence Services Ltd, Buro Happold, 6 Bn REME (Royal Electrical & Mechanical Engineers), Rotork Controls Ltd, Rolls-Royce Setpoint (Gloucester), Thales, Westland Helicopters, University of Bristol, and Yeovil College.

A long-term supporter of the event, EDF Energy’s support is enabling the Bath & West Show organisers to mount a high-profile marketing campaign to attract visitors from across the region.

To add to the range of entertainment on offer, the company is also bringing three brand new EDF Energy attractions to the event - the ‘Backing the Bid Zone’, the ‘Energise Zone’ and the ‘Rewarding Zone’.

The ‘Backing the Bid Zone’ aims to encourage visitors to support the bid to bring the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games to the UK in 2012, which is being backed by EDF Energy, by inviting them to jump through a specially designed ‘leap counter’.

EDF Energy will also be handing out prizes for visitors to the zone who complete various sporting tasks and a personal trainer will be on hand to offer exercise and nutritional advice.

The ‘Energise Zone’ is a chill-out area offering free massages and a place to sit and escape the hustle and bustle of the crowds, whilst the ‘Rewarding Zone’ will give visitors the opportunity to win 150,000 Nectar Points and find out more about the range of rewards that EDF Energy offers their customers.

Travers Clarke-Walker, Director of Marketing and Sales at EDF Energy, says; “Our continued support of the Bath & West Show reflects EDF Energy’s strong commitment to the local and rural community and is a way that we can give something back to all of our customers in those areas.”

“As a Premier Partner for the Olympic 2012 bid, we are especially delighted to introduce our ‘Backing the Bid Zone’ and are looking forward to lots of visitors pledging their support by leaping through the EDF Energy Leap Counter.”

The EDF Energy zones are some of many attractions at this year’s Royal Bath & West Show, which draws over 150,000 visitors and is the South West’s largest and most popular agricultural show.

Four days of half-term holiday entertainment for all the family are promised -highlights include traditional livestock parades, a showcase of the region’s food and drink, military tattoos, polo displays, show jumping, dog shows, walking with wolves, camel-riding, alpacas, music bands, new steam railway, the family trail, tree sculpture, celebrity judges, and much more.

Tickets on the gate will cost £18 for adults, £15 for disabled and senior citizens, £5 for children aged 5-15 or £40 for a family of two adults and up to three children. Alternatively, people can book in advance and save money. Advanced saver prices are £15 for adults, £12 for senior citizens and disabled, £4 for children aged 5-15, or £35 for a Family Ticket. Children under five go free. Contact the saver ticket credit card hotline on 01749 822 222 or check out the website at www.bathandwest

It will all be happening down at the Showground’s Woodland and Wildlife area this year where the pirates of the trees will be captivating the crowds alongside the ships of the desert and wild wolves.

The Tree Pirates, the UK’s Number One Chainsaw Sculpture Team , will be demonstrating their cutting-edge skills throughout all four days of the Show.

Highlight of their demonstrations will be the construction of a mighty wooden *gryphon – the mythical winged monster with an eagle-like head and the body of a lion. The 15 foot high creature with a 30 foot wing span will be transported to nearby Worthy Farm after the Show to have pride of place at this year’s Glastonbury Festival. The Farm already boasts the Tree Pirates’ highly acclaimed giant 35 foot high scorpion constructed for last year’s Festival while Wookey Hole down the road is home to their four ton Dragon Seat, a Witch’s Hat Pagoda and a fairytale bridge.

“We are really looking forward to coming to the Royal Bath & West Show this year,” enthused Tree Pirate Sam Ellis. The Pirates were formed in 1997 by a group of friends passionate about wood, chainsaws and sculpture.

The team consists of tree surgeon Sam, lead designer AD (sic) Pugh who is a timber framer by trade, wood sculptor Ed Moon, and log cabin maker Dan Franklin, all from Somerset, and mother-of-two Liz Clegg from Devon who is also a tree surgeon.

The team have just returned with more accolades from the Ridgeway Rendezvous in Pennsylvania, the largest gathering of chainsaw artists in the world, where they constructed a huge 30ft high gateway complete with a 1950’s American car dangling beneath it, with the four main timbers reflecting the four elements - fire, water, earth and air.

Theirs is an art definitely not to be tried at home. Each member of the team has years of woodworking experience and AD holds a certificate in forestry and chainsaw competence as well as being an expert carpenter.

Working with the spirit and form of the tree as much as possible the team says their work incorporates traditional timber framing techniques with creative flare.

Meanwhile further into the woods the ships of the desert will be camels who will be joining their llama cousins for some trekking expeditions through the forest.

And highlight of the Woodland and Wildlife area will be the incredible opportunity to meet and greet wild wolves.

(*The griffin or gryphon is a mythical quadruped with the foreparts of an eagle and the rear, tail and hindquarters of a lion. Its eagle-like head had pointed, upstanding ears like those of an ass. Feathers grew upon its head, neck and chest and the rest of the griffin’s body was covered in leonine fur, subtly colored in shades of tawny brown. Aelian said the wings of griffins were white and their necks were variegated in colour with blue feathers. The griffin claws were especially valuable as they were reputed to change color in the presence of poison, which is why they made useful drinking vessels. At times, it is portrayed with a long snake-like tail. In some traditions, only the female has wings. Its nests are made of gold and its eggs resemble agates. It is supposed to be of gigantic proportions, the morphology being left to our own deduction after we have been informed that one claw is the size of a cow's horn. )

The dual-guage miniature railway has been built thanks to months of hard work by the dedicated members of ESSMEE (The East Somerset Society of Model & Experimental Engineers) who will now make the Bath & West Showground, at Shepton Mallet, their new homebase.

Until now the enthusiastic members have met in each other’s homes or at other railway Societies’ bases around the area. Now at last they have their very own home, and for the last six months have been devoting all their free time to building the railway completely from scratch.

The station is what was formerly the old Somerfield building which has undergone a complete transformation and will serve as workshop and store, as well as the clubhouse for meetings and social events.

Track has been laid down all round the building and two trains should be up and running with carriages to take show visitors for a ride, once the railway is officially opened on Wednesday, June 1st, by the Most Hon. The Marquess of Salisbury, PC, DL, who is President of the Royal Bath & West of England Society.

The circular track is just the first phase of a five year project which, when completed, will see the railway running along the stream, around the lake at the showground, complete with bridges and a 100 ft long viaduct, making a run of approximately half a mile.

The project is being financed by the ESSMEE members, and helped by the revenue generated by charging passengers £1 a head for a ride. The railway will be open throughout the four day Show, at the National Amateur Gardening Show in September, and during various other events held at the Showground throughout the year, carrying passengers on steam, petrol hydraulic and electric trains.

ESSMEE Cahiramn Roger Davis said the Society was delighted to have been able to make the Showground its new home. “There are railway societies at Bristol, Taunton and at West Wiltshire but none in this part of Somerset so we are filling a big gap. We are looking forward to welcoming many new members now we have our own home base,” he said.

Formed four years ago ESSMEE boasts nearly 40 members, from 16 to the more mature, all sharing boundless enthusiasm and a passion for railways and trains and model engineering of all kinds. The Society is keen to attract new members, whatever their interests and level of skills. In addition to its work at its new clubhouse and ground-level track at the Showground, there are monthly meetings either at private tracks or for interesting talks on a wide-ranging number of engineering topics. All those interested will be warmly welcomed.

Royal Bath & West Show Manager Alan Lyons said: “We are delighted to welcome ESSMEE to the Showground and are looking forward to a long and successful association with them. The railway will be a spectacular extra attraction for the Show and for other events throughout the year, eventually taking our visitors to areas of the Showground they might never have seen before.”

Further details are available at ESSMEE’s website http://www.essmee.org.uk or from:
Roger Davis, Chairman 01749 677195 rogerdavis@essmee.org.uk
Patrick McCormack, Public Relations 01749 689037 info@essmee.org.uk

www.bathandwest.com will be launched at the Society Reception on Wednesday 1st June 2005 and is designed to give you the opportunity to shop at the Royal Bath & Show all year round. The website is the first of its kind, allowing you to buy products from your favourite Bath & West trade stands from the comfort of your own home. You will be able to search the site by product or exhibitor, and browse the many diverse products available, from leather deck chairs to hot tubs, children’s ride-on tractor’s to local cider and chicken coops to stripy wellies! Exhibitors have their own ‘virtual stands’ where you can make enquiries, place orders or purchase products 365 days a year.

Chief Executive of the Royal Bath and West of England Society, Dr. Jane Guise, said;

“This unique new venture represents a move forward for the Society, enabling us to assist our exhibitors to gain access to new markets and new technologies, and our visitors to access our fantastic and diverse range of products that they can only normally buy at the Royal Bath & West Show. Royal Bath & West Show Online is an exciting project that fits well with our charitable aims of promoting agriculture and supporting the rural economy, and I shall certainly be shopping at www.bathandwest.com!”

The site has been part funded by Defra through the Rural Enterprise Scheme and has been built by Sitemakers Ltd, from Curry Rivel. Sitemakers Ltd is a Westcountry-based company providing internet consultancy, development and marketing from offices in both Somerset and Cornwall. The company helps clients to implement high quality internet solutions that work for their organisation.

Don’t forget to visit www.bathandwest.com when you get home from the Show if you can’t wait until next year to buy those items you forgot!

The first 50 people to log on will receive 2 FREE tickets to next year’s Royal Bath & West Show from 31st May to 3rd June 2006!

Local celebrity chef Michael Caines spoke at the Oscar’s-style ceremony which included a reception and dinner for 150+ VIP guests based entirely on Somerset’s finest food and drink. Also speaking was Robert Drewett, Vice Chairman, The Royal Bath & West of England Society.

Compere for the evening was Steve Bulley from Orchard FM.
Nominations for the Somerset Life Food and Drink Awards were based on hundreds of votes received from readers of the best-selling county magazine as well as the general public of Somerset. Food and drink experts approved by Taste of the West undertook final judging and winners were a closely guarded secret before the ceremony.

Michael Caines said “I am absolutely passionate about quality food & drink from the South-west so I’m delighted to support these awards. This is an important initiative as it recognises and rightly pays tribute to the immense efforts that so many in our industry have put in towards raising the general standard of food & eating here in the last ten years”.

The Somerset Life Food and Drink Awards are most interesting as they recognise excellence at every level . From restaurants to pubs and country pubs; from farmers, growers and producers to fishermen and butchers; and from specialist food shops to farm shops and farmers’ markets.

The full list of winners is below:

Ilchester Cheese Company
Best Specialist Food Shop of the Year
Winner: Emma B’s, Somerton

Yeo Valley Organic
Best Organic Product / Trader of the Year
Winner: Trading Post, South Petherton

English Nature
Best Farmers’ Market of the Year
Winner: Taunton Farmers Market

Somerset Tourism Partnership
Most Distinctive Local Menu
Winner: Andrews on the Weir, Minehead

Somerset Tourism Partnership
Most Distinctive Local Menu
Winner: Haymaker Inn, Chard

Somerset Tourism Partnership
Most Distinctive Local Menu
Winner: Kempsters Restaurant, Crewkerne

Orchard FM
Best Country Pub of the Year
Winner: Haymaker Inn, Chard

Federation of Small Businesses
Best Entrepreneur / Innovative Product of the Year
Winner: Blackmore Farm Ice Cream, Bridgewater

Somerset Skills Alliance
Best Food Producer of the Year
Winner: Brown & Forrest Smokery, Langport

Business Link Somerset
Best Farm Shop of the Year
Winner: New Manor Farm Shop, West Harptree, Bristol

Archant Life
Restaurant of the Year
In association with Taste of the West
Winner: Kempsters Restaurant, Crewkerne

Michael Caines Restaurants
Best Butcher / Meat Producer of the Year
Winner: Bonners of Ilminster, Ilminster

The Corporate Group
Best Chef of the Year
Winner: Tim Whitehead, Haymaker Inn, Chard

Royal Bath & West Show
Best Dining Pub of the Year
In association with Taste of the West
Winner: The Greyhound Inn, Taunton

Fosters Event Catering
Best Drinks Producer of the Year
Winner: Cotleigh Brewery, Wiveliscombe

Guests included: Michael Caines, Celebrity Chef, Robert Drewett, Vice Chairman, The Royal Bath & West of England Society.

Contact: Rachel Smith, Marketing Manager, Somerset Life 01803-860751
E-mail: Rachel.smith@archant.co.uk

Farmers across the region are invited to enter this year’s South West Dairy Farm Business of the Year Competition.

Every farmer who enters will receive free tickets to the Dairy Show at the Bath & West Showground in October, and each finalist will receive two tickets for the prestigious Dairy Industry Dinner plus accommodation on the eve of the Show.

The ultimate winner will be presented with the coveted trophy and certificate at the Show, plus an extra special prize of a trip to London and a theatre outing for a family of four.

The competition, sponsored by Barclays Bank and Milk Link, is open to all farm businesses across Devon, Cornwall, Bristol, Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire, Hampshire and Gloucestershire whose income is mainly derived from milk production.

Entry forms are available from the Bath & West Showground, Shepton Mallet, Somerset, BA4 6QN or telephone 01749 822 2000. The closing date for entries is 15th August 2005.

All finalists will be visited by the panel of judges who will tour each farm, discuss farming plans and policies with the families and analyse the dairy costings and accounts provided by each business.

The competition aims to highlight dairy farmers in the South West who are best prepared to meet the challenges facing them and who can demonstrate a profitable way ahead. Last year’s competition attracted a high level of entries from across the whole South West region from farm businesses that derive the majority of their income from milk production.

The final result will be announced at the Silver Jubilee Dairy Show at the Bath and West Showground, Shepton Mallet on 5th October, where the winner receives the prestigious trophy and certificate and will be among the VIP guests at the show’s 25th anniversary celebrations.

Tickets for this year’s Dairy Show, sponsored by NatWest, Dairy Crest and Farmers Guardian, can be obtained from the Showground on 01749 822 200. Advanced saver tickets are available now on the credit card hotline on 01749 822 222.

For further information and pictures please contact:
Fran Weelen, Marketing Department, Bath and West Showground, Shepton Mallet, Somerset
Tel: (01749) 822 213 Fax: (01749) 823 169
e-mail: fran.weelen@bathandwest.co.uk
www.bathandwest.co.uk

Take a photo of your garden in all its glory, and send it off to the Bristol Evening Post, at Temple Way, Bristol BS99 7HD. Mark your entry for the attention of Lucy Parkinson, include your name, address and phone number and send it in with a tie-breaker of 50 words saying why your garden is so special. All photos will be judged – by the Post’s panel of eagle-eyed experts - and the winner will be invited along to this year’s Bristol Flower Show to receive their prize - the new Bristol City Garden Challenge Trophy.

The Trophy will be presented by Mrs Sally Burke, in memory of her husband, the late Mr John Burke who died last year. (April 2004) Mr Burke, who lived at Bishops Sutton, was one of the West’s most respected businessmen and was well known throughout the whole community. He was chief executive and vice-chairman of the Bristol & West, and was awarded the OBE for his commitment to charity. He was also a director and honorary treasurer of the Royal Bath & West of England Society.

The Bristol City Garden Challenge competition, sponsored by the Bristol Evening Post, is just one of many new features at this year’s Show which takes place at Durdham Downs in Bristol on August 19th, 20th and 21st.

Organised by Bristol City Council and the Bath & West Trading Company the Show promises to offer something for everyone from the serious horticulturist to the person who just likes to potter, with a wealth of trade stands offering to meet every gardener’s needs from tools to seeds.

There are competitions for handicrafts, cookery, photography, flower arranging and children’s classes organised by the Avon Federation of Women’s Institutes, as well as the normal flower, fruit and vegetable classes, plus a separate section for allotments, and the magnificent Floral Marquee. And the popular Gardens Monthly Roadshow will be there offering a whole host of top tips from the experts.

Entertainment for all the family includes Morris dancing, bands, face-painting and a pianist playing in the Floral Marquee, and by the Lord Mayor of Bristol will host a grand midday reception on the opening day of the Show which this year celebrates its 61st anniversary. Other features include the Ninth Allotment Fair which is open to all Bristol Allotment Tenants, and The National Vegetable Society Summer Show.

Organisers are also pleased to welcome back once again St Peter’s Hospice who will be running a stand to help promote their fund-raising work.

The Show is being sponsored by Bristol Blue Glass who are donating some of their beautiful glassware as prizes, commercial residential and agricultural property agents Knight Frank LLP who are sponsoring the programme and tickets, Bristol-based Bart Spices Ltd who are sponsoring the children’s competitions, and City Motors and S J Cook & Sons - Renault in Bristol, who are supporting the Floral Marquee.

Admission is £8 for adults on the gate, or £6 in advance, £6 for senior citizens on the gate or £5 in advance, and £3 for children. An advance family saver ticket costs just £15 for two adults and three children.

For further information about the show, or details regarding tradestands, schedules and classes, please ring 01749 822 200 or save £££s by booking your advance tickets now on the credit card hotline on 01749 822 222.

It will be celebrations all round as this year’s show at the Bath & West Showground, Shepton Mallet, marks its 25th anniversary in spectacular style.

Located in the heart of one of the main dairy regions in the UK, the Show, sponsored by NatWest, Dairy Crest and Farmers Guardian, is now recognized as one of the country’s top speciality shows for farmers.

This year’s Show on October 5th features over 300 quality dairy cattle, over 250 tradestands, the presence of key players at all levels of the industry, and a wealth of seminars and displays, making it a premier event for all dairy farmers.

Highlights include the Supreme Dairy Cattle Championship, The Calf Show, Showmanship Classes open to all juniors and The Interbreed Heifer Championship. New features this year include Brown Swiss classes, sponsored by Future Genetics, plus a Special Silver Jubilee points accumulator competition for breeders, sponsored by Kingfisher Veterinary Practice.

Tickets are already being snapped up fast for the prestigious Dairy Industry Dinner, sponsored by Lloyds TSB and Dairy Crest, which takes place the night before the Show. The Juniors’ Showmanship Classes will be judged at the reception before the dinner, and the presentation of the coveted Dairy Industry Award will be made during the evening to a key player in the dairy world.

The presentation of the prestigious 2005 South West Dairy Farm Business of the Year Award, sponsored by Milklink and Barclays will be made the following day during the Show.

Seminars followed by question and answer sessions will be held in the Westex Theatre at 11am and 2pm. Topics to be covered are “Electronic Identification,” and “Lameness – Prevention and Cure.”

Up to date information and advice will be on offer from experts at the wide range of tradestands, and the very latest techniques, systems and machinery will be on display, including state of the art cooling and milking equipment from show supporters Fullwoods.

Show chairman Edwin White said: “We are looking forward to this very special show. The dairy industry has experienced momentous changes over the last 25 years. In that period the number of dairy farmers has almost halved and herd sizes have doubled. Cow numbers and milk volume have stayed virtually the same whilst their means of production has become ever more efficient and professional.

“Whether it is a family run farm or a large dairy unit, skilled workers, efficiency and tight controls are the tools to stay at the forefront of change.
Everything the farmer needs to survive and succeed in the industry today can be found at the Dairy Show, and we look forward to welcoming old friends and new faces at what promises to be most spectacular event in the Show’s history.”

In the run-up to the Show organisers are keen to hear from people who have been show stalwarts over the last 25 years and have any interesting stories, anecdotes, photos or memories they wish to share. If you have a Dairy Show tale to tell please contact marketing manager Fran Weelen at the Showground on 01749 822213.

Entries close dates for the Show are September 5th for cattle stall bookings and further details can be obtained from the Showground on 01749 822213.

Save £££s by booking tickets for the Show in advance on the Credit Card Hotline on 01749 822 222. Advanced saver tickets for adults are £7.50 (price on gate £9.00) or £3 for concessions - students, children and senior citizens - (price on gate £4)

Every farmer who enters will receive free tickets to the Dairy Show at the Bath & West Showground in October, and each finalist will receive two tickets for the prestigious Dairy Industry Dinner plus accommodation on the eve of the Show.

The ultimate winner will be presented with the coveted trophy and certificate at the Show, plus an extra special prize of a trip to London and a theatre outing for a family of four.

The competition, sponsored by Barclays Bank and Milk Link, is open to all farm businesses across Devon, Cornwall, Bristol, Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire, Hampshire and Gloucestershire whose income is mainly derived from milk production.

Entry forms are available from the Bath & West Showground, Shepton Mallet, Somerset, BA4 6QN or telephone 01749 822 2000. The closing date for entries is 15th August.

All finalists will be visited by the panel of judges who will tour each farm, discuss farming plans and policies with the families and analyse the dairy costings and accounts provided by each business.

The competition aims to highlight dairy farmers in the South West who are best prepared to meet the challenges facing them and who can demonstrate a profitable way ahead. Last year’s competition attracted a high level of entries from across the whole South West region from farm businesses that derive the majority of their income from milk production.

The final result will be announced at the Silver Jubilee Dairy Show at the Bath and West Showground, Shepton Mallet on 5th October, where the winner receives the prestigious trophy and certificate and will be among the VIP guests at the show’s 25th anniversary celebrations.

Tickets for this year’s Dairy Show, sponsored by NatWest, Dairy Crest and Farmers Guardian, can be obtained from the Showground on 01749 822 200. Advanced saver tickets are available now on the credit card hotline on 01749 822 222.

Dairy Show organisers were amazed at the amount of research and hard work the youngsters put into the project, which was one of the highlights of the Education Trail at last year’s Dairy Show.

And the pupils’ efforts and enthusiasm were rewarded at a special ceremony this week (July 5th) at Bucklers Mead Community School in Yeovil when Dr Jane Guise, Chief Executive of the Royal Bath & West of England Society, and Shows Manager Alan Lyons presented them with awards.

Over 60 pupils aged between 10-12 and from Bucklers Mead, Preston School, Westfield School , and Strode and Frome Colleges, visited last year’s Dairy Show at the Bath & West Showground and took part in the Education Trail. The Trail was designed as a fun, fact-finding opportunity to learn all about dairy farming, processing and the end products.

Based on the National Curriculum the Education Trail included information on how dairy cattle are cared for, the different dairy cattle breeds, the milking process, dairy products and their food and health values and talks with invited dairy farmers.

Aims of the trail were to demonstrate how milk is produced and the factors determining milk quality, to inform children about all aspects of milk production in order to enable them to make informed choices when purchasing milk and dairy products, to demonstrate that UK produced milk and dairy products are safe, and to highlight their health and nutritional benefits.

The Trail was backed by the CLA Charitable Trust which helped with the costs of transporting the youngsters and their teachers to and from the Show. And the trail was given an extra boost of £500 thanks to a Wessex Watermark Award from the Conservation Fund.

Said Bucklers Mead’s Second in Science Sarah-Jane Moore, who helped co-ordinate the project: “We would like to say huge thanks to all involved in organising this. It was a great success and a wonderful project to be involved in, and we are very much looking forward to taking part in the Education Trail again at this year’s Dairy Show.”

The winning pupils from Bucklers Mead were: Ist Lewis Rowden, 2nd Tom Jones, 3rd Matthew Chandler, 4th Lauren Ware, 5th Declan Wills, 6th Roxanne Jones

Commendations also went to pupils Pippa Croxford, Andrew Golding, Luke Harris, Emma Lawrence, Francesca Ware, Megan Jewell, Emma Dunn, Dan Gardener, Katie Lamming, Sophie Bradford, Sarah Waddlleton, Alec Thorne, Dan Gill, Ross Dash, Simon Gunton, and Robert Maskell. (All the final winners came from Bucklers Mead).

Certificates were presented to all the finalists, engraved glass trophies will go to the top winners and all entrants received free tickets to the Royal Bath & West Show.

Said Dr Guise: “The enthusiasm and professionalism shown by these youngsters was heart-warming.

Alan Lyons said: “The judges were all very impressed with the student’s perception of rural business, animal welfare and milk production in general. I hope that the whole project may encourage some of the students to enter the industry in the future.

The Education Trail will again be one of the highlights at this year’s Silver Jubilee Dairy Show at the Bath & West Showground on Wednesday, October 5th.

Tad Newton’s Jazz Friends, a seven-piece band from Northampton, will be playing throughout all three days of the Show which takes place at Durdham Downs, Bristol, from August 19th to 21st.

The popular Bristol Morris Men will be putting their best feet forward with lively performances on the Saturday and Sunday. And the young members of the Frome-based Saxophone Quartet will be showing off their musical talents on Sunday.

Every dog will have its day at the Show as there’s plenty of canine antics going on. On Friday and Saturday the Canine Capers from Burnham-on-Sea will be getting the crowds clapping and jigging with both two-footed and four-footed members of the team performing their intricate line-dancing choreography!

On Sunday Frome Dog Club members will be out in force delighting visitors with their range of tricks and agility. And throughout all three days John Hough and his dog display team from Street will be performing tricks in time to music.

The safety message will be delivered by Avon Fire and Rescue who will be present with their interactive display unit stage, plus their exciting kitchen fire demonstration. And pianist Paul Roberts from Wessex Entertainments will be tinkling on the ivories in the Floral Marquee which will be filled with an impressive line-up of leading local and national growers.

The entertainment all adds to what promises to be an action-packed fun day out for the thousands of visitors expected to attend the Show which is celebrating its 61st anniversary and is organised this year by Bristol City Council and the Bath & West Trading Company.

Highlights include hundreds of flower, fruit and vegetable classes, competitions, the Ninth Allotment Fair and the National Vegetable Society Summer Show.

The Gardens Monthly Roadshow, sponsored by Wessex Water, Evergreen Spray & Feed and Lawnbuilder, will be holding daily Q and A sessions. Solving a host of green-fingered conundrums will be well-known gardening consultants and experts Mary Payne, Jon Wheatley, and Steve Bradley, and the compere will be ITV Westcountry presenter Sue King.

The guests are all feature writers in the Gardens Monthly Magazine “Ask the Experts” section and Steve Bradley also writes the Saturday garden section with Peter Seabrook for the Sun newspaper.

The Show is being sponsored by Bristol Blue Glass who are donating some of their beautiful glassware as prizes, commercial residential and agricultural property agents Knight Frank LLP who are sponsoring the programme and tickets, and Bristol-based Bart Spices Ltd who are sponsoring the children’s competitions at the Show.

The Show is also supported by City Motors and S J Cook & Sons, Renault in Bristol, BBC Radio Bristol who will be broadcasting live from the event, and Hinton Organics from Hinton Charterhouse who are supplying soil and products.

Admission is £8 for adults on the gate, or £6 in advance, £6 for senior citizens on the gate or £5 in advance, and £3 for children. An advance family saver ticket costs just £15 for two adults and three children.

For further information about the show, or details regarding tradestands, schedules and classes, please ring 01749 822 200 or save £££s by booking your advance tickets now on the credit card hotline on 01749 822 222.

For further information and pictures please contact:
Fran Weelen, Marketing Department, Bath and West Showground, Shepton Mallet, Somerset
Tel: (01749) 822 213 Fax: (01749) 823 169
e-mail: fran.weelen@bathandwest.co.uk

The Children’s Area at the Show at Durdham Downs from August 19th to 21st offers a wealth of exciting activities plus the chance to meet some pretty weird and wonderful creatures.

And one of the highlights will be the educational Children’s Trail – a fun, learning experience combined with a real voyage of discovery, inspiring youngsters to explore and investigate a variety of sections at the show.

Trail entry forms can be picked up at the gate and in the Children’s Area. Youngsters can tour the Show, solving clues and filling in the forms as they go. All completed forms should be handed in at the Avon Gorge and Downs Wildlife Project’s stand - which is the finishing point of the Trail in the Children’s Area. All entry forms will be entered into a grand draw – with the chance of winning some super prizes.

The project’s stand will help youngsters find out about the special plants and creatures that live on the Downs. And they will have the chance to have their faces painted and to make their very own wildlife masks – including badgers, butterflies and foxes, and make their own badges, using the Project’s designs or coming up with their very own ideas.

Meanwhile the volunteer services team from Bristol Zoo will be bringing along an interesting collection of animals and insects to the Show – including some giant land snails from Africa which fit in the palm of your hand, a tarantula, some hissing cockroaches, a stick insect and a scorpion!

Children’ gardening skills will also be on display at the Flower Show with special classes for youngsters ranging from cacti and vegetables, to decorating an egg or baking a cake.

Youngsters also have the chance to show off their poetry and handwriting skills in a special competition sponsored by Bart Spices whose prizes on offer include copies of “City Bristol Today in Poems and Pictures” for the top winners, plus a £50 book token each for their Schools.

All the youngsters work will be on display in the Children’s Show which is organised by the Avon Federation of Women’s Institutes.

Hundreds of entries and thousands of visitors are expected at the Flower Show which is celebrating its 61st anniversary this year and is jointly organised by Bristol City Council and the Bath & West Trading Company.

The Show is being sponsored by Bristol Blue Glass who are donating some of their beautiful glassware as prizes, commercial residential and agricultural property agents Knight Frank LLP who are sponsoring the programme and tickets, Bristol-based Bart Spices Ltd who are sponsoring the children’s competitions, and City Motors and S J Cook & Sons - Renault in Bristol, who are supporting the Floral Marquee. BBC Radio Bristol is also supporting the Show and will be broadcasting live from the Show over the three days.

Admission is £8 for adults on the gate, or £6 in advance, £6 for senior citizens on the gate or £5 in advance, and £3 for children. An advance family saver ticket costs just £15 for two adults and three children.

For further information about the show, or details regarding tradestands, schedules and classes, please ring 01749 822 200 or save £££s by booking your advance tickets now on the credit card hotline on 01749 822 222.

For further information and pictures please contact:
Fran Weelen, Marketing Department, Bath and West Showground, Shepton Mallet, Somerset
Tel: (01749) 822 213 Fax: (01749) 823 169
e-mail: fran.weelen@bathandwest.co.

Over £10,000 worth of prizes and trophies are on offer at the Show which takes place at Durdham Downs, Bristol, from Friday, August 19th to Sunday, August 21st.

There are nearly 100 classes to choose from in the Vegetable, Fruit, Flower, Honey and Home Made Wine classes, ranging from nine pompon blooms or one fuchsia, to a dish of 20 blackberries, and from two jars of honey to a bottle of home-made wine.
Entries for these classes close on August 14th, and entry forms and schedules are available on 01749 822 200.

The Show also features the Ninth Allotment Fair, open to all Bristol Allotment Tenants and anyone wishing to take up the chance of showing off their prize produce from their plots should contact the City Council’s Allotments Office on 0117 922 3737. Entries for the Allotment Fair must be returned by August 5th.

And the Avon Federation of Women’s Institutes is organising the classes for Floral Arrangement, Handicrafts, Cookery, Photography Classes and the Children’s Show.

Youngsters also have the chance to show off their poetry and handwriting skills in a special competition sponsored by Bart Spices whose prizes on offer include copies of “City Bristol Today in Poems and Pictures” for the top winners, plus a £50 book token each for their Schools.

All entry forms for those sections of the Show must be sent to AFWI, WI House, 11 Station Road, Keynsham, Bristol, BS31 2BH by Sunday, July 31st.

Meanwhile a wealth of entries is also expected for the Summer Show of the South West England District Association of the National Vegetable Society. This competition is open to all paid up and Life Members of the NVS and Members of Societies affiliated to the NVS. Schedules and entry forms for this section of the Show can be obtained from Mr D Tucker on 01225 766 937.

And if your garden is looking as pretty as a picture you could win an extra special new trophy at the Show. Take a photo of your garden in all its glory, and send it off to the Bristol Evening Post, at Temple Way, Bristol BS99 7HD. Mark your entry for the attention of Lucy Parkinson, include your name, address and phone number and send it in with a tie-breaker of 50 words saying why your garden is so special. All photos will be judged – by the Post’s panel of eagle-eyed experts - and the winner will be invited along to this year’s Bristol Flower Show to receive their prize - the new Bristol City Garden Challenge Trophy, presented in memory of local businessman and keen charity supporter Mr John Burke who died last year.

Thousands of visitors are expected at the Bristol Flower Show which is celebrating its 61st year and is under new management. Bristol City Council and The Bath & West Trading Company have joined forces to produce a bigger and better event than ever before, offering something for everyone from the serious horticulturist to the person who just likes to potter, with a wealth of trade stands to suit every gardener’s needs from tools to seeds.

The popular Gardens Monthly Roadshow will be there offering a whole host of top tips from the experts. And entertainment for all the family includes Morris dancing, bands, face-painting and a pianist playing in the Floral Marquee, while the Lord Mayor of Bristol will host a grand midday reception on the opening day of the Show.

Show organiser Patsy Scadding said she was delighted with the interest and support for the Show: “Our Floral Marquee is full with 35 well known local and national growers, tradestands are buoyant and tickets sales are increasing daily. We are all looking forward to a wonderful Show.”

The Show is being sponsored by Bristol Blue Glass who are donating some of their beautiful glassware as prizes, commercial residential and agricultural property agents Knight Frank LLP who are sponsoring the programme and tickets, Bristol-based Bart Spices Ltd who are sponsoring the children’s competitions, and City Motors and S J Cook & Sons - Renault in Bristol, who are supporting the Floral Marquee. BBC Radio Bristol is also supporting the Show and will be broadcasting live from the Show over the three days.

For further information about the show, please ring 01749 822 200.

Her Royal Highness will attend the Dairy Industry Dinner on the eve of the Silver Jubilee Dairy Show and join in the 25th anniversary celebrations of the Show the following day.

During the dinner The Countess will present the Dairy Industry Award to a key player in the industry in recognition of their services to dairying.

Her Royal Highness will also have the chance to watch the Juniors’ Showmanship Classes which will be judged at the reception before the dinner.

During the Show the next day The Countess will tour the stands, meet exhibitors and guests and present the South West Dairy Farm Business of the Year Award, and the Supreme Cattle Championship.

This will be the Countess’ second official Royal visit to the Bath & West Showground – she was the Royal visitor at the 2004 Royal Bath & West Show.

Located in the heart of one of the main dairy regions in the UK, the Dairy Show, is now recognized as one of the country’s top speciality shows for farmers.

This year’s Show on October 5th features over 300 quality dairy cattle, over 250 tradestands, the presence of key players at all levels of the industry, and a wealth of seminars and displays, making it a premier event for all dairy farmers.

Seminars followed by question and answer sessions will be held in the Westex Theatre at 11am and 2pm. Topics to be covered are “Electronic Identification,” and “Lameness – Prevention and Cure.”

Up to date information and advice will be on offer from experts at the wide range of tradestands, and the very latest techniques, systems and machinery will be on display.

In the run-up to the Show organisers are keen to hear from people who have been show stalwarts over the last 25 years and have any interesting stories, anecdotes, photos or memories they wish to share.

Entries close dates for the Show are September 5th for cattle stall bookings and further details can be obtained from the Showground on 01749 822213.

Save £££s by booking tickets for the Show in advance on the Credit Card Hotline on 01749 822 222. Advanced saver tickets for adults are £7.50 (price on gate £9.00) or £3 for concessions - students, children and senior citizens - (price on gate £4)

Nearly 20,000 people poured through the gates for what was the 61st Show – this year organised jointly this year by the Bath & West Trading Company and Bristol City Council. The show was officially opened by the Lord Mayor of Bristol, Peter Abraham who said “We have one of the best flower shows in the country here.”

Standards were high and exhibitors included Mendip Bonsai from Shepton Mallet who have already scooped a Gold Medal at Chelsea and the RHS Best in Show at Tatton. Owner John Trott was delighted to make it a hat trick at Bristol with a Large Gold Medal.

And Stewart Lockyer (80), of C S Fuchsias at Coalpit Heath won the Best in Show award with his spectacular display in the Floral Marquee with his fuchsia waterfall. His son worked throughout the night to get it ready. Said Stewart:”This is the fifth time we have won best in Show – we intendned to get Best in show and that’s what we did. The judges said it was very high in the Wo factor! I think it was about the best display of fuchsias we have ever done!”

Mervyn Jacobs from Pilning, Bristol scooped five trophies including the Bristol Evening Post trophy for the best exhibit in the horticultural section of the Show. he had ten first prizes and two second prizes with his dazzling dahlias. 2I am very proud indeed – I was lucky they all came out just right on the day!. I’ve been coming here 20 years and it is a very nice, friendly and well organised show.”

There were chances to win a host of super prizes from a brand new car worth £8,000 in the St Peter’s Hospice Draw. The car was kindly donated by Williams Automobiles at Brislington. Commercial residential and agricultural property agents Knight, Frank LLP who sponsored the programme and tickets ran a draw to raise money for the hospice too.

And visitors could also win a unique furnace pot in a Grand Draw organised by Bristol Blue Glass who donated some of their beautiful glassware as prizes. The winner was Mrs Pat Davie, of Horfield, Bristol.

The Bristol Evening Post Trophy for the Best Exhibitor in the Show went to Mervyn Jacobs from Pilning, Bristol, for the most points in the cactus and pot plant sections.

A Bristol Blue Glass trophy for the best exhibit in the vegetable section went to Harry Godden of Doulting, Shepton Mallet for his celebrated celery.

The Bristol City Garden Challenge Competition was won by 79 year old Cynthia Burridge, of Stoke Bishop, Bristol, whose photos of her delightful garden delighted the judges. She was presented with the Bristol City Garden Challenge Trophy by Mrs Sally Burke, widow of the late John Burke, one of the city’s leading businessmen who died tragically last year.

Runners-up were Mr Arthur Ridler (83) of Silverhill Road, Henbury, and Mrs Audrey Smith (whose work was entered by her proud husband John without her knowing) of Collinswood Avenue, Kingswood.

Entertainment included Bristol Morris Men dancing, a Saxophone Quartet, Tad Newton’s Jazz Friends, a display by Avon Fire Rescue and plenty of action for dog lovers with the Canine Capers and their dancing antics with their four footed friends, agility and tricks from Frome Dog Club, while John Hough and his dog team from Street entertained the crowds with tricks in time for music.

There was plenty to keep youngsters busy too, from badge-making, face-painting and mask-making plus an interesting array of animals and insects from Bristol Zoo including a tarantula and giant snails and some hissing cockroaches. The Children’s Trail, an educational fun and fact-finding tour round the Show, proved a big hit with youngsters.

Winners in children’s competitions sponsored by Barts Spices were 11 year old Ruby Butcher from Fishponds for best creative writing; with her poem about spices, seven year old Ethan Gooding from Filton for the Under 8’s hand-writing section, and Alice Stockwell (10), from Stoke Gifford in the 8 -11 year old section for best hand-writing. Ethan unfortunately could not collect his prizes of “City Bristol Today in Poems and Pictures” and a book token form his school as he had his tonsils out that day – his grandfather David Trigger who notched up his own winning successes in the honey section, collected the prizes on his behalf.

There were a record 16 entries in the Ninth Allotment Fair. And David and Margaret Chappell from Newport, Wales, delighted the crowds with their display of 200 different species of potatoes in the Floral Marquee. The couple in fact grow 400 varieties on their three allotments and in their back garden. This was David’s last show as he has decided to give exhibiting a rest after 59 years.

Next month the 69 year old turns his hand to judging at the National Amateur Gardening Show at the Bath & West Showground at Shepton Mallet (Sept 2 – 4).

The Show was sponsored by Bristol Blue Glass, who donated some of their beautiful glassware as prizes, commercial residential and agricultural property agents Knight Frank LLP sponsored the programme and tickets, and Bristol-based Bart Spices Ltd who sponsored the children’s competitions at the Show. The Show was also supported by City Motors and S J Cook & Sons, Renault in Bristol and BBC Radio Bristol who broadcasted live from the event over all 3 days.

Administrator Paul Hooper thanked everyone who had helped the event such a success. “This was the first time we held an off-site event outside the Bath & West Showground so there were a lot of learning curves for us, but it has been a great success and we have had a wonderful attendance."

Sporting a T-shirt bearing the words: “Forget the rest, Tommy Walsh is the Best!” little Harry Baker from Gillingham in Dorset took the effervescent Tommy completely by surprise.

Tommy and fellow Ground Force presenter Kirsty King were presenting the prizes to the young winners of the Junior Gardeners Design competition at the Show when Harry burst through the crowd to say hello.

Harry, a pupil at Wyke Primary School, was so determined to meet his hero that he had given up a trip to Diggerland. And he and his Mum went to get the T-shirt especially designed in a Salisbury shop in readiness for the big occasion.

“He’s mad about Tommy Walsh,” said his Mum, Janet. “He watches repeat programmes about him every night on television as well as the current shows he’s on! He would not have missed seeing him for the world!”

Harry, who is passionate about DIY, archaeology and gardening and has his own bit of garden and own shed at home, is determined to follow in Tommy’s footsteps. And the giant celebrity wished him well for the future and added that he hoped his attire would be adopted across the country!

The painting contest attracted entries from youngsters across the country who took up the challenge of sending in a painting of their dream garden.

The winners of the Junior Gardeners Design contest were:

WINNERS IN THE 7-10 YEARS OLD SECTION

1st Verity Jones (9), of Station Road, Westbury, Wilts
2nd Emma Hope (10) of Eastwick Road, Taunton
3rd Molly Barron (8) of Stratton-on-the-Fosse, Radstock

WINNERS IN THE 11-15 YEAR OLD SECTION

Ist Robert Cooper (12) South Barrow, Yeovil
2nd Sophie Geldeard (14) of East Stoke, Stoke-Sub-Hamdon, Somerset
3rd Caitlin Borley (14), Littlebrooks Lane, Shepton Mallet

All were presented with gift vouchers and Amateur Gardening goody bags by Kirsty and Tommy.

The mighty vegetable weighed in at 62kg (just over 136 lbs) – shattering the previous record of John Handley from Chesterfield by just 0.77kg.

The marrow was the handiwork of 22 year old Mark Baggs, and his father Frank, farmers from Wareham, Dorset, who were first time exhibitors at the Show at the Bath & West Showground, Shepton Mallet.

They visited the gardening show last year and were so gob-smacked at the size of the entries in the National UK Giant Vegetable Championships at the Show that they decided to give it a go themselves this year.

Keen grower Clive Bevan, who is a steward at the competition, helped them out with plenty of advice and even supplied them with marrow and pumpkin seeds. “I rather wish I’d held onto it now!” joked Clive. “Seriously though, I am pleased they asked for advice and some seeds – and if I can help anyone out I always try to.”

Mr Baggs senior said: “We have never grown one before and we didn’t know anything about it until we came to the Show last year. We are absolute novices but we have had lots of help from people, especially Clive. I didn’t realise there was quite so much to it all!”

At one point the Baggs’ colossal pumpkin looked set to be another record-breaker – but it tipped the scales at 260.4kg – a fraction short of the existing record.

Meanwhile long-time grower Ian Neale from Newport, S Wales, surpassed his own British record with a water melon weighing in at 75kg. “The secret is good seed, good ground, good weather and good luck!” he said. “It is still about 90 lbs short of a world record – though I am sure one day someone will do that here with the right seed.”

“We have had the heaviest marrows we have ever had and the cucumbers were exceptionally big too!” said vegetable co-ordinator Ray Davey. “Despite the difficult growing conditions everything is of very high standard.”

A new website, totally dedicated to giant vegetable enthusiasts, was launched at the show. www.giantveg.co.uk is the brainchild of brothers Gareth and Kevin Fortey and their neighbour Kyle Phillips from Cwmbran in South Wales.

They set up the website in memory of the brothers’ father, Mike Fortey who died in 1996. Mike started the whole giant veg ball rolling in this country when he held a pumpkin competition in his local pub in the 1980’s – it grew from strength to strength, expanding to take in other vegetables and so the National UK Giant Vegetable Championship was born.

The boys appeared on BBC Gardeners World last month and, since it launched, the website has attracted a lot of hits and plenty of praise.

Said Kevin (27):”This is all about the giant vegetable community – anything you need to know about giant vegetables is on it and we hope it will attract a lot of interest. There has never been a giant vegetable growers’ Society – but we hope our website will help fill the gap.”

The competition attracted 46 growers from all over the country and is one of the major attractions at the National Amateur Gardening Show, which is supported by Renault, and which this year attracted nearly 36,000 visitors.

The breathtaking stand exhibited by Westdale Nursery won a Large Gold and the title of Best in Show in the Floral Marquee.

“It is the best exhibit of bougainvilleas that we have seen at ANY Show – Hampton Court, Chelsea, Tatton and Malvern included!” said Roy Cheek who is himself hailed as one of the finest plantsmen and most knowledgeable horticultural experts in the country.

“You will not find a better collection anywhere else in Europe – it must be the best in Europe,” declared fellow judge Vic Verrier. “You rarely see a bougainvillea stand getting Best in Show anywhere so it is nice to see it happen here and it is also good that he is a local grower with good quality plants, and well displayed natural plants.

And judge Angela Cave said it was wonderful to see the flowers looking exactly like they should do –the same as they look when seen growing naturally abroad.

Westdale Nurseries, based at Bradford-on-Avon in Wiltshire is run by Charlie Clarke. It is a family business – Charlie’s founded it 50 years ago. Also named Charlie, Mr Clarke senior is 90 but still lends a hand as does Charlie junior’s wife, and seven children. And with a ninth grandchild on the way he is pretty certain it will stay a family business.

When told the judge’s comments Charlie said he could hardly believe it. “What can I say?” But as the news sunk in he said: “We do put an awful lot of effort into it. We grow 260 varieties and I believe we have the largest collection in the country and we send a lot of them around the world.”

So why does he prefer bougainvilleas? “They are very colourful and so versatile; they are pest-free and disease-free; they are ideal for hanging baskets; they flower for a oong time; people use them instead of blinds for their windows; they are easy to grow and last a long time – I’ve got one over 200 years old! The secret is keep them frost-free keep them fed, and then they can be as easily trained as husbands!”

Meanwhile the judges also praised the quality and high standards of the Floral Marquee exhibits in general. “It is the best Floral Marquee that we have ever seen at this Show, over all the years we have been involved,” enthused Roy Cheek.

“The quality is well up and the layout of the marquee has been vastly improved. I think the public will appreciate it very much too – they will see the improved quality and the better layout allows them to compare everything much more easily than in previous year,” said Vic.

And Roy added it was very obvious many of the exhibitors had taken on board the judges’ comments at previous shows as improvement was evident.

And he pooh-poohed marquee moaners who sometimes say that a Gold Medal at NAGS is the equivalent of a Silver Gilt at Chelsea. “I assure you a Gold Medal here at NAGS is equivalent to a gold at Chelsea! The Large Gold is a superb award!” he declared.

The three judges, who spent over four hours studying the 54 displays in minute detail and making copious notes, said they had been delighted by the standards.

*Roy Cheek spent 15 years working in parks, gardens and nurseries, from gardener to chief officer; he was a senior lecturer and curator of gardens at Cannington College, and for 15 years has been an international tour leader and lecturer and advisor, looking at plants all over the world. He also exhibited at Chelsea for 25 years and judged there for 20. He lives near Bridgwater and is also the senior advisor of RHS holidays as well as master-minding the Chelsea exhibit for Mauritius each year.

Angela Cave professes to be a latecomer to horticulture. She went to Lackham eight years ago and did a three year course where she won the Institute of Horticulture’s student of the year award – the Oliver Menhinnick Trophy. She went to work for Mendip District Council’s parks and gardens department and now runs her own horticultural company.

Vic Verrier has been involved in horticulture all his life starting off as a horticulture apprentice and finishing up as parks and amenities manager at Taunton Deane Borough Council. He is chairman of South West in Bloom, freelances for the BBC, broadcasts gardening programmes for BBC Radio Bristol and Somerset Sound, is one of the panel for the ITV Gardening Roadshow and writes for Gardens Monthly. He is appearing at the Show as one of the panel on the The Sun’s Gardening Roadshow.

Over 35,600 people attended the Show at the Bath & West Showground, Shepton Mallet, which celebrated its tenth anniversary this year and was supported by Renault.

The best display of bougainvilleas anywhere in Europe scooped the top award and the judges’ praise in the Floral Marquee.

The breathtaking stand exhibited by Westdale Nurseries, run by Charlie Clarke at Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire, won a Large Gold and the title of Best in Show in the Floral Marquee.

“It is the best exhibit of bougainvilleas that we have seen at ANY Show – Hampton Court, Chelsea, Tatton and Malvern included!” said Roy Cheek who is himself hailed as one of the finest plantsmen and most knowledgeable horticultural experts in the country.

“You will not find a better collection anywhere else in Europe – it must be the best in Europe,” declared fellow judge Vic Verrier. “You rarely see a bougainvillea stand getting Best in Show anywhere so it is nice to see it happen here and it is also good that he is a local grower with good quality plants, and well displayed natural plants.

And judge Angela Cave said it was wonderful to see the flowers looking exactly like they should do –the same as they look when seen growing naturally abroad.

When told the judge’s comments Charlie (53) said he could hardly believe it. “What can I say?” But as the news sunk in he said: “We do put an awful lot of effort into it. We grow 260 varieties and I believe we have the largest collection in the country and we send a lot of them around the world.”

Meanwhile the judges also praised the quality and high standards of the Floral Marquee exhibits in general at the 3 day show which is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year. “It is the best Floral Marquee that we have ever seen at this Show, over all the years we have been involved,” enthused Roy Cheek.

The Showering Pavilion was also bursting with colour and blooms as the National Dahlia Society staged its annual show which attracted growers from all over the world.

Celebrities at the Show included gardening guru Peter Seabrook, who is gardening editor of The Sun and one of the most respected commentators in the horticulture world. He  spent two days sharing his knowledge alongside teams of fellow experts from Amateur Gardening Magazine and The Sun Gardening Roadshow.

There was standing room only for the talks and question and answer sessions in both the Roadshow and the Amateur Gardening Theatre. And the new cuttings workshop also proved extremely popular with visitors.

Saturday saw popular City Gardener Matt James delighting the crowds. His day included touring the wealth of gardens on display and talking to their designers and presenting awards.  One of the most popular highlights of the Show was when he interviewed each of the Student Garden Challenge designers in turn asking them about their ideas and inspiration and then involving the crowds.

The Challenge for the five students was to create a spectacular garden in just four days on a 4 x 4 m plot – a gruelling task in itself and not helped by a dramatic thunderstorm as they were rushing to make the finishing touches on the eve of the show.

Taking part and producing gardens which were praised for their exceptionally high standards by the judges were Wiltshire College Lackham student Richard Pickett from Bath with his dramatic “A City Front Garden” which won a Gold Medal; Wiltshire College Lackham student Daniel Sample from Devizes, with his  “Circular Sanctuary” (Silver Medal); Cannington College student Freya Lawson from Bristol with her Crystal Cobweb Garden (Gold Medal);  Wiltshire College Lackham Students Geoffrey Carr, from Cirencester,  and Priscilla Daniel’s “Big Little Garden”  (Silver Medal)  and Paul Cantello, from Weston-Super Mare, a Bridgwater College student who won a Silver Medal for his “Breathing Lessons”.

And Freya received an extra bonus award as Matt chose her garden as his favourite out of all the Showcase, Feature and Student Gardens at the Show and presented her with a second engraved Dartington Crystal rosebowl.

The Feature Gardens around the Showground included the Sheducation Garden, raising safety and security awareness, created by Norton Green Farm Nursery at Stratton-on-the-Fosse for the Avon and Somerset Police, the Garden of  Japan created by  Steve Cleverdon of Taunton, The Sun Gardening Roadshow garden created by Mary Payne and John Wheatley and the Bath & West’s Celebration Garden, created by Superplants of  Wincanton and celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Show.

Sunday saw the eagerly anticipated arrival of the effervescent Tommy Walsh – a keen  supporter of the Show for many years. As an added unexpected bonus he brought along his new co-presenter on Ground Force, Kirsty King, and they spent a busy day meeting the crowds, answering questions and presenting awards.

They presented the award for the Best Showcase Garden to Duncan Travers, from Chapmanslade, Wiltshire, who runs Barters Plant Centre, who won the Gold Medal and a Dartington Crystal engraved bowl.

Duncan's daughter Alice (19) painted the spectacular central 3-D feature of the garden - she is about to embark on an art and design course at Manchester University.

Said Duncan:"It has been a lot of blood, sweat and tears - I started designing it last April! But it's been worth it in the end!"

The other showcase gardens were "The Love in a Mist Garden", designed by Stuart and Hayley Poole, from CCN Garden Design in Wimborne, Dorset, "Gardens in Focus" designed by Robbie Pearce, from Holcombe, near Radstock, and the Haiku garden, designed by Jennifer Hirsch from Hampshire. All received Silver Medals.

The Farmborough Allotments Society won a Gold Medal with their eye-catching entry.

But the star of the Show was voted  Julian Compton’s Arts and Crafts Garden which he designed on behalf of Amateur Gardening Magazine. Julian, from Ilminster, who runs his own garden design company Land Art, won the Best Showcase Garden and the Best in Show awards last year with his Help Yourself garden.

This year a delighted Julian did it again – Best Feature Garden, Gold Medal and Best Garden in the whole Show for his garden using the Golden Section, a ratio used in design since ancient times.

And last but  by no means least were the giant vegetables. A colossal package of monsters from all over the country thundered into the National UK Giant Vegetable Championships which saw a world record and a UK record go tumbling.

A mighty marrow weighed in at 62kg (just over 136 lbs)  – shattering the previous record of John Handley from Chesterfield by just 0.77kg.

The marrow was the handiwork of 22 year old Mark Baggs, and his father Frank, farmers from Wareham, Dorset, who were first time exhibitors at the Show at the Bath & West Showground, Shepton Mallet.

They visited the gardening show last year and were so gob-smacked at the size of the entries in the National UK Giant Vegetable Championships at the Show that they decided to give it a go themselves this year- with outstanding results!

Meanwhile long-time grower Ian Neale from Newport, S Wales, surpassed his own British record with a water melon weighing in at 75kg. “The secret is good seed, good ground, good weather and good luck!” he said. “It is still about 90 lbs short of a world record – though I am sure one day someone will do that here with the right seed.”

“We have had the heaviest marrows we have ever had and the cucumbers were exceptionally big too!” said vegetable co-ordinator Ray Davey. “Despite the difficult growing conditions everything is of very high standard.”

A new website, totally dedicated to giant vegetable enthusiasts, was launched at the show. www.giantveg.co.uk is the brainchild of brothers Gareth and Kevin Fortey and their neighbour Kyle Phillips from Cwmbran in South Wales.

They set up the website in memory of the brothers’ father, Mike Fortey who died in 1996. Mike started the whole giant veg ball rolling in this country when he held a pumpkin competition in his local pub in the 1980’s – it grew from strength to strength, expanding to take in other vegetables and so the National UK Giant Vegetable Championship was born.

The boys appeared on BBC Gardeners World last month and, since it launched, the website has attracted a lot of hits and plenty of praise.

Said Kevin (27):”This is all about the giant vegetable community – anything you need to know about giant vegetables is on it and we hope it will attract a lot of interest. There has never been a giant vegetable growers’ Society – but we hope our website will help fill the gap.”

(The show is a joint venture between the Bath & West Trading Company and Amateur Gardening Magazine and next year’s dates are September 1 – 3.)

She wins a family ticket to visit Bristol Zoo.

The Trail was one of the highlights of last month’s show at Durdham Downs which attracted 20,000 visitors.

The Trail was followed by hundreds of youngsters. A fun, learning experience combined with a real voyage of discovery, it inspired youngsters to explore and investigate a variety of sections at the show.

Interest in this specialist show, aimed at farmers and agricultural contractors has been brisk and already plots for trial demonstrations are being snapped up. Entries for trade stands close on 28th February, entries for demonstrations close on January 31st and further details can be obtained by ringing Rachael Hann at the Showground on 01749 822 200.

Ticket prices £8 in advance or £10 on the gate, and can be booked on the credit card hotline on 01749 822 222. The show runs from 9.30am to 5pm.

The new look has been designed to create a more professional image and sense of occasion for local, grassroots riders.  Competitors will enter the site via the Horse Entrance, and park on the hard-standing avenues surrounding the Main Ring.  The Show Jumping phase will now be held in our permanent Ring 2, with the Dressage relocated to the prestigious Main Ring, offering perfect viewing for sponsors from the Hospitality Lounge and Balcony, and spectators from the covered Grandstand.  The Cross Country course, designed by Olympic course designer Mike Etherington-Smith, has been reversed to run anti-clockwise and will feature several new fences, including a brand new water jump which competitors will tackle for the very first time.     

The event is aimed at grassroots riders and is running Intro classes on Saturday and Pre-novice on Sunday.  The horse trials are affiliated to British Eventing who have recently introduced a Day Ticket scheme which allows riders not registered with British Eventing the chance to have a go at the sport without the need for affiliation.   

The event is generously sponsored, for the second year, by Southwood Waste Management, a local company who have adopted a sustainable approach to waste management.  They have over 20 years experience and cover a large area of the South West in providing efficient and cost effective waste collection systems.  The company is committed to reducing their impact on the environment by investing in a large fleet of low emission vehicles, recycling and continually investing in cleaner technology.  They are also working to protect wild fowl and mammals, and planting trees to offset carbon emissions and greenhouse gases.           

Following the success of the Royal Bath & West of England Society’s first ever One Day Events in March and October 2004, the Society is delighted to be running its second year of events for grassroots competitors, fitting well with its aims and objectives of promoting agriculture and rural practices and encouraging allied trades connected with the rural economy.  By running the events, the Royal Bath & West hopes to involve local businesses and encourage participation from the local community by providing a service for local riders and eventing enthusiasts. 

Spectators are welcome, admission charges are £5 per car.  

For further details on British Eventing’s Day Ticket scheme contact
British Eventing on 02476 698856. 

For further details on the event contact the organiser, Sue Clayton on
01865 891073, or email horsetrials@bathandwest.co.uk

The ramifications of the new laws will come under the spotlight at the “Waste – are you at risk?” conference at Taunton Rugby Football Club at 7pm on Wednesday, October 26th.

The evening, organised by the Royal Bath & West of England Society, aims to let farmers know what effect the regulations will have and also to try and show farmers what can be done to reduce waste produced and how farmers can work together to dispose of it.

Sue Ellis, Chairman of DEFRA’s Agricultural Waste Stakeholders Forum, said: "We want to encourage farmers, suppliers, waste contractors and others involved in agricultural waste to start thinking now about the proposed changes.

"Many farmers are already changing the way they deal with waste, and research shows that the overwhelming majority - over 90 per cent - consider waste management important to their business. Farm suppliers will need to play their part by minimising their packaging and considering the viability of 'take back' schemes.

"And to maximise opportunities waste contractors will need to improve their understanding of the needs of the agriculture sector and develop systems to deal with this new waste stream."

Tickets for the conference will be £5.00 for Society members and £15.00 for non-members. There will be tea and coffee and a light finger buffet. For further details and tickets please contact Ellen Streatfeild on 01749 822 203, or book on the ticket credit card hotline on 01749 822 222. The closing date for ticket sales is 20th October.

For further information and pictures please contact:
Ellen Streatfeild, Bath and West Showground, Shepton Mallet, Somerset.
Tel: (01749) 822 203 Fax: (01749) 823 169
e-mail: ellen.streatfeild@bathandwest.co.uk

The spectacular evening of entertainment and elegance is being held on Saturday, September 24th in the magnificent setting of Marston House, near Frome.

This prestigious black tie event is being jointly organised by BIBIC (the British Institute for Brain Injured Children) and the Royal Bath & West of England Society.

Both organisations are now appealing to people from across the area to step forward and support the event, aimed at helping raise awareness and funds for both charities’ worthy causes at what promises to be a first-class night out.

The evening will be launched with a champagne reception to the musical accompaniment of a harpist, and guests will enjoy fine food, wine and an impressive array of entertainment, including a casino, a prize draw and an auction of promises.

Dinner will be served in the grand marquee spanning the raised terrace with spectacular views across the grounds. Marston House, the headquarters of Foster Yeoman Ltd, is opening its doors for the night of splendour by kind permission of Mrs Angela Yeoman.

There will be a disco and music by the band “Eye to Eye”- who have performed for HRH The Prince of Wales, on four occasions.

Already many individuals and businesses have pledged support for the evening, either by buying tickets or offering prizes for the draw and promises for the auction. Star prize is a brand new Renault Clio car, supplied by the South West Renault dealers.

The Royal Bath & West of England Society was founded in 1777 in the Georgian City of Bath - making it the oldest agricultural society in the country. A group of fore-sighted gentlemen, led by Sir Edmund Rack, met in Bath and formed a Society aimed at encouraging “agriculture, arts, manufactures and commerce”, and so the Royal Bath & West of England Society was born. Its original aims are still the foundations of the Society’s work today - through its events, seminars, conferences and the many scholarships and competitions it spearheads, and the huge boost it gives the rural economy.

Based at the Bath and West Showground, Shepton Mallet, the Society stages events throughout the year, including the Royal Bath & West Show and The Dairy Show.

The Society exists to promote excellence in, and the understanding of, agriculture and rural businesses in the South West, and its wide ranging knowledge transfer activities include educating people about the ways of the countryside and providing practical advice for farmers.

Based in Bridgwater, BIBIC works with children who have learning and developmental difficulties caused by conditions such as autism, cerebral palsy, Down’s syndrome, developmental delay, dyslexia, dyspraxia, ADHD and brain injury.

As well as helping the child, it also provides invaluable support and advice for the parents, teaching them how to make a positive difference in what is so often a long and difficult journey.

BIBIC’s belief is that every child deserves the opportunity to reach their maximum potential and achieve the best they can in life.

“The Very English Autumn Ball” promises to be a superb fun event, and is also an opportunity for both charities to promote the important work they do in the community and to raise funds to help further their aims.

Tickets for the Ball, price £60 each, can be reserved by ringing Helen Parker at BIBIC on 01278 684060 or Diane Abbott at The Royal Bath & West of England Society on 01749 822215 Email:  diane.abbott@bathandwest.co.uk

Mr Bacon (33) farms 365 acres with his father, Nick, at Honeydown Farm, Seaborough Hill, Crewkerne, Somerset. They have 221 Holstein Friesians. Their aim, he says, is to remain profitable in what is becoming an increasingly depressed industry and he has created two tight calving blocks in the Spring and Autumn which has allowed improved cost control.

He has also taken on in partnership an additional 450 acre dairy unit. “We can demonstrate that dairying is not in a terminal decline,” he assured the judges.

His management techniques were applauded in the spring when he won the Dairy Farmer of the Future Award at the National Holstein Show where he was hailed as a prime example of how dairy farmers can successfully face up to the challenges presented to them.

He said: I work at dairy farming five days a week, then I have two days for my hobby – dairy farming!”

Heather and Richard Gibson who farm 171 acres at Nether Wood Burn Farm, East Anstey, Tiverton, Devon and Will and Jo Jones of Middle Yeo Farm, Down St Mary, Crediton, Devon were runners up in the competition sponsored by Barclays Bank and Milk Link which attracted entries from across the south west.

The competition, sponsored by Barclays Bank and Milk Link, is open to all farm businesses across Devon, Cornwall, Bristol, Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire, Hampshire and Gloucestershire whose income is mainly derived from milk production.

Every farmer who entered received free tickets to The Dairy Show. As well as the trophy Mr Bacon also wins a theatre trip to London for himself and his family.

Rex Ward, Milk Link Vice Chairman said: "Milk Link is proud to be sponsoring the South West Dairy Farm Business of the Year competition for the 3rd consecutive year and our congratulations go to Stuart Bacon.

“Excellence in farming is at the heart of Milk Link's philosophy, and we are delighted that the high quality of entries received again demonstrates that South West farmers are at the forefront of best practice and innovation in dairying."

Euryn Jones, Agricultural Policy Director for Barclays Bank, who was one of the judges of this year's competition, said that Stuart Bacon has developed an outstandingly successful dairy farming business, that should provide an inspiration to the region's dairy farmers.

"An excellent business-minded approach coupled with equally strong technical and managerial abilities makes Stuart a very worthy winner of this year's competition,” said Mr Jones.

"The competition has highlighted that, despite the challenges that face the dairying industry in the south west, the prospects for dairy farms that are as well run as this one are very good indeed."

The Award, was a complete surprise for Monmouth dairy farmer David (53) who has hit the headlines with his battle against fuel taxes, protests against milk prices and his fight for a fairer deal for farmers.

He and fellow dairy farmers founded Farmers for Action (FAA) in 2000 to fight for a fairer deal for farmers. It now boasts over 10,000 members and committed supporters.

Announcing the award Tim Porter, agriculture director of Lloyds TSB Business Banking, said David was a man “who has the courage to stand up and say what others want to say – but do not dare!”

He was, he said, a man of immense energy, and enthusiasm – in last year alone he drove over 50,000 miles to promote the farmers’ case. And he described him as passionate and focussed and a charismatic leader who has now gained considerable understanding of the dairy industry.

Mr Porter said Mr Handley has inspired British dairy farmers to take action against those who exploit their buying power the most and has persuaded supermarkets to pay more for their milk under his milk and cheese retail initiatives. He has imposed discipline on buyers who use the milk price to undercut and increase their market share and weaken the market.

And, added Mr Porter, he has gained tremendous influence and earned the respect of all sectors of the dairy industry, including the NFU, RABDF, Dairy UK, dairy companies and multiple retailers.

David Handley is a first generation tenant farmer, running an intensive flying herd of Jerseys in Monmouthshire, South Wales. Born in Cornwall he went to Kingston Maurwood Agricultural College and worked his way up the farming ladder. At the age of 25 he was appointed farm manager of a large dairy unit in Dorset, responsible for two large herds.

After several years, wishing to experience the corporate world, he worked for the ABP group of companies in the meat industry, whose customers were major supermarkets and the food service industry worldwide.

In 1982 he re-entered farming after marrying Marilyn, a farmer’s daughter, and share-farmed with the late Sir Harry Llewellyn in Abergavenny. In 1987 he took over a run-down Monmouthshire County Council beef and sheep farm, near Monmouth. In 1992 he achieved his ambition by farming his own dairy farm and now milks 100 Jerseys.

In his spare time he enjoys hunting and is a joint MFH of the Curre and Llangibby Hunt, which is an approved collection centre for the Fallen Stocks Scheme. He also enjoys shooting and point-to-points, watching Grand Prix motor racing, and he supports his wife’s eventing and their sports horse breeding enterprise.

In 2000 David agreed to be filmed over six months for a Channel 4 documentary which followed FFA in its quest for an increase in milk prices for producers. The film – “The Milk Wars” – graphically illustrated the personal ups and downs that a small dairy farmer faced. Whilst having a film crew under his feet for six months was at times very stressful and relationships became strained, David and his wife hoped that by showing their struggle “warts and all” it would hopefully show the plight of the dairy industry and help other milk producers in the same situation and give them moral support.

As they were filming “The Milk Wars” in the thick of the fuel protest action, the film makers decided to bolt on a further two documentaries – “Seven Days That Shook Britain” and “Sixty Days” (being the sixty days cooling off period after the protest) in which David also featured heavily.

Whilst “The Milk Wars” was being filmed, David played a significant part in the fuel protest campaign. Thrown into the thick of it as Chairman of FFA, David was a hero one minute and lambasted by the press the next. He made many TV appearances ranging from Newsnight to The Richard and Judy Show. He was also the topic of questions in the satirical news quiz “Have I Got News For You”, no less than three times, which apparently equalled the record at the time of Margaret Thatcher!

Several people got to their feet and applauded when David Handley was announced by Tim Porter as the winner of the Dairy Industry Award, sponsored by Dairy Crest and Lloyds TSB Agriculture.

“For the first time in my life I am lost for words”, declared the FFA chairman.

He said a big thank you was due to a lot of people, particularly his wife – without her support nothing would be happening, he declared. And he paid tribute to his “utterly loyal and committed” 28 strong team on FFA – based all over the country and actively working and caring about the industry to make sure it survives.

“They never get the recognition they deserve.They stand on the front line. Shame on all other farmers who have not joined them and got us the price we deserve!” he told over 300 guests at the dinner who included the industry’s key players.

To stand back and not join FFA was unacceptable, he said. “We need to change. The establishment needs to move over and let us younger dairy farmers have a fair chance. There is a right for fair trade and a right for us to make a living.We have not died – we are about to come back to make sure European dairy farmers are here for years to come. You can all play your part to make that happen.”

Edwin White, chairman of Dairy Show held in the heart of one of the country’s largest milk producing areas, outlined how the show had grown from just 70 stands in 1981 to over 300 in what was its Silver Jubilee Year. The Show is a major platform for the industry and he predicted some 7000 people connected with the industry would attend – all talking to each other to help its future.

Mr White paid tribute to Philip Snell who had the vision to create the show all those 25 years ago and he called him forward to receive a surprise presentation of a specially engraved decanter from the Royal guest, HRH The Countess of Wessex, who was guest of honour at both the dinner and the Show.

And with a Royal visitor, record entries for both tradestands, exhibitors and cattle, and a host of awards commemorating people’s hard work, dedication and success stories in the dairy industry, organisers and visitors voted the show the best ever.

In the last 25 years the number of dairy farmers has halved and herd sizes have doubled, but the South West is still one of the three major areas for milk producers in the country, show chairman Edwin White said. And the show was an important platform and meeting place for everyone involved in the industry.

Cattle entries were up by 30 per cent and trade stands up by 40 per cent on last year’s figures. A total of 328 cattle – compared to 241 last year – turned out at the Bath & West Showground for the Show on Wednesday, October 5th.

Cattle exhibitors were up by 19 to 69, and there were 270 trade stands, (including 35 new ones making their debut at the Show), booked in, compared to 252 last year.

Her Royal Highness, The Countess of Wessex, was guest of honour at the Dairy Industry Dinner on the eve of the Show and joined in the celebrations the Show the following day. It was her second visit to the Showground – she attended last year’s Royal Bath and West Show.

Her Royal Highness watched the Juniors’ Showmanship Classes which were judged at the reception before the dinner. Twelve year old Milly Shipley from Glebeland, London Road, Wendover, Buckinghamshire, won the Showmanship Class for youngsters aged 13 and under and also beat fellow handlers up to six years older than her to scoop the Champion Showmanship award with her 14 month old Jersey calf, Wellhead Rocket Patsy, which she reared and trained herself.

During the dinner Her Royal Highness presented the coveted Dairy Industry Award to David Handley, the founder and chairman of Farmers for Action, in recognition of his services to the dairy industry.

Key speaker at the dinner was Barry Wilson, one of the leading lights in agricultural journalism and the man behind Dairy Industry Newsletter and British Dairying. He also gave a talk at the Show.

During the Show on Wednesday The Countess toured stands, met exhibitors and guests and presented the South West Dairy Farm Business of the Year Award, to delighted Crewkerne farmer Stuart Bacon. He beat off stiff competition from Devon farmers Heather and Richard Gibson of Tiverton, and Will and Jo Jones of Crediton, who were runners up in the competition sponsored by Barclays Bank and Milk Link which attracted entries from across the south west.

Her Royal Highness also presented the show’s top award to Worcestershire Holstein breeder Richard Bown who took the Supreme Cattle Championship with his senior in-milk cow Ketby Bud.

Located in the heart of one of the main dairy regions in the UK, the Show sponsored by Nat West Dairy Crest and Farmers Guardian is recognized as one of the country’s top speciality shows for farmers.

Other highlights included the The Calf Show, Showmanship Classes open to all juniors and The Interbreed Heifer Championship.

Richard Bown also won the Interbreed Heifer Championship with his Holstein Richaven Mattador Squaw. The Cattle Presentation was won by the Wadman family, Jersey farmers from Holton, Wincanton.

The top breeder awards were as follows:

1. Holstein – M A & R A Bown, from Worcestershire with 22 points
2. Brown Swiss – M & J Edwards from Malmesbury with 12 points
3. Ayrshire - G Timbrell & Son from Poole Keynes, near Cirencester with 15 points
4. Dairy Shorthorn – WH & SJ Rawlins from Figheldean, Salisbury, with 22 points
5. Guernsey – Sansom Partners, from Chettle, near Blandford with 22 points
6. Jersey – Murray Farms, from Pattingham, Wolverhampton, with 20 points

Reserve Champion at the Show was an Ayrshire cow, Hunnington Joy Bell, bred by C and L Window from Hunnington, Worcestershire.
New features this year included Brown Swiss classes, sponsored by Future Genetics, plus a Special Silver Jubilee points accumulator competition for breeders, sponsored by Kingfisher Veterinary Practice

The popular Education Trail was back – taking 80 youngsters from schools around the region on a fun fact-finding tour round the show.

The Show had demonstration trial plots of Elephant Grass, Hemp, Crambe, and Willow as part of its drive towards to sustainable production in its Renewable Britain programme.

Up to date information and advice was on offer from experts at the wide range of tradestands, and the very latest techniques, systems and machinery were on display. And Shropshire-based Thomas and Fontaine Ltd. demonstrated their Secure Block Tyre Recover Service throughout the day alongside Kelvin Cave’s Murska Crimping/Bagging Demonstration.

To mark the Show’s Silver Jubilee a special cake was baked – in the shape of a calf. And commemorative paperweights were also presented to all tradestand and cattle exhibitors who had been at the very first show.

But one the most moving moments of the Show came at the Dairy Industry Dinner when Her Royal Highness presented a surprise special award of an engraved decanter to show founder Philip Snell from Yeovil.

And, to applause from fellow guest, Edwin White paid tribute to Mr Snell for having the foresight and vision to create the show all those 25 years ago.

The report highlights the fact that events and other activities at the Shepton Mallet-based Showground generate a massive £164 million per year boost for the rural economy.  The findings will now form the corner-stone of the Royal Bath & West of England Society’s mission to draw attention to the important role it plays in the region and underpin its case for the future funding of an ambitious re-development programme which includes new multi-purpose exhibition halls, new catering facilities and an on-site business village which will offer a range of  business, community and training activities.

The Society commissioned Roger Tym and Partners (Planners and Development Economists) to prepare the Economic Impact Assessment, with financial support from the South West Regional Development Agency.

The report outlines the huge ripple effects that the many and varied events and activities staged at the Shepton Mallet-based Showground have on the whole rural economy. Packed full of facts and figures and detailed analysis, it shows how activities impact across all sectors – from tourism and employment to education and agricultural industries.

Each event plays its own part in helping create employment, showcasing products, and promoting business opportunities - so boosting expansion and development across the board.

Previous studies have shown that the 228 year old Society needs a major cash injection to improve, expand and redevelop its ageing facilities if it is to stay ahead of competitors, meet market needs and continue to fulfil its charitable aims of supporting agriculture and the rural economy.

The new report highlights the vital role the Society plays and will now be the foundation of its campaign for funding for the future. Council representatives, MPs, industry leaders and other strategic players from across the region have all been invited to the official launch of the report at the Showground next Friday (November 25^th).

The breakdown of the economic impact figure of £164 million is:

• £19 million for Mendip (13%)
• £32 millionfor the rest of Somerset (22%)
• £40 million for the rest of the south west (23%)
• £73 million for the rest of the UK (40%)
  

To view the Economic Impact Assessment presentation please go to our Advisory Service page where you can download this important document.

 He took over the reins from The Most Hon. The Marquess of Salisbury, PC, DL at the Society’s Council meeting at the Bath & West Showground on Thursday (November 24^th).

Welcoming Lord Waldegrave to the meeting, Mr John Vintcent, chairman of the Society’s Executive Board, paid tribute to his distinguished career. The new President is following in his late father’s footsteps at a time when the Showground once again faces a new phase – a multi-million pound fund-raising project to finance new exhibition halls and redevelopment at the Showground.

His father, Earl Waldegrave, had been one of the team of leading Society members who spear-headed the Society’s move to a permanent home at the Bath & West Showground in the mid-sixties. Said Lord Waldegrave, of North Hill, Chewton Mendip: “I feel in the shade of my father who will be keeping a close a critical eye on me I am sure! He was one of the group who led the Society to buy the Showground here. It was undoubtedly then the right decision, but it leaves us with challenges – but challenges are also opportunities. It is fitting that I should have some association at this moment when the next great phase begins.”

Lord Waldegrave served as a Conservative MP for Bristol West from 1979 to 1997, including 16 years service as a Minister, of which seven years were as a Cabinet Minister (Minister of Agriculture, Chief Secretary of the Treasury, Secretary of State for Health, and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster)

He joined UBS in June 2003 as a Vice Chairman of the Investment Banking Department. Between 2003 and 2005 he was also chairman of the European Financial Institutions Group. He had previously held similar posts at Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein where he had worked on a number of major transactions since joining the bank in 1998. He is also a non-executive Director of Bank of Ireland Financial Services (UK) plc and Finsbury Life Sciences Investment Trust plc.

Educated at Oxford University and Harvard, before entering Parliament he worked in the Cabinet Office at Whitehall, as Political Secretary to Prime Minister Edward Heath, and for GEC Ltd.

Lord Waldegrave is Chairman of the Rhodes Trust, Chairman of the National Museum of Science and Industry, and a Trustee of the Mandela Rhodes Foundation.

But the Bath & West is not just about the Royal Bath & West  Show – events happen all year round at the busy Showground, and a recent study has shown the Shepton Mallet-based event centre generates a massive £164 million per year boost for the rural economy.

Dire Straits and Lulu have performed there in front of screaming crowds. Frank Bruno and Prince Nazeem have fought there. The Queen and most leading members of the Royal Family have graced  it with their presence over the years.  And the chances are that several readers have visited on many an occasion too!

The Bath & West Showground  - a venue so versatile that one day it can be residence for a herd of pristine dairy cows on show, and the next transformed into a glittering gourmet restaurant  or a stage for a chart-topping star.

From antique fairs to show jumping, from motorcycle shows to gardening events, from dog shows to adventure sports there’s something to suit everyone happening all year round at the south west’s biggest and best agricultural and event centre.

From just 15 events in 1979 there is now a hardly a clear space in the diary. And as well as being used for every public event imaginable the venue is also popular for private functions from weddings and 21st celebrations to dinners and balls and private meetings.

Beside busy events the Showground runs its own special interest shows. Now in its eleventh successful year the National Amateur Gardening Show in September attracts over 34,000 visitors and is hailed as the little Chelsea of the West.  Specialist shows for the farmers include Grassland UK which attracts nearly 5,000 farmers, and the Dairy Show in October, which plays a vital role in this major milk and livestock producing area. But the jewel in the crown is the Royal Bath and West Show, which attracts over 160,000 people.

The Showground employs 33 permanent staff, and is spear-headed by 56 committees, but its ranks are swelled during the Royal Bath & West Show to over 1,000 thanks to the dedicated team of helpers who volunteer their services to ensure the event goes like clockwork.

It also has an active ever-growing membership – members enjoy free entry to all four days of the Royal Bath & West Show, discounts to various shows and other events, and can take advantage of offers and discounts from several businesses and companies.

Over one million visitors pour through the Showground gates each year. But while the variety of events widens, supporting agriculture and the farmer is still very much at the forefront of all its operations.

The Royal Bath & West of England Society, a registered charity, was founded in 1777 in the Georgian City of Bath - making it the oldest agricultural society in the country. In those days the shows went to the people - to publicise and popularise the very latest developments in husbandry, livestock breeding and machinery to the farming community.

A group of foresighted gentlemen, led by Sir Edmund Rack,  got together in Bath and formed a Society aimed at encouraging “agriculture, arts, manufactures and commerce”, and so the Royal Bath & West of England Society was born.  Its original aims are the foundations of the Society’s work today - through its events, conferences and the many scholarships and competitions it spearheads, and the huge boost it gives the rural economy.

For many years the Show was held at different sites around the country travelling as far and wide as Nottingham, Birmingham and Wimbledon. It was known as a peripatetic show - and the logistics of packing up, storing, transporting and setting up on different sites all over the country year after year must have been overwhelming for all those involved - as well as extremely costly.

And so the search was launched for a suitable permanent base and in 1964 the Society bought 212 acres of farming land from the Longman family and over the years many purpose built buildings and roadways have been added. The site now covers 240 acres.

Now the historic organisation faces a new chapter in its success story. The in-depth report into the economic impact of the Showground and its far-reaching effects has just been unveiled, highlighting the fact that its events generate a massive £164 million per year boost for the rural economy, from tourism and employment to education and agricultural industries.

The findings now form the corner-stone of the Royal Bath & West of England Society’s mission to draw attention to the important role it plays in the region and underpin its case for the future funding of an ambitious re-development programme which includes new multi-purpose exhibition halls, new catering facilities and an on-site business village which will offer a range of  business, community and training activities and help it to continue to fulfil its charitable aims of supporting agriculture and the rural economy.

 Mr John Vintcent, chairman of the Society’s Executive Board said: “We have always been very proud of what the Society does and of its value to the local community and the entire region. But we have never been able to substantiate our claims until now,” he said.

“Now we have firm anecdotal evidence to use to talk to people when we are trying to get funds for the future development of the Showground. We have a professionally prepared piece of work which gives huge amounts of detail about the benefits the Society provides go the local community and local business people.”

Entries for this year’s Rural Business Development Awards close on March 14th. And South West Farmers who have developed and diversified have four chances of being rewarded in this special competition run by the Royal Bath & West of England Society.

The Awards offer farmers the chance of winning in four different categories. There is a prize in each category of £500 each, plus an engraved rosebowl commemorating their success – and every one who enters  the competition receives two free tickets to this year’s Royal Bath & West Show (May 31 – June 3) where the awards will be presented.

The four sections of the competition are: The Farm Diversification Award – where farmers have branched out from traditional farming to generate income from different enterprises; The Innovative Building Design Award – for new or converted buildings which demonstrate excellent design combined with a safe work environment; The Rural Business Award – for a new business that has given employment to local people and helped sustain the local community and tourism; and The Community Award – for a building or idea which promotes a sense of community.

The Rural Business Development Awards are one of the major competitions run annually by the Society, which was founded in 1777 with the aim of encouraging "agriculture, arts, manufactures and commerce."

Those aims are still very much the foundations of the Society's work today - through its many events, conferences, scholarships and competitions it spearheads, and the tremendous boost it gives the rural economy.

Open to all farmers from Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Somerset, Wiltshire, Bristol and Bath, the competition is now in its second successful year and is again being sponsored by Farmers Guardian and NatWest, with additional support and sponsorship from RIBA (the Royal Institute of British Architects), RTPI (the Rural Town Planning Institute), RICS (the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors) and Cartwheel (the South West’s leading rural tourism organisation).

Last year’s competition attracted entrants from all over the south west and organsiers are hoping for an even higher turn-out this year. Last year’s winning entries ranged from a Dutch barn that was converted into first class office accommodation, to redundant barns being transformed into a busy conference centre, and a children’s nursery operating in the middle of a working dairy farm.
Entry forms for the competition can be obtained from the Bath & West Showground, Shepton Mallet, Somerset, BA4 6QN and the closing date for all entries is March 14th. Further details can be obtained from the Showground on 01749 822  200.

The Royal Bath & West of England Society Conference “Planning…Development On Farm” will take place at Rookery Manor, Edingworth, Nr Weston-Super-Mare on Thursday 23 February from 7 – 10pm.

Sponsored by NatWest, DEFRA and Business Link the conference will provide guidance to farmers from expert speakers and the opportunity to probe deeper during a question and answer session.

The first speaker is Janet Montgomery, Brimble Lea & Partners tackling the necessary paperwork connected with all forms of planning application regarding agricultural buildings and urban accommodation.

 Tony Kernon of Kernon Countryside Consultants, the second speaker, will concentrate on rural planning covering change of use of farm buildings; further development of farm buildings; the removal of agricultural ties and the diversification of farm buildings to provide non farm income.

The evening will also feature Ian Clapp, Managing Director of Rookery Manor, who will speak from first hand experience about the award winning hotel complex which has most of its hotel rooms situated in converted barns.

Tickets for the conference are £5 for Royal Bath & West of England Society and RABDF Members, or £15 for non-members, and include tea and coffee and a light buffet.  Book now on the credit card hotline on 01749 822 222

The Student, Showcase, Feature, and  Allotment Garden Design Competitions are one of the major highlights of the National Amateur Gardening Show each year. And next Wednesday, (Wednesday, April 5th) potential entrants have the chance to find out more about them all at a special Gardens Day at the Bath & West Showground, Shepton Mallet, where this year’s competitions will be officially launched.

Previous winners have progressed to great things. Several have gone on to launch their own landscape and design companies. Others have seen their careers flourish with big names in the gardening world.

Julian Compton from Ilminster, Somerset, had a hat trick of successes at last year’s Show – scooping the awards for Best Feature Garden, Gold Medal and Best Garden

 for his garden using the Golden Section, a ratio used in design since ancient times.

Julian who runs his own garden design company Land Art, won the Best Showcase Garden and the Best in Show awards at the 2004 with his Help Yourself garden. His work then captured the interest of expert horticulturalists nationwide – so much so that Amateur Gardening Magazine, which runs the Show in conjunction with the Bath & West Trading Company, invited him to design and build their “Arts and Crafts” garden for them.

Any eager garden designers wanting to follow in Julian’s mudprints and take up the gardening challenges at the Show this year, should contact show organiser Patsy Scadding now on 01749 822235 for entry forms in all categories. Individual applications and entries from students on horticultural courses at colleges are all welcome.

Entries for Showcase gardens need to be based on 6m x 6m plots, Feature Gardens can be any size, allotments are 5m x  5m and the designs for the Student Challenge Competition, which is sponsored by Bowland Stone, need to be for 4m x 4m plots.

Further information can be obtained at The Gardens Day which takes place at 10.30am on Wednesday, April 5th at the Showground and where last year’s winners will be expanding on the all the pleasures and the pitfalls. People interested in attending the Gardens Day should book in with Mrs Scadding in advance.

As well as the kudos of the chance of winning top accolades in one of the country’s top gardening shows, trophies, certificates and thousands of pounds worth of cash prizes await the winners.

The National Amateur Gardening Show, now in its 11^th successful year is once again sponsored by Renault and takes place at the Bath & West Showground, from September 1^st to 3^rd. Entries should be submitted by mid April and all designs need to be submitted with full details by May 1^st.

It is the first time in living memory that youngsters can enjoy a free fun day out to remember at one of the country’s biggest and best agricultural shows.

The decision has been made by show organisers to emphasise the fact that the four day show is a fantastic, enjoyable learning experience for all the family, and also to boost attendance figures which were hit hard by bad weather last year.

The 2006 Show, sponsored by EDF Energy,  takes place in half-term week, from May 31^st to June 3^rd.  All children aged under 15 will be allowed in free of charge when the adults accompanying them book their tickets in advance. Each adult saver ticket admits two children. However children’s tickets bought at the gate on the days of the Show will still have to be paid for.

Meanwhile all other tickets for the 2006 Show are being held at the 2005 prices – a move again aimed at driving the message home that the spectacular show is exceptional value for money and not to be missed.

New features at this year’s show, which aims to attract over 160,000 people include a Canoe Village, a Heavy Horse Village, Double Harness Scurry classes, Belted Galloway Classes, a unique Sustainability Area and exciting adventure action with the  Bolddog Lings Motorcross Display Team.

The Royal Bath & West Show will be the first show in the country to feature a Sustainability Area, highlighting the importance of renewable energy, technology, and developments that help save energy and cut costs.

Another  star attraction will be the legendary Christian Moullec and his flying geese and cranes. Christian will wing his way into the main ring aboard his microlite, followed by his trained flock of geese in perfect formation behind.

Other highlights at this year’s Show include the return of the wild wolves, a Polo display, Imagineering and the Orkney Village, the show-stopping Wurzels, spectacular chain-saw action from the Tree Pirates, the fun, fact-finding Family Trail, the biggest gathering of alpacas outside Peru, the popular Dog Show -  which is expanding to three days  -  and the chance to savour the very best food and drink and see the cream of the country’s livestock on parade.

Show-jumping, over 1,000 tradestands, the Somerset Life Food and Drink Awards, and the magnificent Floral Marquee will all add to the action-packed four days.

Advanced saver tickets can be booked on the credit card hotline on 01749 822 222

Children aged 15 and under will be allowed in free of charge when adults book their advanced tickets. Two children are admitted with each adult saver ticket bought in advance.

Other Ticket Prices will remain the same as 2005.

Advanced ticket prices:
Adult saver tickets: £15
Senior citizens: £12
Children (up to 15): FREE - but only when booked in advance

Unfortunately we cannot offer an advanced family ticket

On the gate prices:
Adults: £18
Senior citizens: £15
Children (aged 5 – 15): £5
Family Ticket: £40
Children under five: FREE

For further details ring the Bath & West Showground on 01749 822200

It is the first time in living memory that youngsters can enjoy a free fun day out to remember at one of the country’s biggest and best agricultural shows.

The decision has been made by show organisers to emphasise the fact that the four day agricultural show is a fantastic, enjoyable learning experience for all the family, young and old alike, and also to boost attendance figures which were hit hard by bad weather last year.

The 2006 Show, sponsored by EDF Energy, takes place in half-term week, from May 31st to June 3rd.  All children aged 15 and under will be allowed in free of charge when the adults accompanying them book their tickets in advance. Each adult saver ticket admits two children. However children’s tickets bought at the gate on the days of the Show will still have to be paid for.

Meanwhile all other tickets for the 2006 Show are being held at the 2005 prices – a move again aimed at driving the message home that the spectacular show is exceptional value for money and not to be missed.

New features at this year’s show, which aims to attract over 160,000 people include a Canoe Village, a Heavy Horse Centre, Double Harness Scurry classes, Belted Galloway Classes, a unique Sustainability Area and exciting adventure action with the  Bolddog Lings Motorcross Display Team.

The Royal Bath & West Show will be the first agricultural show in the country to feature a Sustainability Showcase area, highlighting the importance of renewable energy, technology, and developments that help save energy and cut costs.

Businesses are lining up to play their part in the Sustainability Showcase, promoting the very best renewable and sustainable energy practices embracing all relevant areas including, transport, buildings and measures to reduce the carbon footprint and protect the planet.

This theme will be reflected across the whole Show this year. All food and drink served by mobile caterers at the Show will be served in recyclable containers, with paper plates and wooden forks.

• And a magnificent prize of an eco-friendly QPOD – kindly donated by Noel Edmonds - awaits the winner of the Show’s Grand Prize Draw. Tickets are £1 each and are available before and at the Show.

The Society has joined forces with the leading environmental charity, the Renewable Energy Foundation – of which Noel Edmonds is chairman - to develop the sustainability theme.

• Noel Edmonds, himself a farmer, and passionately concerned about sustainability and the environment, has pledged his support to the Society and its sustainability initiative, and has donated the QPOD vehicle from his Unique Motor Company.

Proceeds from the Draw will go towards renewable energy projects and towards the funding of Children’s Hospice South West – the new children’s hospice which Noel Edmonds is also backing.

Innovative, practical, safe and reliable, fun to run and affordable, QPODS  are powered by bio-ethanol and are capturing people’s imagination. When these star little cars were featured on Top Gear, the Unique Motor Company’s website (which usually receives 22,000 hits a day,) was deluged with 240,000 after the programme, and an incredible 380,000 hits the following day!
 
Other highlights at this year’s agricultural show include the return of the wild wolves, a Polo display, Imagineering and the Orkney Village, the show-stopping Wurzels, the fun, fact-finding Family Trail, the biggest gathering of alpacas outside Peru, the popular Dog Show -  which is expanding to three days  -  and the chance to savour the best food and drink and see the cream of the country’s livestock on parade.

The region’s very own top tastes and talents will be on display in the Wealth of Wiltshire,  Best of Bath and Celebrating Somerset areas. And show-jumping, over 1,000 tradestands, the Somerset Life Food and Drink Awards, and the magnificent Floral Marquee will all add to the action-packed four days.

For food fans the River Cottage HQ team, headed by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, will be running the cookery theatre demonstrations.

There will be celebrations down in the Power of the Past area where the treasures of yesteryear will be on display and where the little grey Fergie will be celebrating its 70th anniversary.

The Showground’s own miniature railway is being extended, offering visitors the chance of an even longer exciting trip round the Show.

Canoes are another form of transport to be highlighted as the Canoe Village on the lake makes its debut. Organised by the Association of Canoe Trades on the Showground’s lake there will be have-a-go sessions ask-the-expert sessions, and equipment, water safety and discipline demonstrations. And, once you’ve got the bug, there will be plenty of information about venues where you can carry on enjoying this exciting sport.

Back on dry land will be the giant stars of the show – the heavy horses who for the first time have been given their very own area for showing, demonstrations and classes - a move that has pleased enthusiasts everywhere.

Advanced saver tickets for the Show can be booked on the credit card hotline on 01749 822 222.

Children aged 15 and under will be allowed in free of charge when adults book their advanced tickets. Two children are admitted with each adult saver ticket bought in advance.
 
Other Ticket Prices will remain the same as for 2005.

Advanced ticket prices:
Adult saver tickets     £15
Senior citizens             £12
Children aged 15 and under are free - only when booked in advance
No advanced family ticket

On the gate prices:
Adults                              £18
Senior citizens                 £15
Children (aged 5 – 15)     £5
Family Tickets                  £40
Children under five are free.

For further details ring the Bath & West Showground on 01749 822 200 or visit  www.bathandwest.com

Tickets £1.00 - please ring Diane on 01749 822215 or e-mail Diane

Visit the Sustainability area at the Bath & West Show to see the Q-Pod's on display

ALL proceeds are in aid of Children's Hospice South West
(reg.Charity No 1003314) and
The Royal Bath & West of England Society (reg Charity No 1039397)

Draw will take place on Saturday 3rd June at the Royal Bath & West Show

Q-Pod from The Unique Motor Company and kindly donated by Noel Edmonds.

Draw registered under section 5 of the Lotteries & Amusements Act 1976 with Mendip District Council - licence number LN/295/06

This year the gentle giants have been given their very own area for showing, demonstrations and classes – a move that has pleased enthusiasts everywhere.

On Wednesday and Thursday, May 31st and June 1st, the first two days of the Show, there will be demonstrations to educate the public on how to get heavy horses ready for showing, as well as demonstrations on harnessing the magnificent beasts to ploughs and wagons.

Showing and In-Hand classes take place on the Friday and Saturday at the Centre, while Turnout and Ridden classes take place in the Main Ring.

Top horses and riders from all over the country are expected to be competing and chasing thousands of pounds worth of prizes in all of the equestrian sections of this year’s show which is expected to attract over 150,000 visitors and is sponsored by EDF Energy.

This year in the Ridden & Working Cob Section, there is a brand new class for Maxi Cobs, sponsored by Baker Tilly in association with the South West Large Cob Owners’ Club, and a new Double Harness Scurry class, sponsored by Great Leighs Racing.

Other new features are classes for Appaloosas –an amazing breed with their distinctive markings and spots, known as the “good doers” of the horse world – athletic, colourful and willing.

Once again there are Royal International Horse Show qualifiers for Ridden Hunters, Working Hunters, Cobs, Hacks and Riding Horses, and Horse of the Year Show qualifiers for Coloured Horses and Ponies (ridden), BSPS Intermediate Show Riding Type and Show Hunter Type, the Cuddy in Hand Championship and BSPS Summer Championship Qualifiers.

The closing date for entries for the Heavy Horses, Horses and Donkeys is Thursday, April 13th, and Show Jumping classes close on May 2nd. Schedules for all classes and competitions can be obtained from the Bath & West Showground on 01749 822 209, or further details visit the new website on www.bathandwest.com

The Royal Bath & West Show will be the first show in the country to feature a Sustainability Area, highlighting the importance of renewable energy, technology, and developments that help save energy and cut costs.

Other new features include a Canoe Village, and exciting adventure action with the  Bolddog Lings Motorcross Display Team.

Highlights include the best of British livestock on parade, the return of the wild wolves, Polo, Imagineering and the Orkney Village, the popular Dog Show -  and the chance to savour the very best food and drink.

This year children will be allowed in free when tickets are booked by adults in advance.

For further details ring the Bath & West Showground on 01749 822 200

Dr Jane Guise, Chief Executive at the Royal Bath & West of England Society, was overjoyed at the decision of the Royal Smithfield Club to accept the offer of The Bath & West to host the new Smithfield Event at Shepton Mallet.  “This is a wonderful opportunity to host an internationally recognised event, and very good news for the West Country rural economy.  We feel honoured that our Showground should have been chosen as the venue for the Royal Smithfield Club’s plans to continue their support for the livestock industry in these pivotal times.”

For The Royal Smithfield Club, Chairman John Coultrip, said: “This is a marvellous opportunity for the Club to preserve the long tradition of presenting the very best of British primestock in competitions that represent the pinnacle of the Winter Show season.  The offer to join the Bath & West in a partnership to create a new Show was one that our Trustees were unanimous in accepting.”
The plans are for the two day event to focus on all aspects of the livestock industry centered around the Smithfield livestock competitions, whilst at the same time highlighting the important role the meat industry plays in the food chain.

Jane Guise explains: “In the run up to Christmas we hope not only to perpetuate The Royal Smithfield competitions which offer the agricultural industry the opportunity to promote their wares, but also to highlight the quality of produce available from British farms."  

For further information contact:
Geoffrey Burgess - Chief Executive & Secretary
The Royal Smithfield Club
Brierley House, Summer Lane, Combe Down, Bath, BA2 5LE        Telephone: 01225 837904

Dr Jane Guise, Chief Executive
Royal Bath & West of England Society
The Showground, Shepton Mallet, Somerset BA4 6QN
Telephone: 01749 822202                                     

Hailing the project as an example of real partnership between all concerned, Bath’s Mayor unveiled the latest landmark in the Society’s 229 year long history at a special champagne reception in the city of the Society’s birth.

The leaflet contains a wealth of interesting facts and information and solves the frequently asked question – why is the Bath & West called the Bath & West when it is situated 25 miles outside the city?

It had been the long-held dream of the Society’s Library and Archives Committee to answer that question and produce a leaflet outlining and preserving the great historical associations between the city and the Society – but funding was always a major stumbling block.

But this month the dream came true thanks to the support and backing of the Rt Worshipful Mayor of Bath, Coun. Peter Metcalfe, with funding from the City Council’s Charter Trustees and local accountancy firm Tenon.

Long links and associations with many worthy organisations were all part of the historical development of the city, Coun Metcalfe said at the launch of the new leaflet in the magnificent setting of the Mayor’s Parlour at The Guildhall in Bath, where guests included Somerset’s Lord Lieutenant Lady Gass.

He was, he said, absolutely delighted that the City Council had been able to help the Society in getting such an important record of those links produced at long last.

Mr Arthur Davies, chairman of the Society’s Library and Archives Committee, thanked the City Council and the Mayor for their co-operation, help and enthusiasm in bringing the leaflet to fruition.

And he paid particular tribute to the Society’s former honorary librarian for 25 years Philip Bryant, and John Davies, Assistant Secretary of the Society from 1961-73 and its Secretary from 1971-86,   for all their hard work and research to produce its interesting contents. Their mighty task was also helped by the city’s archivist Colin Johnston.

Explained Mr Bryant: “We wanted to demonstrate our pride in the association between this important city and the historic Society.” And he also thanked the Bath printers Ralph Allen Press for all their hard work in helping to produce such an important record of the past which was now preserved for the future.

The Society was founded by Sir Edmund Rack and a group of like-minded erudite and fore-sighted colleagues in 1777 at York House in Bath in 1777 “for the encouragement and improvement of agriculture, arts, manufacturers and commerce.”

Those aims are still very much the foundations of the Society's work today - through its many events, conferences, scholarships and competitions it spearheads, and the tremendous boost it gives the rural economy.

From the Society’s inception scholarships were awarded, lectures organised  on new developments and issues in farming,  prizes given for inventions and innovations and for cheese-making and cider making, floral and horticultural floral exhibits – all still very much the bones of the popular Royal Bath & West Show and the Society’s important work today.

In 1790 it held “a publick exhibition of fat sheep of different lands” in the courtyard of Hetling House in Bath which was the origin of the annual show which now attracts over 150,000 people each year. In the 1850’s it was decided to move the show every year to a different town around the country – so its work and its benefits could be enjoyed by people nationwide.

However the Show returned to its birthplace on several occasions until the permanent base at the Bath & West Showground was found in 1965.

All these links are now recorded for posterity in the leaflet – and to provide interesting information for visitors and tourists to the City.  The leaflet is available from Tourist Information Centres, the City Council and the Society and in hotels in the city.

*The Mayor of Bath is always one of the many VIPs invited to grace the Show with his presence each year. The leaflet also plays tribute to Thomas Ploughman, who, apart from Edmund Rack, was the Society’s most significant and influential Secretary.

In 1912 Thomas Ploughman was both Mayor and Society Secretary at the same time. One of the favourite tales is of him writing an invitation to the Mayor to attend the Show from himself as Secretary from the Society Offices in Pierrepoint Street, and then running round to The Guildhall to reply to it from himself as Mayor and send it back to himself as Secretary! Not many people know that!

Ten workshops will be run in the Autumn across the region aimed at helping people unravel the intricacies of retirement planning.

The workshops are being organised by the Royal Bath & West of England Society in association with Life Academy (a charity that is also an associated institution of the University of Surrey) and Kingston Maurward College, Dorchester.  They are targeted at men and women, and young people, either employed or self-employed, landowners and tenants, including those involved in agri-businesses, nurseries and farms that have diversified into areas such as tourism.

Two different types of workshops will be offered – one for employees, and the other for people who are tenants or who own farms, nurseries or agri-businesses.

The workshops will run from 10.30am to 4.30pm, and topics covered will include:

• managing money
• retirement transitions
• succession planning where appropriate, related business issues
• sustainability in retirement
• health and well being,
• motivation and life planning
• taking action.
• signposting on where to go for further advice

These workshops will raise awareness and understanding of retirement planning and financial
issues.  Those who attend will be better equipped to consider changes in their attitudes, intentions
and behaviour so that they can more effectively plan and make provision for their retirement. 

Dr Jane Guise, the Society’s Chief Executive, said: “This initiative is one of several recent moves
to strengthen even further the Society’s mission to provide practical support to agricultural,
horticultural and other rural businesses in challenging times.  It is also very timely given that
retirement issues are increasingly part of the national debate.”

Stuart Royston, Chief Executive of Life Academy said, ‘This is an exceptional opportunity for people in the South West to plan their retirement.’ He added that Life Academy had been enabling people to plan for their retirement for over forty years. Life Academy also runs courses for professionals working in the field of life planning

 The workshops are currently planned as follows:

 Owners and Tenants

o       Wednesday 13^th September: Royal Bath & West Showground, Shepton Mallet, Somerset

o       Wednesday 20^th September: Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester

o       Thursday 8^th November: Duchy College, Rosewarne, Camborne, Cornwall

o       Wednesday 15^th November: Exeter Livestock Centre, Matford Park Road, Exeter, Devon

o       Thursday 16^th November: East Stour Village Hall, Gillingham, Dorset

 
Employees

o       Tuesday 10^th October: Clinton Devon Estates, East Budleigh, Budleigh Salterton, Devon,

o       Wednesday 11^th October:  Duchy College, Stoke Climsland, Callington, Cornwall

o       Wednesday 18^th October: Kingston Maurward College, Dorchester

o       Wednesday 1^st November: Lackham College, Lacock, Wiltshire

o       Wednesday 7^th November:  Cider Farm Lakes, Lympsham, Somerset

If you wish to know more about the workshops, please contact Charlotte Phelps at the Society’s offices on 01749 822227 or via e-mail: charlotte.phelps@bathandwest.co.uk

 Farmers across the region are invited to enter this year’s competition which is organised by the Royal Bath & West of England Society and sponsored by Milk Link, the leading farmer-owned co-operative in the South West, and Clydesdale Bank.

 Every farmer who enters will receive free tickets to the Dairy Show at the Bath & West Showground, Shepton mallet, Somerset, on October 4th, and the overall winner will receive tickets for the prestigious Dairy Industry Dinner plus accommodation on the eve of the Show.

 The ultimate winner will be presented with the coveted trophy and certificate at the Show, which is sponsored by NatWest, Dairy Crest and Farmers Guardian.

 The competition aims to highlight dairy farmers in the South West who are best prepared to meet the challenges facing them and who can demonstrate a profitable way ahead.

 Last year’s competition attracted a high level of entries from farm businesses across the whole South West region.

 It is open to all farm businesses across Devon, Cornwall, Bristol, Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire, Hampshire, Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire whose income is mainly derived from milk production.

 All finalists will be visited by the panel of judges – Michael Rowe from Clydesdale Bank, Patrick Cock from Milk Link and farmer Nicholas Bacon whose son, Stuart, from Crewkerne, won the title last year. They will tour each farm, discuss farming plans and policies with the families and analyse the dairy costings and accounts provided by each business.

 The final result will be announced at the Dairy Show where the winner receives the prestigious trophy and certificate and will be among the VIP guests at the Show.

 Tickets for this year’s Dairy Show can be obtained from the Showground on 01749 822 200. Advanced saver tickets are available now on the credit card hotline on 01749 822 222.

 Entry forms for South West Dairy Farmer 2006 are available from the Bath & West Showground, Shepton Mallet, Somerset, BA4 6QN or telephone 01749 822 2000. The closing date for entries is July 10^th.

• Located in the heart of one of the main dairy regions in the UK, the Show, sponsored by NatWest, Dairy Crest and Farmers Guardian, is recognized as one of the country’s top speciality events for farmers.
• This year’s Show features over 300 quality dairy cattle, over 250 tradestands, key players at all levels of the industry, and a wealth of seminars and displays.
• Highlights include the cream of the country’s cattle on parade and the presentations of the coveted Dairy Industry Award to a key player in the industry in recognition of their services to dairying, the South West Dairy Farmer of the Year Award, and the Supreme Cattle Championship.
• Full details can be obtained from the Showground on 01749 822200.

Save £££s by booking tickets for the Show in advance on the Credit Card Hotline on 01749 822 222. Advanced saver tickets for adults are £8.50 (price on gate £10.00) or £4 for concessions - students, children and senior citizens - (price on gate £5).

A record number of 14 of Britain's brightest young trainee designers have been selected to build student gardens at this year's show, which takes place at the Bath & West Showground, Shepton Mallet, Somerset, on September 1st, 2nd and 3rd and is sponsored by Renault.

Since the show was launched eleven years ago it has always boasted amazing student, feature and show gardens, but this year the contribution from some of Britain's most promising young hopefuls has been outstanding.

Thanks to substantial sponsorship from Bristol-based garden hard landscaping materials experts Bowland Stone, the interest from young designers this year has been intense, and 14 exciting and original designs are to be built at this year's show for the Student Gardens Challenge.

What could you do with £400 worth of building and gardening materials, an empty plot, wheelbarrow loads of determination and a bucketful of imagination - in just four days?
That’s the challenge being thrown down to the landscape design students across the country as they steel themselves for this year’s competition and chase £2000 worth of prize money.

This is the eighth time the Challenge has been run at the Show, giving up and coming garden designers and landscapers from some of the UK’s leading horticultural colleges the chance to show the world what they can do. Many previous finalists have been snapped up for success in the design and landscape industries, plus there’s the chance of accolades from the experts as TV gardening celebrities at the Show include Gardeners’ World presenters Joe Swift and Sarah Raven, organics gardening guru Bob Flowerdew, and Gardeners Question Time panellist and writer Anne Swithinbank.

Previous winners have progressed to great things. Several have gone on to launch their own landscape and design companies. Others have seen their careers flourish with big names in the gardening world.

Julian Compton from Ilminster, Somerset, had a hat trick of successes at last year’s Show – scooping the awards for Best Feature Garden, Gold Medal and Best Garden  for his garden using the Golden Section, a ratio used in design since ancient times.

Julian who runs his own garden design company Land Art, won the Best Showcase Garden and the Best in Show awards at the 2004 with his Help Yourself garden. His work then captured the interest of expert horticulturalists nationwide – so much so that Amateur Gardening Magazine, which runs the Show in conjunction with the Bath & West Trading Company, invited him to design and build their “Arts and Crafts” garden for them.

And more success stories are on the cards for this year. 'Keep off the grass' from Paul Cantello is a front garden that  illustrates how home owners can reduce maintenance and watering by doing away with the traditional front lawn, but still have a plant filled plot.
Paul from Weston-Super Mare, a University of Gloucestershire entrant who won a Silver Medal for his “Breathing Lessons” last year, is already making his way in the design  world.

Wiltshire College Lackham  student Tim Matcham's design called 'Contemporary contemplation' has formal elements but uses symmetrical geometric shapes and box edged borders filled with colourful dahlias. There are Cyprus trees to give height, and architectural  phormiums for structure.

Val Philips from Cannington College has created a contemporary garden with raised planters and angular shapes, called 'The dying of the light'. It will include lots of late summer and autumn interest from flowers and foliage plus water features including a bubbling pool and a rill.

Glastonbury music festival was the inspiration for Wiltshire College Lackham student Julie Pritchard's garden design. The centrepiece of 'Inspired by Glastonbury' is a gazebo that represents the festival's pyramid stage,  while some of the planting will reflect flowers and shrubs that grow wild around the festival site.

'The rhythm of life' from fellow Lackham student Meryl Kelsey Masters is a contemporary design that's strong on hard landscaping but reflects many aspects of nature, not least cleverly planted intertwining grasses in the shape of the DNA double helix.

Other designs include a Mediterranean garden from Cannington College’s  Ed Plumb; an elemental garden from Lackham student Will Sheerin; a magical children's garden from Elizabeth Gray from the University of Gloucestershire and a peaceful retreat from Lackham’s  Jan Flyn. There's even an ambitious amphitheatre based on the Minack theatre in Cornwall designed by Bridgwater College student Louise Chapman.

Other highlights of the Show are the Show Gardens, designed and built by established garden designers. Rachel Gibbs of Plan-it Gardens has teamed up with Joe Murless of Little Fones Landscapes, both from Dorset,  to design and build 'Tranquility found'. The garden includes classical and mystical elements with contemporary tones. There's a ruined folly, a living sculpture lady, grotto style water feature, stream and pebble pool.

Kate and Robin Broomfield from Dorset have gone for a modern take on a 'Mediaeval pleasure garden' offering visual enjoyment and relaxation. Planting will be colourful, architectural and self sustaining. and includes crab apple trees trained over arches.

More floral feasts are in store in the magnificent  Floral Marquee where 52 of the country's leading nurseries – many of them hot-foot from Tatton, Hampton Court and Chelsea - are displaying the very best plants, offering expert advice in their field and giving visitors the opportunity to buy as well as look.

There will be appearances and  talks from the guest celebrities every day. On Friday 1 September TV Gardeners' World presenter Sarah Raven  gives advice on flower arranging in the Floral Hall, where the National Association of Flower Arranging Societies will be holding their southern regional competitions.

On Saturday 2 September,  Amateur Gardening columnist and Gardeners' Question Time panellist Anne Swithinbank is appearing, and on Sunday 3 September both Joe Swift from Gardeners' World, and organic guru Bob Flowerdew will be giving talks and meeting visitors.

STOP PRESS***Tickets for the Show are being held to last year’s prices and children go free. Advanced Saver Tickets are £9.50 for adults or £8.50 for senior citizens. On the gate prices are £11 for adults, and £10 for senior citizens. Save £1.50 by booking tickets in advance on the Credit Card Hotline on 01749 82 22 22 or book online on the website on www.bathandwest.com

 Once again there is free entry for children under 16 and plenty of activities to keep them busy.  The Show is open 9.30am to 5.30pm daily, and further details can be obtained by ringing the Bath and West Showground on 01749 822200.

Gwyn Jones, Chairman of the NFU Dairy Board will be in the line-up of top speakers at a special NFU Forum at the Dairy Show next week. The NFU Forum on Sustainable Supply Chains is one of the highlights of the Show which takes place at the Bath & West Showground next Wednesday, October 4th, and is sponsored by NatWest and Dairy Crest. The broad thrust of the NFU’s  Producer Forum in the Bath & West Theatre - which is open to all in the industry – not just NFU members) - will be to address how the industry can strive to achieve a sustainable supply chain.  The panel is made up of representatives from all of the key processors and buyers (including Dairy Crest, Frits Thissen, Counsellor for Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality for the Royal Netherlands Embassy, Gwyn Jones, John Alvis, John Cottrell and Will Sanderson, from Milk Link) who will present their views on the question, and then open it up to debate from the floor.  Local farmer David Cotton chairs the event. The aim is to allow farmers to have their say and let their voices be heard, particularly on issues relating to milk pricing. Offering free bacon rolls and coffee, the Forum runs from 10.30am to 12 noon. The Forum will be followed at 12.15pm by a seminar  with Peter Edmondson from Shepton Veterinary Group, who will speak on “Practical Reduction of Cell Counts.” In today's milk market farmers cannot afford to lose any cell count penalties, and so Peter Edmondson's seminar will highlight practical measures to reduce and maintain low cell counts. Peter is one of the partners of the Shepton Veterinary Group and has specialised on mastitis and milk quality issues for 20 years and works across the world helping to improve milk quality. As a practitioner the focus will be on practical measures and the steps that need to be taken to achieve success. Some farmers have been culling and treating high cell count cows without achieving long term success and Peter will explain why this is unlikely to lead to success long term and what action needs to be taken. At the end of the mini seminar, farmers will have a clear detail of how to successfully approach the high cell count herd. Handout material will be provided and Peter will be at the Shepton Veterinary Group stand all day to answer questions or queries relating to mastitis and cell count problems. And more information as well as lively debate is expected at the Speakers’ Corner stand throughout the day, making its first appearance at The Dairy Show, and where speakers include Farmers for Action founder David Handley.

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This project is supported under the England Rural Development Programme by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the European Agricultural Guidance and Guar

Over 60 people – including Mendip District, Somerset County Council and Rural Development Agency representatives – attended the meeting at the Bath & West Showground on Friday (October 27th) to hear the latest progress on plans for new exhibition halls and a rural business village on the 240 acre site.

Consultants KPMG have been brought in to make the business case for the massive revamp to ensure the showground’s survival and future.  Facilities at the showground are becoming increasingly dilapidated and new buildings are needed to ensure the needs of event organisers and visitors are met for the future.

The facilities are let out all year round to outside event organisers – and those commercial activities help fund the charitable aims of the Royal Bath & West of England Society.

A recent economic impact study showed  that events and other activities at the Shepton Mallet-based Showground generate a massive £164 million per year boost for the rural economy.  The findings now form the corner-stone of the Royal Bath & West of England Society’s mission to draw attention to the important role it plays in the region and underpin its case for the future funding of the ambitious re-development programme which includes new multi-purpose exhibition halls, new catering facilities and an on-site business village which will offer a range of  business, community and training activities.

Outlining the proposals Dr Jane Guise, Chief Executive of the Royal Bath & West of England Society, said that new halls with sophisticated facilities to keep pace with demand would provide a new income stream which would generate even more for the rural economy.

With the business case for the programme in place, funding can now be sought from various bodies to make the plans a reality. “This important economic hub needs to be maintained and enhanced.” said Dr Guise.

Lord Cameron of Dillington, Chairman of the Somerset Strategic Business Partnership, said the countryside regeneration for both its economic vibrancy and social agenda. Regeneration of the countryside was vital and new areas of growth must be sought.

The area must have a venue for events which were waterproof and winterproof to attract businesses which would in turn enhance the economy. The Showground would attract top quality businesses – but it needed to be able to offer top quality facilities.

David Clifford, senior partner of KPMG said the task ahead was to reinvent the existing facilities that are tired and turn the showground into a regional and national events centre which will really add something to the national economy.

The Society will now look at the various options put forward by KPMG to fund the scheme.

The Rt Hon Lord King of Bridgwater, Chairman of the Excel conference and exhibition centre  in London and former president of the Society, said it was a “most exciting and unique opportunity  “of a way forward for the Society to secure its future as an organisation which underpinned and encouraged West Country farming.”  Unless the scheme went forward the Society would find it increasingly difficult to survive in the future. It was, he said, “at the tipping point.”

Around the world people were demanding good, modern, efficient conference and exhibition facilities. To have such facilities at the Bath & West would benefit the whole region enormously. 

The Society, he said, was in an ideal situation – it is a charitable Society which already has its own ideal site to operate events from; it has an established share of the events market. It already has a good reputation and therefore it is ready and able to play its part.

And he stressed that the sooner it happened the better. “There is an opportunity here but it needs to be picked up quick,” he said and he offered expertise and advice from Excel. “It would be a tragically lost opportunity to let the Bath & West moulder away and how difficult it would be in 10 or 15 years to get it back.”

There were  better and worse ways of spending public money – far better he said to proceed with the scheme than let the Bath & West “rot away” and become brown land and housing.

Alan Gloak, chairman of Somerset County Council said a large major exhibition and  event centre was desperately needed. And Alan Stone, marketing manager of Old Mill Rural Services, said the redevelopment would be vitally important for the whole of the West Country, socially, economically and culturally.

Paul Buchanan, deputy leader of  Somerset County Council, said they were facing a once in a lifetime opportunity to get a package together to transform the showground and safeguard its viability for the future. And he urged all present to exert their influence to make it happen.

Just under 800 animals – including 312 cattle and 459 sheep as well as pigs – have been entered for the show at the Showground, at Shepton Mallet, Somerset on December 1st and 2nd chasing over £100,000 pounds worth of prize money and historic, coveted trophies.

This major new agricultural exhibition, centred around the traditional Royal Smithfield Club’s livestock competitions, offers a first class opportunity to showcase the country’s top livestock, and the services and products related to the livestock and meat industry.

The Royal Bath  & West of England Society and the Royal Smithfield Club are working round the clock to produce a first class event. Support for the new event has been “phenomenal” say organisers, with entries from 197 exhibitors from all over the country.

Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal will tour the Fair on the morning of the first day, and will present the awards for the Young Farmers’ Cattle and Sheep Classes and their Championship Trophies.

Tradestands promoting services and products related to the livestock and meat industries include manufacturers of equipment and vehicles and stands featuring tagging, nutrition, financial advice and animal health. There will also be a busy programme of seminars highlighting a variety of topics and pig demonstrations will take place daily.

Hotel space is being snapped up across the area by exhibitors and show-goers, many of them taking advantage of the chance of combining their visit to the show with Christmas shopping and theatre trips in nearby Bristol and Bath.

The prestigious Meat Industry Dinner on the evening of the first day of the Show (Friday Dec 1st) is sponsored by Lloyds TSB Agriculture. The guest speaker will be Baroness Byford DBE, the Shadow Minister for Food and Rural Affairs. During the evening the Royal Smithfield Club Bicentenary Award will be presented – in recognition of an individual or company’s significant contribution for the benefit of the British meat industry. Previous winners include John Thorley, former Chief Executive of the National Sheep Association, in 2002, and Don Curry in 2000. Tickets for the dinner, price £45 each, are available from the Showground office (01749 822 223).

Another feature of the new show will be the Festive Farm Food Halls, supported by NatWest, with plenty of festive food available and food demonstrations throughout the day.

As well as hosting the Festive Farm Food Challenge they will be promoting meat at the heart of the food chain, to encourage visitors to appreciate all the best that British food producers have to offer and to promote a better understanding of how agriculture contributes to the nation’s health and well-being.

And while the country’s premier primestock go on parade, there’s also the chance to stock up with gifts galore for Christmas  in the Avalon Pavilion.

Tickets for the show can be booked now on the credit card hotline on 01749 822 222. Further information can be obtained from the Bath & West Showground on 01749 822 200 or on www.bathandwest.com

Advanced Saver Tickets are £10 for adults (£15 on the gate), £8 for Concessions and Students (£12 on the gate). There is free entry for children aged 15 and under, and free entry for members of the Royal Smithfield Club and the Royal Bath & West of England Society. The ticket hotline closes on Friday, November24th.

Tickets will be available on the gates at the show, which is open from 8.30am to 6pm Friday and Saturday.

Bus shuttle services will be available from and to Bristol International Airport, Bristol Temple Meads Station and Castle Cary Station.

• Invitation and free entry to all of the Society Winter Conferences.
• Free general telephone and signposting advice.
• Discounted detailed consultancy.
• Free Cross Compliance Year Planner
• Twice yearly newsletter.

All of these benefits are obtainable for an additional annual payment of £30 to the normal membership fee of £50 /year.

Dr Jane Guise, Chief Executive of the Royal Bath and West Society said: “The provision of these additional benefits for farmers is consistent with the Society’s aims to promote and support the rural economy as a whole and agriculture in particular.   Whilst the outlook for farming is beginning to look more optimistic,  incomes remain low and farmers need help to develop and plan the way forward.  The team of agricultural and rural advisers is well equipped to do just that.

“The Society has a long history in helping and supporting agriculture and the provision of these additional membership benefits is another way in which the Society can carry on this tradition, and more importantly, help farmers in these changing and challenging times”.

For details of the membership package ring Membership Secretary Alison Fox on 01749 822238.

Preparations are well underway for the South West’s biggest and best agricultural show which last year enjoyed glorious sunshine and plenty of action which brought in record crowds of over 163,000 – resulting in the highest attendance for 28 years.

This year’s highlights will include the Dog Show – bigger and better than ever before – which will be a Premier Open Show with selected Best of Breed winners qualifying for Crufts 2008.

Main ring action includes the Army Air Corps Blue Eagle Display Team and the Band of the Royal Signals.

There are extra show-jumping classes, the Inter Hunt Relay is back plus a special pageant is being staged to mark the 60th anniversary of the British Horse Society. The Alpaca classes have been extended to run over three days instead of one and a half – making the show the venue for the largest gathering of alpacas outside Peru

Last year’s popular Sustainability Area has been expanded into an exciting new Eco-Zone, focussing on wind, solar, biomass, biofuel, construction and green consumables - and there is also a sustainable transport challenge and parade featuring vehicles which derive their power from renewable energy.

French ornithologist Christian Moullec who held the crowds spellbound at last year’s Show with his incredible display of geese flying in formation behind his microlight makes a welcome return.

Canoeing, the Heavy Horse Centre, the action-packed Imagineering Fair, the wild wolves, Wookey Hole’s dinosaurs and the Orkneys are also all back by public demand, and with over 1000 tradestands, the very best of food and drink on offer and the country’s finest livestock on parade the show is not to be missed.

For full details check out the website on www.bathandwest.com or ring the Bath & West Showground on 01749 822 200.

Advanced saver tickets are available now on the credit card hotline on 01749 822 222, price £16 for adults or £13 for senior citizens and concessions.

Each adult saver tickets allows two children aged 15 and under into the show for free.

On the gate  prices are £20 for adults, £16 for senior citizens and concessions, £6 for children or £42 for a family ticket for two adults and three children.

A unique sustainability area was piloted at the Royal Bath & West Show last year, and received immense support from a broad range of businesses and interest from the 164,000 visitors who attended. The new ‘Eco-Zone’ has been created as a result and is set to be a strong attraction. Designed to cover a broad spectrum of issues, the Zone will feature six key areas: wind, solar, biomass, biofuel, construction and green consumables.

EDF Energy is once again the Show’s main sponsor, and the company has also pledged its continued support this year for the exciting and educational initiatives within the Eco-Zone.

The ‘Eco-Zone’ is designed to raise awareness about sustainable living and the need for each individual to consider their own daily impact on the environment. An Advice Centre will provide information about the practical steps visitors can take to reduce their carbon emissions.

The Show is designed to be an enjoyable experience, so the ‘Eco-Zone’ has been devised to reflect this, offering inspiration and entertainment in addition to hands-on guidance. Initiatives such a parade featuring vehicles which derive their power from sustainable energy will also draw attention.

Exhibitors are coming from all over the country to promote the very best renewable and sustainable energy practices within the Eco-Zone. The Society’s long term plan is to make it a permanent all year round feature at the Showground and it has joined forces with the Renewable Energy Foundation to help develop the project.

The Royal Bath & West Show attracts visitors from around the world, and is therefore seen as the perfect platform to campaign for a sustainable future, spreading the message to a wide audience including people of all ages and all walks of life. The Show takes place at The Bath & West Showground, at Shepton Mallet, Somerset from May 30th to June 2nd.

The event is a showcase for all aspects of country life and visitors enjoy an educational, fun and diverse day out.

For further details about the Eco-Zone please ring Kristen Thorpe on 01749 822 211

For tickets to the show, please ring the ticket card hotline on 01749 822 222 or for further information please contact: 01749 822 200

Show organisers are hoping for a huge turn-out of entries in the new Sustainable Transport Class at this year’s Royal Bath & West Show which takes place at the Bath & West Showground, Shepton Mallet, Somerset, from May 30th to June 2nd and is sponsored by EDF Energy.

Already the new competition has got the green light from innovative creators across the country – entries to date include a wide variety of vehicles from a solar-powered wheelchair and a solar auto-rickshaw, to a fuel cell boat, and a solar-powered boat.

And former Formula One World Champion Grand Prix racing driver Jody Scheckter – who is exhibiting his range of buffalo meat and ice-creams made from buffalo milk from his organic farming business Laverstoke Park -will be among the judges.

Also at the Show BBC Somerset Sound will be unveiling its brand new Sustainability Bus and launching its BBC Somerset Challenge aimed to encourage listeners and show visitors alike to take up the challenge to go greener, to change their way of lives and help save “Planet Somerset.”

The BBC is joining forces with commercial station Orchard fm to launch the Challenge which aims to turn the county carbon zero – either by encouraging people to cycle to work, or re-cycle more rubbish or change to eco-friendly lightbulbs or just look at and re-think their whole way of life.

It is the first challenge of its kind in the country and the first time a commercial station has linked up with a BBC station. Radio chiefs have high hopes that the Challenge will attract support from nearly 1/4million people – over half the county’s population.

The 32 seater bus has had the seats taken out and has been converted into a broadcasting studio, a public area and an area with work stations for staff.


The new Sustainable Transport Class will be one of the highlights of the four day Show - which is again sponsored by EDF Energy. The vehicles will all be demonstrating their capabilities in the Eco-Zone – the special area, sponsored by EDF Energy and supported by the Renewable Energy Foundation, focussing on sustainable and greener living, and where an Advice Centre manned by experts in all fields will provide information about the practical steps visitors can take to reduce carbon emissions and help save the planet.

The sustainable transport vehicles will also parade in the Main Ring on the opening day, Wednesday, May 30th at the Show which is heralded as the biggest and best in England and features four days of action-packed fun for all the family.

The unique sustainability area made its debut at the Royal Bath & West Show last year, and received immense support from a broad range of businesses and interest from the 163,000 visitors who attended.

The new ‘Eco-Zone’ has been created as a result and is set to be a strong attraction. Designed to cover a broad spectrum of issues, the Zone will feature six key areas: Wind, Solar and Geothermal; Biomass and Biogas and Co-firing; Biofuel and Clean Transport; Green Consumables and Recycling; Construction Industry and Energy Saving.

The aim of the new sustainable transport competition is to demonstrate innovation and technical progress in the design of working vehicles.

Batteries or other power storage systems can be charged on or off the vehicles provided that the electricity or power is derived from renewable energy resources

No power from fossil or nuclear fuels is allowed and all entrants will be asked to submit a list of the origins of their fuel sources.

Vehicles can be designed for use on land, sea or air, there are no limits on wheel numbers or dimensions and all land vehicles must possess adequate brakes. Water borne and air vehicles may be shown on trailers.

All vehicles must be driven by a motor that derives its power from renewable energy. The vehicles can be constructed of any form of material but consideration will be given to those entries using recyclable materials in their construction.

For further details and entry forms for the competition please contact Paul Hooper, Administrator, at the Bath & West Showground, Shepton Mallet, Somerset, BA4 6QN  (tel. 01749 822 200).

The entry fee for the class is £10 and entitles each applicant to two free tickets to the Show.

Tickets, price £1 each, are now on sale for the Prize Draw which will take place at this year’s Royal Bath & West Show and will once again raise thousands of pounds for Children’s Hospice South West and renewable energy projects.

Last year’s Draw saw an eco-friendly car donated by Noel Edmonds and a champion cheese raise thousands of pounds for Children’s Hospice South West and renewable energy projects - thanks to the generosity of the Show’s visitors and supporters.

The champion cheese was a 25 kilo traditional cheddar made by Keen’s Cheddar of Wincanton, which was later donated for auction at the show and was bought by Longmans Cheese Sales Ltd from North Cadbury, raising £425 for Children’s Hospice South West.

At the same time the Show’s Grand Draw for tickets for a QPOD car, kindly donated by TV star Noel Edmonds raised nearly £7,000 to be shared by two of the TV star’s favourite causes - the much-needed new children’s hospice for the South West and renewable energy projects in the region.

Noel Edmonds, himself a farmer and passionately concerned about sustainability and the environment, is chairman of the Renewable Energy Foundation. He hopes to visit the Show this year and give his support to the Eco-Zone which will focus on sustainable and greener living with an Advice Centre on how to help reduce carbon emissions and safeguard the planet.

The host of the hit Channel 4 show “Deal Or No Deal” is also patron of what was the South West’s only children’s hospice, Little Bridge House near Barnstaple, which was built 10 years ago and supports over 200 sick children and their families each year with respite care and help. 

And he is supporting the £15 million “Babe’s Big Appeal” for Children’s Hospice South West, the new hospice at Charlton Farm on the Tyntesfield  Estate at Wraxall near Bristol, which will double the provision of care and respite available in the region when it opens to families later this month (April 2007) . More than 1000 children in the region currently face life-threatening and life-limiting illnesses.

The state of the art new hospice, which will cost £3 million a year to run, will provide tender loving care for sick children and support for their families. There will be individually designed children’s bedrooms, rooms for parents and siblings to stay in too, a Jacuzzi with special hoists, and round the clock care by staff. Other facilities include a soft play room, a messy room, a computer room and a sensory room all designed to make their time there extra special.

This year’s top prize in the Draw is a fabulous Fun Buggy donated by the QPOD Motor Company, from Honition,  Devon.  Second prize is a luxury overnight stay at Ston Easton Park with dinner and breakfast, kindly donated by Ston Easton Park, plus the unique opportunity to spend the morning in the kitchen with the chef!

Other super prizes include a Mulberry Leather Handbag, worth £500 and kindly donated by Mulberry, tickets to the Glastonbury Extravaganza, and a balloon ride donated by the Royal Bath & West Show’s sponsors EDF Energy.

Anyone wanting to buy tickets and help raise funds for two worthy causes - the Children’s Hospice South West and the Royal Bath & West of England’s renewable energy projects - should contact Diane Abbott on 01749 822215, or e-mail: diane.abbott@bathandwest.co.uk.

For full details of what’s happening at this year’s Royal Bath & West Show which takes place at the Bath & West Showground from May 30th to June 2nd, ring the Showground on 01749 822 200 or visit www.bathandwest.com

With show-jumping entries not due to close until May 2nd,  the numbers of horses already entered for the biggest and best agricultural show in England are already at 1940 – that is a staggering 150 more than the last highest figure of 1790 recorded way back at the 1990 show.

And with show-jumping entries expected around the 300 mark, new classes, the fast and furious scurry-driving, Horse of the Year Show qualifiers, the popular Inter-Hunt Relay, the Heavy Horse Centre, the Pony Club Games and a special parade to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the British Horse Society, organisers are confidently looking forward to welcoming over 2,500 horses to the Show for four days of equestrian excitement not to be missed.

A wide variety of horses are competing from Hunters, Cobs and Sports Horses to Native Ponies and Heavy Horses, from Appaloosas and Arabs to Shetlands and Shires.

And Renault, long-time supporters of the Royal Bath and West Show, have come forward with an extra boost this year. The Show is the scene for the second event in the new 2007 Renault Jump showjumping series which is spanning nine of the country’s  top county shows this summer, offering riders over £80,000 worth of prizes.

Meanwhile entries all round in the livestock classes are buoyant, with huge increases in the Devon, South Devon and British Simmental classes in particular for the Show which takes place at the Bath & West Showground, Shepton Mallet, Somerset from May 30th – June 2nd.

Organisers put the increase largely down to the huge success of the new Royal Smithfield Christmas Fair at the Showground before Christmas which encouraged many new exhibitors to come forward, and also to the fact that some of the country’s top judges will be casting a critical eye over the entries.

And, not to be outdone, the goats are making their mark too – with the Pygmy Goat Association celebrating its 25th anniversary in big style at the Show.

“Entries for horses have just exploded,” said livestock and entries officer Ange Harper. “People appreciate that this is a very prestigious show to win at.”

 Entries all across the board are extremely good. Over 10,000 entries are expected in the vast range of competitions – from alpacas to zwarbtles, from the tiniest hen’s egg to the magnificent heavy horses, and from the most beautiful artwork to the tastiest cheeses and cider!

Show manager Alan Lyons said: “We have phenomenal entries this year and an action packed programme for all the four days. It all looks set to be a great show, and it’s now fingers crossed for fine weather.”

Over 160,000 people are expected to the Show which is sponsored again by EDF Energy and where highlights include the Dog Show – bigger and better than ever before – which will be a Premier Open Show with some of the Best of Breeds qualifying for Crufts 2008.

Main ring action includes the Army Air Corps Blue Eagle Helicopter Display Team and the Band of the Royal Signals. And the daredevil Human Cannonball - David Smith Junior, “The Bullet” from Missouri - will be fired over 100 feet high in the air to land in the main ring! He will don his safety helmet, slide down the barrel of his cannon, begin a nail-biting countdown and then be fired high into the air into a distant landing net. Smith (30), and his father - David Smith Senior - have thrilled audiences worldwide with their breath-taking performances. This will be David Junior’s first ever appearance in the UK.

Also flying high will be French ornithologist Christian Moullec who held the crowds spellbound at last year’s Show with his incredible display of geese flying in formation behind his microlight and who makes a welcome return.

Canoeing, the Heavy Horse Centre, the action-packed Imagineering Fair, the wild wolves, Wookey Hole’s dinosaurs and the Orkneys are also all back by public demand, and with over 1000 tradestands, the Bath & West Railway, the popular art exhibition, the very best of food and drink on offer and the country’s finest livestock on parade, the show is not to be missed.

The talents and tastes of the regions are highlighted again with Wealth of Wiltshire, Celebrating Somerset, and Best of Bath showcasing the best of the West. The Alpaca classes have been extended to run over three days instead of one and a half – making the show the venue for the largest gathering of alpacas outside Peru.

Last year’s popular Sustainability Area has been expanded into an exciting new Eco-Zone, focussing on wind, solar, biomass, biofuel, construction and green consumables - and there is also a sustainable transport challenge and parade featuring vehicles which derive their power from renewable energy.

For full details ring the Bath & West Showground on 01749 822 200. Advanced saver tickets are available now on the credit card hotline on 01749 822 222, price £16 for adults or £13 for senior citizens and concessions.

Each adult saver tickets allows two children aged 15 and under into the show for FREE.

On the gate  prices are £20 for adults, £16 for senior citizens and concessions, £6 for children or £42 for a family ticket for two adults and three children.

• SolarRola
• The games
• Activities
• Trials

at the Show will we hope benefit in the South West of England, as well as various
other groups with the development of the chair.

• Find out what local food is available.
• Hear about the role that farmers can play in wildlife management.
• Understand more about bio-security.
• Discover ways to enjoy your natural environment.

At these events, find out:

• Where food comes from
• Who produces it
• How it’s produced
• About the farmer’s role as wildlife steward

If you want to know more about healthy local food and how to reduce food miles as well as being interested in the natural environment, come along to one of these events. Bring your family and friends.

You will hear speakers explaining how farmers nurture our wildlife, have a guided walk around the farm and browse amongst the stalls of the mini farmers’ market.

Though each event will be unique in content, they will all follow a similar format.

PROGRAMME

A key change in the role of farmers over the last few years is that of ‘Wildlife
Steward’. A series of talks and presentations will explain what this means to the
wildlife.

You will learn ways you can help and how you can better enjoy the natural
environment.

Talk and Presentations
Come along and see for yourself what happens on a farm. See the food production
chain in action, from growth through to market products.

Experience first hand the wildlife projects and understand better how all this leads to a sustainable system of producing our food.

Sunday 9th December 2007
10.00—14.00
Real Grub Local Food Centre
Stokeley Farm Shop
Stokenham
Kingsbridge
Devon TQ9 2SE
www.stokeley.co.uk

Situated on the A379 and easy to find between Stokenham and Torcross on the Kingsbridge to Dartmouth coastal road is the RealGrub Local Food Centre with farm, farm shop and café serving a range of local products from fresh
meats to local beers.

Sunday 2nd December 2007      POSTPONED
10.00—14.00
Stourhead Farm Shop
High Street,
Stourton,
Wiltshire
BA12 6QF
www.stourhead.co.uk

The shop is situated by the National Trust car park, on the Stourhead Estate, set in the rolling Wiltshire landscape. Conditions are ideal for growing food and bring you superb seasonal, local products, well-hung and traditionally butchered meats, cheese, fruit and vegetables, free range eggs and more.

Sunday 9th December 2007
10.00—14.00
Wallaces Farm Shop
Hill Farm
Hemyock
Devon EX15 3UZ
www.welcometowallaces.co.uk

On the Somerset/Devon border, Wallace’s is a working farm with a farm shop and restaurant open 7 days a week. They breed Highland cattle, red deer, North American bison and sheep on the Blackdown hills. They also keep pigs, miniature ponies and pygmy goats to entertain children, and have a small museum featuring farm tools
from yesteryear.

ROYAL BATH & WEST SOCIETY
Andrew Clune
The Showground
Shepton Mallet
Somerset BA4 6QN
01749 822232
Reg Charity No. 2931640
andrew.clune@bathandwest.co.uk

SOMERSET FOOD LINKS
Carole Fox
Units 10 & 11
Bridge Barns
Long Sutton
Langport
Somerset
TA10 9PZ
01458 241401
www.foodlinks.org.uk
carolef@foodlinks.org.uk

Well known dairy farmer, writer, and First Milk Board member Roger Evans is this year’s recipient of the prestigious Dairy Industry Award.

Presented by John Alvis on behalf of the sponsors, Lloyds TSB Agriculture and Dairy Crest, the award recognises the outstanding contribution to the dairy industry by an individual over a number of years. The judges said Mr Evans deserved it because of “his significant contribution to the wider food and agri-business sector”.

Mr Evans runs a successful 350 acre family farm in Shropshire with his son David, where they run a dairy herd of 200 milkers and produce 350,000 chickens each year. He served as chairman of First Milk between March 2003 and November 2004, and was previously Chairman of Axis milk, which merged with Scottish Milk to form First Milk on 1 April 2001.

Richard Greenhalgh, First Milk chairman commented:  "Roger has an extraordinary skill with words, which not only comes through in his writing and after dinner speeches, but is evident in his ability to get his points across with clarity on a wide variety of occasions. His understanding of the dairy industry and ever-expanding network of contacts have been invaluable to us at First Milk on too many times to mention. However it is on a personal level where I value Roger most. He has been a great support and counsel to me since he handed over the baton of First Milk chairman just over three years ago. This level of openness is rare and reflects Roger’s great generosity.”

Roger has also been an award winning feature writer and contributor to the Dairy Farmer magazine for over 20 years, where his articles have gained an unrivalled reputation for being practical, thought-provoking and amusing, with more than the occasional sarcastic twist on officialdom and the generally wonderful but sometimes wearing woes of being a dairy farmer.  In the 1990’s he won the Business Periodical Publishers Association award for being the best columnist – judged from all national media.  He has also written a book called Good Evans!

“. . . let’s face it, we have all needed cheering up over the last few years and we at Dairy Farmer have been extremely lucky to tap into Roger Evans’ inimitable humour on our back page for over 20 years . . . this in turn has meant we are probably the only title in dairying to be read back to front!” says Peter Hollinshead, editor of Dairy Farmer.

Mr Evans joins a prestigious line up of Dairy Industry Award winners. Other winners include
Dick Sibley, veterinary surgeon at the West Point Vet Practice, Witheridge, Devon; David Handley, chairman and founder of Farmers for Action from Monmouthshire; John Becket, Belton Cheese and Tim Mead from Yeo Valley

Alan Webber is the winner of this year’s South West Dairy Farm Business of the Year Award and received the Award from Simon Banfield, Farmer Director of Milk Link, at the Dairy Show at the Royal Bath & West Showground at Shepton Mallet on Wednesday 30 January 2008.

Alan farms 287 acres near Crediton in Devon, as part of a family partnership, milking 135 cows and rearing young stock under a full organic regime. With a premium milk price, but with its attendant high input costs, he managed to achieve a margin per cow well ahead of the other finalists in this year’s competition and the judges being particularly impressed by his dedication, obvious attention to detail, his outstanding grassland management and the obvious progress that he and the family are making in developing their milk business.  Alan Webber is a very worthy winner of this prestigious award, having been short-listed on two previous occasions.

The overall winner of the competition receives £1,000 in prize money plus an engraved glass bowl and framed photograph to commemorate the occasion.

The other finalists were Mr J W Davis of Doulting, Shepton Mallet, Somerset; Messrs D L & B M Gordge of Batcombe, Dorchester, Dorset; Mr & Mrs N Loder of Oborne, Sherborne, Dorset; Mr & Mrs R Parker of Mappowder, Sturminster Newton, Dorset & Mr Brian Rich of Binegar, Radstock, Somerset and all the finalists were each visited by members of the panel accompanied by Mr Cotton.

This year’s competition was not without its own difficulties; initially the Foot & Mouth disease outbreak delayed the start of judging, put back to early September, only for the second outbreak to be announced whilst the judges were mid-way in their visits to the finalists’ farms. This caused an immediate embargo on any further farm visits for another six weeks before judging was completed.  Mr Allen Cotton, representative of the Royal Bath & West Society accompanied the judges, Mark Gendall of Clydesdale Bank, Paul Charlton of Milk Link & Julian Newth a local farmer, on their visits.

The South West Dairy Farm Business of the Year Award is organised by the Royal Bath & West of England Society and is very generously sponsored and supported by Milk Link, the South West’s leading farmer-owned co-operative, and Clydesdale Bank.

Paul Charlton, Technical Services Manager for Milk Link Limited, and one of the competition judges said:
“Mr & Mrs Webber are deserving winners.  Their sheer enthusiasm and commitment to the dairy business was overwhelming, whilst focusing upon clear business objectives.  All business decisions were directly aimed at achieving their objectives and it was very encouraging to see the benefits of these decisions already shaping the future sustainability of a very successful business.  Key to their success is not only this focus but also attention to detail whilst maintaining simple, practical and environmentally friendly farming practices.”
 
Mark Gendall, Agri-Business Partner Somerset & Dorset said “Clydesdale Bank, are very pleased in continuing their support for the SW Dairy Farm Business of the Year Award, as we see dairy farmers adjusting their business to new challenges.  Clydesdale are actively promoting relationship banking with agricultural experienced bank managers, supporting farmers with their borrowing, investment and development plans during these changing times.”

“Alan demonstrated his knowledge and skills in adapting to his specific challenges, with a very positive attitude.  His business acumen seemed to drive his approach to dairy farming and work/life balance, which the judges could see in the quality of husbandry, the cow performance, and the ultimate profitability of the business.”

Supported by Clarks Village and in aid of The Prince’s Trust the Fashion Show is anticipated by all to be the start of something truly inspirational at the Royal Bath & West Show. Fashion retailers including Jeff Banks, Van Heusen, Savoy Taylors Guild, Gap, Joules, Autonomy, NEXT, Lee Cooper, Wrangler, CK, Marks & Spencers, Windsmoor, are all involved.

Three shows will be held each day, and on Thursday May 29^th the Royal Bath & West Show is very proud to be welcoming Fashion Icon Jeff Banks. Jeff is a strong supporter of this event and is also representing his own brand which will be part of the Fashion Show.  In between shows ‘The Body Shop’ and ‘Crabtree & Evelyn’ will be running free make-over sessions.

Choreographed by Royal Academy of Dance trained Leanne Singleton, the Fashion Show models are all members of staff from Clarks Village.  Leanne has already choreographed for several dance shows including a touring musical 'That'll be the day' for the Bournemouth international centre (BIC).  She has grasped this challenge with both hands and has crafted a unique and highly professional Show to inspire all.

Celebrating the opening day, the Royal Bath & West Show is running a best dressed couple competition for the first time.  Couples can either enter themselves in the competition by coming to the Fashion Show Theatre on the first day of show, or couples will be ‘spotted’ and invited to join in the competition.  Jeff Banks will be judging the entries on Thursday May 29^th and the winning couple will be treated to dinner, bed and breakfast at the highly acclaimed Ston Easton Park Hotel.

Lending their dedicated support to The Prince’s Trust the Show is also delighted to welcome BBC Homes Under the Hammer star Martin Roberts and Peter Mayhew who played Chewbacca in Star Wars.  Martin is attending all four days of the Show and is giving away the opportunity for 8 individuals to win the chance of spending a days filming with him, through local press!  He is also promoting his new book “teach yourself: Making Money from Property”. 

Peter is making a rare appearance in the UK on the 29^{th & 30th} – only his third appearance in 10 years so don’t miss coming to see him!

"He has turned the Bath and West's cider section into the Orchards and Cider pavilion; from an embarrassment to one of the most respected stars of the show and a showcase for the industry."

Another mark of the success of this popular part of the show is the record number of entries in the cider, perry and apple juice competitions. Over two days of serious judging, 290 ciders, sparkling ciders, perrys and apple juices - from across England and Wales, from Gwent to Kent and back to Somerset - were sniffed, tasted, and assessed by a panel of judges that included food write Lindsey Bareham, Nick Bradstock, former president of the EU Cider and Fruit Wine industry association, and Vernon Shutler, president of the South West of England Cidermakers Association.

One winning cider with a unique story is Glastonbury Abbey cider which took the medium farmhouse cider class, made exclusively from apples grown in Glastonbury Abbey's orchard. Although this is made for the abbey by Julian Temperley at Burrough Hill, Mr Temperley explained: "It has the provenance of the most unique apples in Christendom. When you buy quality wine you also buy the story, this is a cider with a wonderful story."

The Worshipful Company of Fruiterers' cup for the Supreme Champion Cider was made by Perrys in Dowlish Wake, who also won the cup for the Best Bottled Cider. Three years ago the family won the supreme championship with the same cider, a single- variety Dabinett.

Lindsey Bareham said that the choice of winner had been unanimous: "I had no idea there was such a huge range of flavours in single variety cider apples."

Nick Bradstock said the quality and range of the entries showed how the cider industry was responding to its revived popularity. "More people want to see cider made well, and enthusiasts are taking trouble to learn new techniques," he said.

The medium class was won by Nigel Carpenter of Bruton, while Alan Berry from Templecombe won the sweet class and the Weston's Cup for organic cider was awarded to David Sheppy, of Sheppy's Cider, near Taunton.

Never has the slight slope on which the vast showground lies proved to be so important.

The gradient meant the wall of water - created by a cloudburst over South Somerset - rushed through the showground, avoiding serious flooding.

The ground was certainly wet underfoot but regular showgoers were all sensibly shod and the going in the main ring - scene of the majority of the equestrian events - was distinctly "heavy", prompting one or two events to be slightly shortened to avoid exhausting the horses.

Otherwise the only evidence of the deluge from the night before was the flattened grass and mud slicks across the roads.

The show survived virtually unscathed.

The Celebrity Theatre will be hosting a variety of talks and question and answer panels, with four top gardening celebrities on hand.  Popular television gardener Christine Walkden discusses ‘How to Make the Most of your Vegetable Garden’, experienced expert Peter Seabrook gives his tips on ‘Old Faithfuls - the most reliable flower and vegetable varieties’, Gardeners Question Time panellist Anne Swithinbank talks on ‘A Year in my Garden’ and Toby Buckland, the new face of BBC Gardeners World, guides us through the extraordinary world of giant vegetables. 

The show attracts over 30,000 visitors over the three days and welcomes a wonder of talent and knowledge for everyone to enjoy.  All four of our experts will be giving tours around the Show and meeting both exhibitors and visitors.  Each day they can be found on the Amateur Gardening Magazine Ask the Experts stand, ready to answer all your gardening questions.

Writhlington School in Radstock are also appearing at the Celebrity Theatre.  Simon Pugh-Jones and his pupils have developed a remarkable school orchid project, which is now internationally acclaimed.  Even if you are not an orchid grower, you will be intrigued by this fascinating story of the propagation and re-establishment of rare species in far distant regions of the world.  Simon and his students will be in the Celebrity Theatre at lunch time every day, so come and see what attracted the world famous Eden Project to this Somerset school.

In the amazing world of giant vegetable growing and the National Amateur Gardening Show being the host of the National Giant Vegetable Competition, former Times Journalist Michael Leapman, author of The Biggest Beetroot in the World will be sharing his knowledge of this gigantic world and giving talks in the Celebrity Theatre on all three days of the show.

Another national competition held at the show is the National Dahlia Competition, which always attracts the most glorious and colourful blooms.  This year sees the naming of a new dahlia; the Florence Li Tim-Oi.  Named after the very first Anglican Woman Priest, it was the listeners of the BBC Sunday programme who voted for the new flower to be named after this remarkable woman.  There will be a small ceremony on Saturday 6th September at 12.00 noon in the Showering Pavilion, as the new flower is launched by the Rt. Rev. Barry Rogerson, who as the Bishop of Bristol ordained the first Church of England women priests in 1994. 

The Showering Pavilion and the magnificent Floral Marquee have the most fantastic floral displays.  Everyone from the keen amateur to the experienced horticulturist can marvel at the magnificent plants and the dedication of the exhibitors who have worked so hard to produce them and bring them to the show for all to see.

The show is a fantastic day out for all the family, the Food Halls offer something to please every taste from cheese, to olives, to honey.  There is a dedicated fun filled children’s area, where youngsters can go on trampolines, have their faces painted and even go to circus school to learn new skills!   There are cookery demonstrations to watch and see how you could broaden your culinary skills and then wander round the trade stands that offer the very best of shopping.

New for this year is the Countryside Arena, which opens in the morning with ferret racing, followed by a gun dog display and high speed terrier racing.  The grace and elegance of a falconry display is topped off by the parade of Vintage Garden Machinery, bringing back many happy memories of days gone by.  Three young otters will be charming the crowds and pygmy goats will be there too, with experts to tell you how to look after them and how to feed them

Let us not forget the heart of the show – the gardens. Gold medal winning gardens will inspire you and give you many ideas to take home and try yourself.  Marvel at the skill of the gardeners who have created their gardens with such care and talent.

Mr Barry Nicholls was chosen from the many nominations received and was indeed a worthy winner.  He was presented with his award by Mr Arthur Reeves, Director of Purchasing of Dairy Crest, joint sponsors of the Dinner with Lloyds TSB Agriculture.

The Dairy Industry Award is presented to the individual thought to have made the most outstanding contribution towards the development of the Dairy Industry in 2008 and is one of the highest honours bestowed by the Dairy Industry in recognition of the achievements of one of their own.  

The Dairy Show attracts large numbers of dairy farmers each year and is now recognised to be the ‘hands-on’ event for the industry with cattle at the heart of the show.  This show has attracted record entries in many classes and in addition to the livestock classes, other attractions include over 260 trade stands, the South West Dairy Farmer Award and industry seminars held in the Showground’s theatre.

Every year the prestigious Supreme Championship at the Dairy Show fields six of the most outstanding cattle at the Show, all champions of their own breed to compete head to head with the best of the best.  This year’s Supreme Championship was better than ever and the arena packed with people to see the Ayrshire cow Sandyford Clover 10 win the Championship with the perfect score of 50 out of 50.  It is the first time in twelve years that an Ayrshire has emerged the victor in the Supreme Championship. Sandyford Clover 10 was bred by its exhibitor E T Tomlinson from Loughborough, Leicestershire and is five years old. The Ayrshire judge was Mr A Lawrie. The Reserve Champion was the Holstein, Moorshard Jordan Primrose, bred by RK and SG Miller from Bridgwater, Somerset.   

The Dairy Show also hosted two other presentations.  The Dairy Industry Award was presented during the Dairy Industry Dinner held on the eve of the show and attended by over 300 people. This year the award was won by Barry Nicholls, a worthy winner with many years of involvement in the dairy industry.

The South West Dairy Farmer of the Year was also presented at the Show.  From seven finalists it was Neville and Sue Loder from Sherborne in Dorset who won the coveted title.  A team of three judges visited all of the seven farms and the farmers were judged on all aspects of their farms, the stock, the plans and policies, costings and accounts. 

Over 260 trade stands had an exceptional day of business and one observer remarked that he could not think of any local dairy farmer who was not at the Show.  Many attended the seminars and lectures in the Bath and West Theatre including two interesting presentations The Future of the Dairy Industry with a panel of four key players from the industry and What a Difference a Vet Makes given by Mr Peter Edmondson.

Show Manager Alan Lyons commented “we are delighted to have held yet another successful Dairy Show.  The cattle entries were not only high but of a very high quality and our gate figure was on a par with 2006, which in the current climate perfectly illustrates the loyalty of our exhibitors and the esteem of our visitors”.

• Travelling Expenses: Devon County Show, Royal Bath & West Show, Royal Cornwall Show, Three Counties Show, Great Yorkshire Show, Lakeland Shears, Northumberland County Shears and Romney Shears.
• Official Team Clothing (Blazers): Shearwell Data Ltd, Minehead, Somerset.
• Official Team Clothing (Sweatshirts): George Mudge & Co., Tavistock, Devon.
•  
• The English Shearer of the Year Award is sponsored by:
• Prizes and Equipment (Machine Shearers): Lister Shearing, Dursley, Glos.
• Prize Money (Machine Shearers): Zintec Feed Supplements, Shobdon, Herefordshire.
• Prize Money (Blade and Woolhandling): Brinton Carpets, Kidderminster, Worcestershire.

The England team is:

• Stephen Capstick, 34, Whicham – Contract Shearer. England Champion 3 times, English Shearer of the Year 4 times. Represented England 3 times.
• Steven Lloyd, 47, Hereford – Contract Shearer. England Champion 18 times.
• George Mudge, 61, Tavistock – Farmer/Business Owner – Represented England 5 times (blade) and twice (machine).
• Andrew Mudge, 28, Tavistock – Farmer/Business Partner – Competing as blade shearer for 4 years and machine shearing for 8 years.
• Hilary Bond, 27, Bovey Tracey – Farmer. Competing in woolhandling competitions for 5 years, represented England 3 times.
• Kelly Mudge, 27, Tavistock – Works from home and full time mum. Represented England in Woolhandling twice.

(Statistics include the 2008 World Championships).

Trade stand information can be obtained from Sandra Collishaw on 01749 822231. 

Some sponsorship opportunities are still available and interested companies should contact Rachael Hann on 01749 822215.

Schedule of Seminars for the two days are:-

Friday 5th December                                    

NFU  : Bovine TB…next steps                       
The Beef Industry                                          
The Sheep Industry                                         
Merial  :  Blue Tongue                                       
The Beef Industry                                            
The Sheep Industry                                         
Life Academy Pensions Workshop                

Saturday 6th December

British Pig Association
Life Academy Pensions Workshop
Life Academy Pensions Workshop
Sheep Industry
Merial : Blue Tongue
The Beef Industry
Life Academy Pensions Workshop

BATH & WEST UNVEILS £120M REGENERATION PLANS

SITE AIMS TO BE FIRST ENERGY SELF-SUFFICIENT SHOWGROUND IN UK

THE Royal Bath & West of England Society today unveiled visionary plans that would transform the Somerset showground into a major South West visitor destination and tourist attraction. It would become the first energy self-sufficient showground in the UK.

The Society estimates that more than 1,500 new jobs could ultimately be created on the site, providing a massive, ongoing boost to the local and regional economy. The total investment value of the redevelopment would be £120M.

Energy generation is key. The showground aims to become the first in the UK to be completely energy self-sufficient using renewable technologies, such as solar thermal, photovoltaic cells, or anaerobic digestion of biomass waste from local dairy industries. Excess electricity could be sold back to the National Grid, generating a profitable new income for the showground.

Dr Jane Guise, chief executive of the Royal Bath & West of England Society, said: ‘We want to transform the showground and create a vibrant, high-quality events venue of a national standard. We believe our plans will achieve this and ensure long-term financial stability, raising the investment needed to fund the redevelopment and create a solid and growing revenue stream to safeguard the future.

M/F
‘The Society has enjoyed tremendous support from all the local authorities to bring forward the regeneration of the Showground. There is a huge amount of work to be done and we will of course continue to work very closely with the county and district councils on this. Our aim, after detailed consultation with all parties, is to submit a planning application later this year.

‘These plans will take 12 to 15 years to complete in full, but we hope to make significant progress with the major tourist and business elements before the end of 2012.'

The return of the amazing daredevil Cannonball Man

Blasted out of a smoking cannon, Dave Smith will soar across the skies again in front of the incredulous crowds.

The Band of the Brigade of Gurkhas

An integral part of music in the British Army, they are known for their fast marching speed and khukuri dance and also offer some very different elements to the musical capabilities of other regular bands.

CLA

Delivering a packed programme of seminars, debates and workshops spanning the practical, political and policy issues that affect everybody who lives and works in our South West countryside. Topics will include Cash Management & Taxation, The Countryside and the Political Scene, Meeting the Challenge of the 21st Century, Livestock Ownership and Liability - the Legal Issues, European Elections - Who will fight for the South West, Going Green - Reaping the Wind.

Farming for the Family

This section has been enhanced enormously this year specifically to encourage hands on involvement. Features include a Farmhouse Kitchen, sponsored by Spillers of Chard where visitors can watch chefs cooking traditional Farm House fare using an Aga or Range; a children's cookery area; butter, cream and ice-cream making demonstrations; ewe scanning demo's where visitors can try their hand at lambing using a simulator; plus a sow and piglets, lambs, dairy cows, fish, crops and their by products and lots more!

The Fashion Show

Supported by Clarks Village this year's fashion show is showing off the latest cutting edge designs from iconic brands including M&S, Calvin Klein, Gap, Jeff Banks, Nike, Monsoon, Timberland and White Stuff. The added quirk of this years fashion show is that it will include a troupe of perfect, pouting pooches, showing off the latest and greatest fashion developments in doggy designs! The Canine models are being generously lent by the Greyhound Rescue West of England.

Xtreme Offroad Course

If you're feeling adventurous and want to test your skills and nerve, visit the 4x4 course for tutored driving or be driven around by the experts.

Livestock

The very heart of the show has always been and will remain the wonderful variety of the countries finest animals that visitors can see including Horses, Ponies, Cattle, Sheep, Pigs, Goats and Alpacas.

Sheep Shearing

At the Shearing Pavilion throughout Thursday and Friday experience the atmosphere and observe top class International shearers competing with speed and rhythm in the ancient master craft of "Shearing".

Bees & Honey

Have a go at making candles and spend time tasting different honey's plus watch the bees at work in the bee garden and learn about bee keeping and how to encourage bees into your garden.

Fur & Feather

Back by popular demand are the rabbits much to the delight of many. Visitors can also see Cavies, Fancy Mice and Rats, Hamsters, Chipmunks, Tortoises, Poultry and Waterfowl.

Dog Show

Obedience, Agility and Races. With nearly 1,500 happy, healthy dogs enjoying the thrills and excitement this Show provides the ideal opportunity for all dog enthusiasts to immerse themselves in the entertainment and challenges of the canine world.

Food Halls

Visit the Finest of the West Hall and see and taste the best of the West Country with foods from cider to beer to pies, sausages and ducks to strawberries and cream and fudge. Next door is the Exmoor Hall with more regional and national foods including West Country Cheeses and meats as well as delicacies such as pancakes and home made pasties. The Spirit of the West Hall features local drink supported by local food such as the best locally smoked fish washed down with Somerset Cider Brandy or English Wine

Dairy Produce

Sponsored by North Downs Dairy, the makers of Pilgrims Choice - The very best of cheese, yogurts, butters, creams and desserts make a mouth watering array of delicious delights for visitors to taste and buy. The biggest cheese show in the country!

Woodlands & Wildlife

Come and experience the Woodland Trail, watch Dry Stone Walling, experience hands-on craft and wildlife activities with quizzes and challenges. Demonstrations of tree dismantling, hurdle makers, wood turners, charcoal burners and pole lathes, timber framing, Blacksmiths and Yurt making plus heavy horses carry out tushing demonstrations.

Shoeing & Wrought Iron

This ancient craft has changed very little over the centuries although the skills once handed on from father to son are now increasingly taught at colleges. The Show is the perfect place to find someone to repair your dry stone wall or re-thatch your house; renew the luster of your old wrought iron gate or make you a new one; find that dining room or garden furniture set you've been looking for, or commission a carving, and the bonus is you can see the quality of their work right there and then!

Countryside Arena

Field sports, demonstrations and country pursuits for all the family to watch, enjoy and learn about including Ferret Racing, Falconry, Hounds Display, Terrier Racing and Gundogs.
Imagineering - The Imagineering Fair returns again with scores of free, fun activities for children of all ages and abilities. From submarines to aerospace - and everything in between - explore the creative possibilities of science, engineering and technology.

Canoeing

Last year 1000 children a day went out on the beautiful lake along with some of their parents. There are a wide variety of canoes and kayaks including family boats, sit ons, tourers, open canoes and fishing specific craft.

Scuba Diving

If you've ever wanted to have a go at Scuba Diving in controlled environment, now's your chance! Here you can be tutored safely by the experts in a large tank.

Zorbing

A new and exciting extreme experience that involves hurtling down a hill in nothing more than an inflatable ball! Try it if you dare!

Family Trail

Join in the Family Trail which leads you round the show through some of the key features where you can also pick up lots of freebies along the way!

Eco-Zone

Going Green can be for you, can be fun and can save you money! Race solar powered buggies and pedal-powered scalectrix. Learn to live off the land with "Walk the Mendips" star Adrian Boots. Expert advice on cutting energy bills, showcasing solar panels, wind turbines, or wood fired boilers. Plus be inspired with The "Sustainable Transport Competition".

Flower Show & Floral Art

A medley of beautiful flowers and plants plus talks, demonstrations and displays.

Orchards & Cider

Apple Juice and Cider Tasting, Wassailing, Coopering Demonstrations, Cider Clinic and Book Signings.

Art

The pavilion aims to encourage promote West Country Artists, both professional and amateur and each year receives an increasingly high praise as to the caliber of the work. Works are selected by a panel of judges and are all for sale.

Safety Zone

Come to the Safety Zone and make your home and workplace a safer place. Within the Safety Zone you will find a number of individual zones with experts to give you advice on how to prevent accidents and cope in an emergency. On view will be displays within the various zones with practical demos all day.

Disabled Games

A registered charity providing sporting opportunities for disabled people. Do come along to watch the skill of these athletes doing Basketball, Tennis, Slalom, Air Rifle, Archery, Fly Catching, Precision Club, Precision Javelin, Short Mat Bowls, Shot Putt, Skittles and Table Tennis.

Village Green

Music, Dancing and entertainment for all the family.

Miniature Railway

Now half a mile long, the Miniature Railway transports visitors around the lake and is guaranteed to put a smile on everyone's face!

And for the first time ever, the catwalk will be transformed into a dogwalk as it plays host to a troupe of perfect, pouting pooches, showing off the latest and greatest fashion developments in doggy designs!

The human version of the show will comprise 16 models who will be sashaying down the full length of the 30 foot runway showing off the latest cutting edge designs from iconic brands including M&S, Calvin Klein, Gap, Jeff Banks, Nike, Monsoon, Timberland and White Stuff. The show will be choreographed by Leighton De Burca a leading name in the fashion industry who has arranged shows for the Bath & Bristol Fashion Show as well as national and international shows.

Six of the human models featured in the show will be the lucky winners of a modelling competition being arranged in conjunction with local radio station, Heart FM. This is due to be judged on 23 April by a panel of judges including talent scouts from leading Bristol-based model agency, Room 3.

The other 10 models were all been hand picked by the retailers and then chosen through an audition process.

The pooches will be given their own dedicated billing on the fashion show timetable. The dishiest dogs in the business, including Alsatians, Labradors, Spaniels and Terriers will be clad in a range of the most avant garde canine creations, from traditional countryside coats to Top Gun type flying jackets.

To raise awareness for the Greyhound Rescue Centre, an organisation dedicated to rescuing greyhounds discarded by their owners when they reach the end of their racing careers, each show will feature one of these beautiful animals, generously borrowed for the occasion from the local centre.

The Royal Bath & West Fashion Show, hosted by Clarks Village, now in its second year, attracted so many visitors last year that the organisers are providing a dedicated marquee with enough space to accommodate up to 250 people and four shows per day for the 2009 show. Entrance to the Fashion Show is free but donations to the Prince's Trust will be encouraged.

The Royal Bath & West Show takes place between Wednesday 27 May and Saturday 30 May.

For Grassland tickets please call 01749822222

THE ROYAL BATH & WEST SHOW 2009:

ENGLAND'S BIGGEST AND BEST COUNTY SHOW ANNOUNCES HEADLINE HIGHLIGHTS

WHERE can you see a man flying over your head accompanied by a flock of geese, a person fired 100ft into the air from a 10,000lb cannon, and the Band of the Brigade of Gurkhas all in one day? Only at the Royal Bath & West, the biggest and the best county show in England.

The Royal Bath & West Show 2009 is packed full of fantastic features to entertain every member of the family. England's biggest and best agricultural show takes place at the Bath & West Showground, Shepton Mallet, Somerset from Wednesday, May 27th to Saturday May 30th 2009.

Brand new at the show this year is the world renowned Band of the Brigade of Gurkhas. An integral part of the British Army, the Gurkha band is distinguishable by its fast marching, distinctive music and native dance. Their repertoire extends from Nepalese traditional songs to hard rock, performed in their native language. The rock band element is much loved both in the UK and in Nepal.

Back by popular request is the World Record Breaker Daredevil Cannonball Man from the USA. Thousands of show-goers will once again be amazed by his astonishing antics. Hearts will certainly miss a beat when "The Bullet" from Missouri is fired from his 35ft long, 10,000lb cannon in the main ring, achieving a height of over 100 feet and a speed of 50mph!

To soothe the nerves after witnessing such dare-devilry, French ornithologist Christian Moullec will be flying over the show in his micro-light in formation with his faithful flock of barnacle geese or giant cranes. Christian has become world famous for his work with endangered species and bringing migratory birds back from the brink of extinction.

This year for the first time visitors will be able to test the water with specialist divers from Scubascene. Bring your swimming costume and experience the excitement, adventure and thrill of learning to scuba dive under the supervision of qualified instructors in a safe environment.

Save 15% if you buy tickets in advance and up to three children go free on every advance ticket purchased. Visit www.bathandwest.com now or phone 01749 822 222.

The Bath & West - the biggest and the best!

ENDS

Sponsored by Milk Link and Clydesdale Bank

Dairying continues to face a number of challenges and this competition aims to highlight those dairy farms and businesses in the South West which have best prepared to meet these challenges and can demonstrate an innovative and profitable way ahead.

This prestigious competition is open to all farm businesses in Devon, Cornwall, Bristol, Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire, Hampshire and Gloucestershire whose income is predominantly derived from milk production. Additionally the dairy herd margin over feed per cow must be for the 12 months ending 31st March 2009 as contained in information from the costing service used.

This year's judges are Paul Charlton from Milk Link, Graham Poulton from Clydesdale Bank and Neville Loder who was the 2008 winner.

The lucky winner of the competition will receive £1000 plus a trophy. Entries close 30th June 2009.

Milk Link is proud to sponsor the award, recognising the skill, hard work and commitment of dairy farmers in the South West.

Clydesdale Bank is delighted to continue its sponsorship of this prestigious competition - one which highlights the expertise within the dairy industry across the region.

For further information and an entry form please contact Jill Cross at the Royal Bath & West of England Society on jill.cross@bathandwest.co.uk or telephone number 01749 822 223 or visit our brand new website at www.bathandwest.com to download an entry form.

PRESS RELEASE: What came first, the chicken or the egg?

THE FARMING for the Family area at the Royal Bath & West Show is on track to be the star family attraction at this year’s show.

A huge 57 x 37 metre section of the show ground has been dedicated to the area this year and will be designed to educate visitors about the processes and techniques involved in a wide range of animal and agricultural farming concentrating on where food comes from. 

Children will be able to get actively involved at each stage and learning how to get an egg onto the breakfast table will be the first step!  Participants will be invited to collect a handful of grain from a Combine Harvester and walk across the farmyard to feed it to hens in the hen house.  They can then collect an egg and take it into the on-site Farm House Kitchen where a trained chef will show them how to cook and eat it. 

“We believe it extremely important that visitors, especially children, can come to The Royal Bath & West Show and learn about where food and drink comes from and see some of the processes involved in getting it from the field onto the dinner table”. Said Martha Harley, Marketing Manager.  “The Show is also the perfect place for visitors to be able to sample the very best quality British Food & Drink and experience how different food can taste when it comes from high quality specialist producers”.

The Farmhouse Kitchen, sponsored by Spillers of Chard, is a brand new and exciting feature of Farming for the Family where visitors can watch chefs cooking traditional Farmhouse fare on an Aga or Range.  Children will also be able to try their hand at cooking in a dedicated demonstration area. 

Paul Hartley, legendary breakfast chef will be performing a morning demonstration each day, showing how to create nutritious and delicious breakfast and brunch menus that the whole family will enjoy. 

Visitors will also be able to watch a cow being milked, and then see how it is turned into butter, cream and ice cream using traditional methods.  The makers of West Country Cheese will also be on hand to demonstrate the cheese-making process. 

Back in the farmyard, local sheep farmer Bob Blundon will be scanning pregnant ewes to show visitors how a lamb develops in the womb.  Visitors will also be challenged to try their hand at lambing using a realistic simulator. 

The farmyard will also house a sow with her litter, calves, lambs, dairy and beef cows.  Fishing enthusiasts will also be able to learn about fish farming from a pool of carp which will be brought in especially for the show. 

A display showing the process involved in growing crops and their by-products will also form a major part of the area.  Children and adults alike will be able to get up close to some high tech farm machinery to show how the modern day farmer introduces seed into the soil and then harvests the crops.

A range of experts will be on hand at all times during the show to offer advice on all areas of farming.

Book your tickets in advance and save 15% plus bring your children in for free.  Visit our brand new website at www.bathandwest.com or telephone 01749 822 222 for further information and ticket purchasing.

Grassland UK, held on farmland next to the Bath & West Showground at the end of last week, proved to be one of the best ever with a gate figure of 8,071.  This was a massive increase from the last Grassland event held in 2006 which attracted 6,476.  Exhibitor bookings were also well up, with a record number of 130 static trade exhibits,  which added to the vast scale of this impressive farming event stretching over 140 acres.

The Show is sponsored by Masstock Arable UK Ltd and Dow Agrosciences and supported by Farmers Weekly.  Masstock were so delighted with the overwhelming success of the Show that Brendon Paul said “We have already agreed to sponsor the 2012 event. What better endorsement could you have”.

Crowds swarmed to watch the clamp loading demonstrations with regular displays from Case IH, Claas, JCB, Manitou, Merlo and New Holland. Further demonstrations included overseeding from Masstock, tyre baling by Thomas & Fontaine and also Kelvin Cave with the Italian ‘Roto Press Farm Bagging System’.

Richard Spencer, New Holland Agriculture Marketing Manager (UK and ROI) said “At Grassland UK 2009, the New Holland team were delighted to exhibit the full range of New Holland tractors and forage-handling equipment.  This type of event allows us to fully demonstrate the capability AND capacity of our machines, also giving customers valuable information, delivered by our product specialists.  With consistently good crowd attendance on our plot, we were pleased to conclude deals for tractors and other equipment on the day, thanks to some special show promotions. There was a general positive feeling from customers which ensured a very positive show for us”.

The brand new muck and slurry demonstrations drew interested crowds and were a timely addition to the Show, along with further advice about NVZ legislation and application of FYM from organisations such as ADAS, Creedy Associates, Maize Growers Association and Catchment Sensitive Farming.

Seminars given by The British Grassland Society and DairyCo proved popular and topical with a good attendance of visitors wanting the latest on putting Nitrate Vulnerable Zone rules into practice and how to improve grass and forage efficiency.

Manufacturers and Exhibitors reported extremely buoyant trade with many exceeding their targets set for the Show.  John Deere Said "This was a very good event for John Deere. There were plenty of visitors who were keen to see the latest machinery with the most up to date technology at work in the field, which is just what this event is designed to deliver".

For any further information please contact Rachael Hann on 01749 822 215 or Rachael.hann@bathandwest.co.uk.

His Royal Highness last visited the Show on the 31st May 1991, so 18 years later the Show is delighted to be able to show him round what has now become one of the biggest and most well respected Agricultural Shows in England.

The Prince of Wales will be spending a significant amount of time amongst the livestock before moving on to other areas of the show including Eco-Zone and the Food Halls and finally presenting some Long Service Awards.  His Royal Highness will also be taken through a display of the Showground development plans by Chief Executive Dr Jane Guise, where images from the Past, Present and Future will be on view including some very special photographs of the Queen Mother and the Queen at the Royal Bath & West Show from years past.

As well as visiting certain areas alongside His Royal Highness, The Duchess of Cornwall will be ensuring other sections of the show are also involved in their visit including walking amongst the flowers in the Floral Marquee and spending time in the Farming for the Family section.

Editors Notes

Media arrangements for the Royal visit will be done by Royal rota and Clarence House press office will send a media operational note out in due course and details of how to apply to the Royal rota will be in that note.

Children will be invited to collect a handful of grain from the big combine harvester, walk across the farm yard to feed some hens, where they can then collect an egg to take to the Farm House Kitchen, to be shown by a trained chef how to cook and eat it. The Farmhouse Kitchen, sponsored by Spillers of Chard, is an exciting new feature of the Farming for the Family section where visitors can watch the chefs cooking traditional Farm House fare using an Aga or Range showing how versatile these can be at producing delicious meals with very little fuss.  Together with this and the children’s cookery area plus demonstrations and breakfast suggestions from celebrity chef Paul Hartley this area should not be missed.

Visitors can watch a cow being milked, after which the fresh warm milk will go to the farmhouse kitchen for butter, cream and ice-cream making demonstrations using traditional methods.  Samples of West Country cheese will also be available as a further example of another product made from milk and can be washed down with fresh glass of chilled milk.

A demonstration of ewe scanning will be regularly conducted by Bob Blundon throughout the show so the growth of the lamb in the womb can be seen.  Visitors will be able to try their hand at lambing using a very realistic simulator.  Experts will be on hand to talk about what is involved in keeping sheep fit and healthy and show a variety of the breeds.

Within the farm yard a sow and litter, calves, lambs, dairy cows and beef stock can all be seen plus a pool of carp as an example of fish farming.  A display of growing crops and their by-products including grain will take centre stage in Farming for the Family along with a machinery exhibition which will show how the modern day farmer introduces seed into the soil and then harvests the crops once fully grown.  Experts in farming and it’s traditions will be on hand to answer questions and encourage both children and adults to investigate all areas of the yard.

As well as visiting certain areas alongside His Royal Highness, The Duchess of Cornwall will be ensuring other sections of the show are also involved in their visit including walking amongst the flowers in the Floral Marquee and spending time in the Farming for the Family section.

Livestock numbers across the board were excellent with the quality of entries exceptionally high with Mortimer’s Farm winning Supreme Champion Beef Animal with their Charolais cow ‘Mortimer’s Eurovision’. Overall tradestand exhibitors reported very positive sales throughout the show with some even running out of stock completely.

David Cameron attended the show on the first day and was received extremely enthusiastically by the public. He visited several areas of the show before giving an exclusive question and answer session to the press and then delivering a Cameron Direct Session in the lecture theatre which was received very positively by everyone creating some very interesting debate.

Their Royal Highnesses, The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall stole the show on the Friday visiting many sections of the show and spending a lot of time talking to members of the public and exhibitors. His Royal Highness also took a spur of the moment ride on the miniature railway much to the enjoyment of everyone watching.

The new layout and features of the Farming for the Family section was received with delight by visitors and was extremely busy from the beginning to end of every day at the show. The Fashion Show which was greatly expanded and improved from last year was also very popular and the inclusion of the dogs in it was hailed as pure genius and is likely be a permanent feature in the future. The Grey Hound Rescue, West of England, who generously provided the dogs were delighted that they were able to show the dogs off and tell their stories in front of such a captive audience. Their generosity was rewarded as one of the greyhounds called Grace, who had been seized under the Animal Welfare Act after being found in the worst possible conditions, was adopted by one of the exhibitors called Toadcake Tackshop and taken to her new home straight from the show.

The Imagineering Fair won the Gold Medal for the best feature in Show which was just deserved with its superb display of aircraft and vehicles celebrating the 100 Years of Naval Aviation as well as the usual medley of activities, competitions and information to inspire youngsters.

The Smelliest Cheese competition was hugely successful and captured not only the UK’s media attention but also television from Germany! Charles Martell, the maker of the well known Stinking Bishop was delighted to receive the winning trophy made especially for the competition by Tony Uloth. The Champion Cheese in the Dairy Produce section, which was a block Davidstow Cheddar made by Dairy Crest was brought by R H Longman for £1000!

The Cannon ball man, The Band of the Brigade of Gurkhas and the French ornithologist Christian Moullec with his Geese which were all main features of the show were all a resounding success and ALL wowed the crowds time and time again.

Dr Jane Guise, chief executive of the Royal Bath & West of England Society commented: "Obtaining EMS status is an exciting achievement and will greatly assist our long term plans for the showground redevelopment. Whilst we still have two more phases to complete, having a formal management system in place will support our ongoing focus on incorporating the use of green technologies within the showground".

EMS certification is part of an eighteen month project run in conjunction with the University of West of England (UWE) Bristol. The system is being implemented against the BS8555 standard and will be externally audited against the Institute of Environmental Management & Assessment's ACORN scheme - of which The Society has successfully achieved the first three phases.

The EMS Award is part of a range of planned initiatives by the Society which includes the further development of the EcoZone which showcases the best of sustainable living at the Show and attracted a record number of exhibitors and visitors at this year's event

Following an inspection carried out during this year's Bath and West Gardening Show, the auditors were more than satisfied that the Bath and West Showground met their demanding criteria. Internal auditing of the Management System has begun, stakeholders engaged and training and awareness is underway.

Since the start of the year and beginning the implementation of the system - the Society has initiated 18 major projects aimed at environmental improvement: including significant improvement in waste management and recycling rates electricity reduction, drainage improvement and water reduction.

Contracts Manager at the Bath and West Showground Eddie Harper MBE heads a working group responsible for meeting the high standards set by Acorn and said today "we are very pleased to have been awarded this prestigious status after working closely with the EMS auditors to move the Showground forward in past months. We are the only Showground in the country to gain this level of accreditation and we aim to improve even more in order to achieve EMAS certification".

The future months will involve meeting the requirements of the EMAS standard, the internal audit of the system against ISO14001 and the EMAS Annual Statement.

The Society is excited to be running a joint seminar with the Royal Geographical Society with IBG with the aim of examining some of the problems and solutions relating to planning for future sustainable land use in rural areas. Using the West Country as a model, eminent speakers will cover such topics as climate change, population increase, pollution concerns, security of food, energy and economy, biodiversity and scientific developments.

Click on Society/Conferences for further information and booking details.

The winner of this year's prestigious South West Dairy Farmer of the Year Award has been announced at the Dairy Show. Taking the title this year is Bill Blake who milks 380 cows at his farm near Crediton, Devon; with the Runner-up being the farm of R & G Fowler of Braunton North Devon.

The Award organised by the Royal Bath & West of England Society and sponsored and supported by Milk Link, the South West's leading farmer owned co-operative, and Clydesdale Bank plc seeks to recognise excellence in dairy farming. The Award is open to all farm businesses across Devon, Cornwall, Bristol, Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire, Hampshire, Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire, whose income is mainly derived from milk production.

Short listed farms were visited by the Award judges, Paul Charlton (Milk Link), Graham Poulton (Clydesdale Bank) and Peter Clark (Retired Veterinary Surgeon). Allen Cotton, competition steward for the Royal Bath & West, also accompanied the judges for their visits to Devon. At each visit, the judges looked at all aspects of the farm, the stock, plans and policies, dairy costings and accounts. Having completed a very interesting two days of visits, they were impressed by two farms in particular and had difficulty in splitting them; therefore this year there will be two trophies awarded, one for the winner and one for the runner-up.

Paul Charlton, from Milk Link in Plymouth said "Once again judging the South West Dairy Farmer of the Year Award has been an extremely difficult but at the same time rewarding process. The standard of the dairy farms short listed this year was very high and demonstrates, if proof be needed, the excellence of dairy farming in the South West. Dairying continues to face a number of challenges, this competition aims to highlight those dairy farms and businesses in the South West which have best prepared to meet these challenges and can demonstrate an innovative and profitable way ahead."

Graham Poulton from Clydesdale Bank plc said "at a time when milk prices have been under pressure and the weather has done farmers few favours the sheer quality demonstrated by all of the farms shortlisted was a real credit to the industry. South West dairy farmers continue to set standards to which others aspire..."

Each entrant received free tickets to the Dairy Show and the overall winner of the competition received £1,000 in prize money plus an engraved glass bowl and framed photograph of the occasion.

The other farmers nominated were:

John Davis, West Bodden Farm, Somerset
Bryan Rich, Coldharbour Farm, Somerset
David Cotton, H E Cotton & Son, Somerset
W E & J M Jones, Dairy Field, Devon

The Supreme Championship was won by Blue Grass Jazzman Panama, a Jersey born in 2003, owned by Mr A H Wilson from Tregibby Farm, Dyfed, Wales and bred by B & J Daw, who also won the Cattle Presentation earlier in the day. She is the first Jersey at the Dairy Show to ever win this esteemed award.
The Reserve Champion was an Ayrshire Sandyford Anne 9, owned by Mr Bown from Worcestershire and was bred by E T Tomlinson who was the owner of last year's Supreme Champion.

The Interbreed Heifer Champion, sponsored by Natwest, was won by Shanael Duplex Delight, a Holstein owned and bred by the Miller family from Shanael Farms Ltd, Worcester who were delighted with their win.
Lyndsay Chapman from Dairy Crest who have a long history as main sponsors for the show says "This event is an excellent opportunity for us to get together with our direct supplying farmers from all over the South West area. We were really pleased by the number of our farmers that came to our stand and this created a very positive atmosphere".

Exhibitors were encouraged and pleased with the amount of business generated during the Show. Nigel Bond from Mole Valley Farmers said "the Dairy Show is a hugely strategically important show for us and we had an excellent Show during which we saw our core farming customers. We also took the opportunity to launch five new important products which were received with great interest".

Jeff Radnor from Dairy Spares Ltd said "this is our sixth year of being at the Show and it was very very successful, we were hit from 11:00am - 3:30pm non-stop and took loads of orders from visitors all over the country including Cornwall, Kent, Shropshire and Wales, which we were delighted with. A tremendous show which left us tired but very happy!"

The winner of the prestigious South West Farmer of the Year Award, sponsored by Milk Link and Clydesdale Bank plc, was Bill Blake who milks 380 cows at his farm near Crediton, Devon and the runner up R& G Fowler of Braunton, North Devon.

The Dairy Industry Reception and Dinner sponsored by Dairy Crest, Burges Salmon LLP and Lloyds TSB Agriculture was held the night before the Show and was hailed by those attending to be the best Industry Dinner on the circuit, the Reception alone being the best networking opportunity there is throughout the year.

The Dairy Industry Award was presented to Martin Dare from Greenslade Taylor Hunt, Odcombe, Yeovil, who has been based in the South West for over thirty years and during this time has been Club Secretary and Treasurer of the original South West Friesian Breeders Club. Martin was very much involved with the original formation of the Dairy Show and his expertise is widely recognised by other cattle breeders which led to him being appointed as the official auctioneer for several Breed Societies.

Plans are already well in hand for the 2010 Dairy Show which will include a major celebration to mark its 30th anniversary. The event has come a long way since its inception in 1980, when the idea for the Show grew from a South West British Friesian sale held here on the Showground.

Organisers plan a spectacular Show on the 6th October 2010 with an International Judging panel including judges from Canada, Denmark, France and Australia. Other new features planned are a Herd Person of the Year Award and an award for Best New Product. Show Manager, Alan Lyons said "the format for this show is tried and tested and it works well for both the trade stands and the visitors, enabling networking and business to be combined in one day, together with the opportunity to see some of the top cattle in the country.

The livestock classes run alongside topical and thought provoking Seminars, with top speakers from the industry, to aid and inform visitors".

“The majority of people are unable to tell the difference and are surprised at the good quality of tap water,” said PR project co-ordinator Beverley Markham.

Wessex Water will be promoting ways to save water and provide more information on how to request a free WaterSave pack.

New for this year will be a display from their environmental regulation team who will be showcasing wildlife and conservation work. Members of the team will be on hand to explain how they carry out wildlife work on the land which they own and where they are working with other wildlife or community groups in the area.

Ruth Barden, environmental regulation manager, said: “We will be providing details of the types of work which we do, who we work with and what the benefits of this work are to the company, local communities and wildlife in general. We will have experts on hand who can provide information on our wildlife work, and leaflets explaining our work and the sites where you can enjoy these habitats."

If you would like the chance to take part on this or any other days that may arise, please contact Michaela Darby on:

Telephone: 02476 698828

Email: michaela.darby@britishshowjumping.co.uk

In an article in April's Vogue she says "having grown up in the West Country, I'm honoured to be part of the very first Ladies Day at the Royal Bath & West Show. I will be on the lookout out for those hats with true British originality. I'll also enjoy the day and will browse all the rare animal breeds on show!"

The designer will attend the event on June 3rd and choose her favourite look from the women attending the show, near her parents' cider farm in Somerset.

Click here for more information on the Bath and West Show.

Highlight features within the EcoZone:

Green & Gorgeous

Launching this year will be the Green & Gorgeous boutique, which will contain all that is fair-trade, natural, organic or ethical – from clothing to accessories. Companies such as Aspara, who are launching at the event, and NV London Calcutta, will be showcasing luxurious, stylish designer handbags, whilst also raising awareness of the need for ethical fashion.

Advice

The interactive Advice Centre will show families how to make easy steps towards being more eco-friendly and using sustainable resources, and visitors can also find out more about Feed in Tariffs. The Renewable Energy Foundation will be on hand to answer questions and provide guidance.

Sustainable Transport

This year's show should see the largest display of electric powered cycles ( 2, 3 and 4 wheeled) at a regional show, and this is the theme of the 2010 Sustainable Transport Show class exhibited in the EcoZone. Vehicle-fans can also see everything from a 160mph electric racing car, a 100 mph Kart (both from Green Motorsport) and various alternative off-road Quads and ATVs, including an electric gang mower that uses only a few kilowatts of electricity to operate.

Grow your own

Visitors who are keen to learn how to grow their own food can find out all they need to know about allotments and growing techniques from experts. Food for thought!

Eco-Gym

A visit to the Eco-Gym will demonstrate how much energy a person needs to burn to light a bulb or boil a kettle – inspiring and healthy!

As volcanic ash brings uncertainty to family holidays this summer half-term, the Royal Bath & West Show offers plenty of activities for children, from 2 to 5 June, at Shepton Mallet. Plus, families who book in advance will receive free entry for up to three children under 16 per adult ticket!
The Imagineering fair is set to take centre stage for children. The fair, which puts the fun into science, will have scores of free, fun activities for youngsters aged between eight and sixteen, provided by some of the UK's biggest manufacturers and engineering organisations.
Children will be able to get up close and personal with the latest technology used in production and defence and learn about the importance of modern engineering in everyday life. Highlights include The Bloodhound SCC, the fastest car in the world, designed to be the first to top 1,000 mph when it attempts the world land speed record in 2011, robotics and a flight simulator where children can test their flying skills.
For those who want a break from science and explore the countryside instead, the Show's miniature railway will provide some well earned respite. The railway covers a half-mile route over picturesque countryside and hauls passengers by both steam and diesel locomotives.
At the show's Farming for the Family area, children will be able to watch milking demonstrations, see piglets, lambs and calves and experience the fun of feeding a chicken and collecting an egg to cook and eat in the farmhouse kitchen.
Other show highlights for children include falconry displays in the Countryside Arena, a "Bugfest" in the Village School, ponies and 1,000 dogs competing in the Dog Show.
Alan Lyons, show manager for the Royal Bath and West Society said:"Children are at the heart of the show, which provides one of the few opportunities for young people, especially those who live in the city, to learn about the Countryside and see animals up close.
"A lot of the activities have also now been weather-proofed by being undercover and therefore parents will be pleased to hear that kids can be kept occupied come rain or shine.
"The show is a great value family day out, and the perfect solution for ‘staycationing' families this half term".
Advance tickets offer a 15% discount on gate prices with free entry for up to 3 children under the age of 16 with each adult advance ticket. To book online visit www.bathandwest.com or call Tel: 01749 822222.
-Ends-
Notes to Editors:
Opening Times - Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday: 9am - 6pm

The Royal Bath & West Show at Shepton Mallet is a great day out this June. From the country's finest livestock, over 600 trade stands, the National Cheese Awards to the UK's biggest cider competition, there really is something for everyone - family or food lover.
Advance tickets are now available to buy. Children under 15 years are free with advance adult tickets. To book go to www.bathandwest.com or call 01749 822222.
Show highlights include:
• A chance to see the country's finest livestock including cattle, pigs, goats, sheep and alpacas. Visit one of the largest dog shows in the county. ‘Fur and Feather' zone where you can see small animals and birds such as rabbits and cavies, tame birds and poultry.

• Ladies Day, on Thursday 3 June, is new to the Show for 2010. Fashion-conscious visitors will stand a chance to be crowned winner of the best hat competition or best dressed lady and walk away with a mystery VIP prize
• The country's biggest cheese show. At the National Cheese Awards, visitors will be able to sample a staggering array of some of the UK's finest cheeses and dairy produce and take in the artistry of the cheese sculptures - a brand new competition for 2010
• A celebration of cider featuring the biggest cider competition in the country and the chance to take part in cider tasting with experts. Food lovers can also explore the vast food halls.

• In the Imagineering Fair meet the team who are building The Bloodhound SSC, the world's fastest car, which is set to be the first to top 1,000mph when it attempts the world land-speed record in 2011. Children will also be able to explore the creative possibilities of science, engineering and technology.

• 4 x 4 off road - Adrenaline junkies will have the chance to drive 4x4 off road vehicles in the most extreme off road experience at the Show to date

• Horses - showing, show jumping and the Pony Club mounted games

• Sheep shearing - the Show is host to the 2010 Six Nations Championship. Be amazed at the speed of competitive shearing. Also spinning and weaving demonstrations.

• Farming for the Family - children can watch milking demonstrations, see piglets, lambs and calves and experience the fun of feeding a chicken and collecting an egg to cook and eat in the Farmhouse Kitchen.

• Countryside Arena - Watch thrilling falconry displays, admire the discipline of gun dogs and cheer on your favourite in the terrier racing. Alongside the arena is the Canoe Village where you can experience canoes, kayaks and much, much more

• See traditional events on the Village Green, including a Gang Show to celebrate100 years of the Girl Guides, Young Farmers, the W.I. a working forge and an old time fairground

• Gasp at the beauty of the Floral Marquee, watch floral art demonstrations and learn from the interesting talks

• Visit the Art Pavilion with over 400 entries all of which are for sale

• Experience the working countryside and see Heavy Horses pulling logs in Woodlands and Wildlife; learn about the secret life of bees in the Bees & Honey Tent

For more information visit our website www.bathandwest.com

-Ends-
For media enquiries, please contact Ernestine Allen, Amanda Mills or Tom Selway at JBP:
• Ernestine.allen@jbp.co.uk or call 0117 907 3405
• Amanda.Thurston@jbp.co.uk or call 0117 907 3406
• Tom.selway@jbp.co.uk or call 0117 907 6512

Ticket pricing
To book tickets, go to www.bathandwest.com or call 01749 822222
Advance tickets
• £17 per adult ticket
• Up to three children under 15yrs go free per adult ticket
Gate prices
• £20 per adult
• £6 per child under 15 years

About the Royal Bath & West of England Society
The Society was founded in 1777 in Bath by a group of philanthropists led by Edmund Rack. We are a registered charity organisation (Registered Charity Number 1039397). The Society was formed with the aims of encouraging agriculture, arts, manufacture and commerce.

Our charitable activities provide:
• Agriculture, veterinary, educational and art scholarships.
• Technical events and Seminars
• Practical farming advice and conferences
• Countryside Education
• Diversification advice for farmers
• Education for children
• A market place for countryside products
• Plus all the events run by the Society and the Bath & West Trading Company
As the Society approaches its 233rd year it continues to deliver a wonderful mix of established traditional exhibits through to the latest energy technology and contemporary entertainment
The entertainment and features around the 242 acre site ensure enjoyment for every member of the family and include attractions that are spectacular to watch, educational, inspirational, "hands on" or just plain fun.

As the demand for locally sourced food continues to grow, The Countess of Wessex, the new President of the Royal Bath & West Show, is set to introduce speakers at a series of retail seminars at this year's Show, aimed to build stronger links between farmers and supermarkets.

The three seminars, due to be held on the 2, 3 and 4 June at the Royal Bath & West Show near Shepton Mallet in Somerset, will include speakers from Marks and Spencer, The Co-operative and J Sainsbury's who will address the challenges that both food producers and major retailers will have to face together in the future. Local farmers and food producers will also have the opportunity to learn from best practice case studies illustrating positive examples of cohesion in the food chain and will receive advice on how to become suppliers to some of the country's best known supermarkets.

On Wednesday 2 June, Marks & Spencer will be talking with a number of their existing farmers about "Farming for the Future", looking at how they work with current farmers and growers and the scope for future suppliers. This will also encompass the role of "Plan A", M&S ethical and eco plan, explaining how the plan influences the way in which they work with their suppliers and the M&S business overall.

On Thursday 3 June, The Co-operative will be bringing along some of their own farmers to help give attendees an understanding of how they can best market their products and possibly consider producing their products using a Co-operative model.

On Friday 4 June, J Sainsbury's will be discussing "Sustainable Supply Chains" - the challenges of food security, climate change and market volatility means that J Sainsbury's needs to further fortify its sustainable supply chains to meet the expectations of their 19m customers per week for a secure supply of wholesome, safe and humanely produced food.

Bath & West Chief Executive Dr Jane Guise said: "As the demand for locally sourced produce continues to grow and local food sales across the country remain strong, there is a real opportunity for both farmers and retailers to work more closely for mutual benefit.
"This is one of several initiatives to remind both Bath & West of England Society members and visitors to the Show that ours is a serious business, and the Countess of Wessex's seminars do much to promote what goes on behind the scenes at the Society: encouraging rural business to thrive."
The seminars, which will be held at the Bath and West Theatre located within the Royal Bath and West Showground, will last for an hour and will include a question and answer session.

Locally sourced refreshments will be provided by the supermarkets.

Farmers, food producers and retailers interested in attending the seminars must RSVP to Christine Elliott by Monday 24th May by email christine.elliott@bathandwest.com and include a full name, address and telephone number, or phone 07771373069. Places are limited.

The first 100 applications for each day will receive one free ticket per household to the show.
For further events and information visit www.bathandwest.co.uk

Ends

For media enquiries, please contact Amanda Thurston or Kathryn Williams at JBP:
• Amanda.Thurston@jbp.co.uk or call 0117 907 3400
• kathryn.williams@jbp.co.uk or call 0117 907 3400

Ticket pricing for the 2010 Bath & West Show
To book tickets, go to www.bathandwest.com or call 01749 822222
Advance tickets
• £17 per adult ticket
• Up to three children under 15yrs go free per adult ticket
Gate prices
• £20 per adult
• £6 per child under 15 years

About the Royal Bath & West of England Society
The Society was founded in 1777 in Bath by a group of philanthropists led by Edmund Rack. A registered charity organisation (Registered Charity Number 1039397), the Society was formed with the aims of encouraging agriculture, arts, manufacture and commerce. Charitable activities provide:
• Agriculture, veterinary, educational and art scholarships.
• Technical events and Seminars
• Practical farming advice and conferences
• Countryside Education
• Diversification advice for farmers
• Education for children
• A market place for countryside products
• Plus all the events run by the Society and the Bath & West Trading Company
As the Society approaches its 233rd year it continues to deliver a wonderful mix of established traditional exhibits through to the latest energy technology and contemporary entertainment.

Mr C G Hyde - a Vice President, joined Council in 1963, a sheep exhibitor and a carcass exhibitor. He was Chair of the Carcass and Food Hall Committees for many years and was made a Vice President in 1989.

(The funeral will be at St Josephs Catholic Church, Wool, Dorset on Monday 14th June at 2pm)

Mr I C Macdonald MA, FRICS - joined Council in 1975 and then became an Honarary Council Member. Mr Macdonald was involved with the inital format of the Conservation area of the Showground.

During the  Royal Bath & West Show several Members of Council asked after Mr Michael Norman, our Society silversmith until 2009, who had been ill for some time. Sadly he too has died and his funeral was held on the Thursday of the Royal Bath & West Show.

There were competitive livestock classes running throughout the Show and visitors enjoyed 2400 Pigs, Sheep, Goats and Cattle and 2000 horses filling the rings and all aiming to win one of the highly coverted Royal Bath & West Blue rosettes.

It was half term week for schools, which meant the Showground was full of families having a great day out and children were kept entertained with canoeing on the lake, getting up close with animals and learning how to make an aeroplane fly.

Quotes from visitors:

A one day visit is simply not enough time. if we hadn't travelled so far we would have come back for another day.
Excellent day out, able to get immersed in traditional rural pursuits and way of life
Excellent Show The Best in UK
A great out for a young family, Will definitely go again
A great day out for all the family whatever the age

We are looking for the top South West herdsman for 2010.  Do you have an outstanding herdsman working for you who you would like to nominate, or are you yourself a hard working herdsman? The 2010 Dairy Show, in its 30th anniversary year is launching a new competition - The South West Herdsperson of Year at the Bath and West Showground on 6th October.  This is your opportunity to put forward your recommendations or be recognised personally for all your hard work.
 
The Award organised by the Royal Bath & West of England Society and sponsored and supported by Milk Link, the South West’s leading farmer owned co-operative, and Clydesdale Bank plc seeks to recognise excellence in dairy farming.  The Award is open to all herdsmen across Devon, Cornwall, Bristol, Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire, Hampshire, Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire

Those herdsmen short listed will be visited by the Award judges for 2010, Paul Charlton (Milk Link), Graham Poulton (Clydesdale Bank plc) and Peter Clark (retired Veterinary Surgeon). Allen Cotton, competition steward for the Royal Bath & West, also accompanied the judges for their visits to Devon.  At each visit, the judges will look at all aspects of the farm, the stock, plans and policies, dairy costings and accounts.

Will Sanderson, Milk Link’s Corporate Affairs Director said: “A skilled and committed herdsperson can play a vital role on farm in delivering improved milk quality, productivity, animal husbandry and ultimately profitability. Despite this herdspersons are often the unsung heroes of the dairy industry and we are therefore delighted to be supporting this new award to recognise their contribution.”
Clydesdale Bank’s Agri-partner, Graham Poulton, said: “Clydesdale Bank is committed to the farming and rural communities and we support agriculture in many ways.  Herdspeople are often the unsung heroes of a dairy farming operation and we are delighted to be able help in recognising their contribution through these awards.”

Finalists will receive complimentary tickets to The Dairy Show and the overall winner of the competition will receive £750 in prize money plus an invitation to the Dairy Industry Dinner, engraved glass bowl and framed photograph of the occasion. 

Entries for the competition close 23rd July and entry forms are available from www.bathandwest.com

For more information please contact:
Julie Kitching Marketing
The Royal Bath & West of England Society
Tel: 01749 822235

Follow the links (words in bold below) or instructions to enter our exciting competitions for children and all the family.

Make a ‘Magical' or ‘Traditional' Scarecrow and win prizes to Longleat, a National Trust day out or Crealy Adventure Park.

Use your imagination and plant up a ‘Sassy Salad' in the most original container and win M&S vouchers. Entry form coming soon!

Enter the many and varied vegetable and flower competitions from dahlias to decorated Wellington boots as well as the culinary delights of apple tarts and Victoria sponges. Go to the home page and click on Competitive Classes on the right hand side.

HAMPER COMPETITION

Are you a farm shop, delicatessen or retailer? Be innovative! Be exciting!

An autumn theme displaying all that is best from British and Irish food and drink.

This new competition is for commercially available hampers - go to our home page and click on Competitive Classes on the right hand side then select special class.

Good luck!!

This will be themed to Greener Gardens and will consist of a special flower workshop designed to help you create and make your own flowers from recycled materials. Taking place in an open-fronted marquee decorated as a garden, there will be lots of intriguing crafty materials to help inspire you and a tree on which to hang your greener garden pledge.

Take a digital photo of your flower and upload it onto the plant in time website for your chance to win some fantastic prizes, including a £1000 holiday cottage break and the opportunity to have a rose variety named after you.

There will also be a veggie plot, a potting shed complete with tools, together with potting work in action, and a feature on the best composting methods. Children can also have a go at naming the Stourhead scarecrow which was made with pupils from a local primary school. The prize is a great goodie bag, so get your thinking caps on!

Throughout the event, the Stourhead team will be on hand to answer all your questions and tell you more about the Estate's glorious heritage and gardens.

And the final incentive to go and meet the Stourhead team at the show, is all the exciting free goodies which they will be giving out to visitors.

To find out more about the Stourhead Estate, please visit: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/stourhead, and A Plant in Time scheme: www.aplantintime.co.uk

Also there's a chance for one Stourhead visitor to win a unique VIP package for two to the Show which includes free entry to the event, a delicious lunch in the Sponsors Lounge, a goody bag, a guided tour of the Floral Halls and reserved seats in the front row of the Cookery Theatre. So pick up the leaflet with all the details when you next visit Stourhead.

For all other Stourhead visitors, there's also a special ticket offer. To find out more, go to the Stourhead website: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/stourhead or find the details on the competition leaflet.

Thrive is small national charity that uses gardening to change the lives of disabled and disadvantaged people. Its aim is to champion the benefits of gardening, carry out research and offer training and practical solutions, thereby enabling positive change in the lives of anyone with a disability.

Thrive is supporting the Showcase Gardens display and competition, which this year will feature accessible gardens, designed in this case for people disabled by spinal cord injuries. To highlight the wonderful therapeutic benefits of gardening in helping people with disabilities, Thrive supporters are being offered a special discount by the show organisers.

To find out more, you will find details in the latest issue of the Thrive Newsletter and on the Thrive website.

And if you want to discover more about Thrive, just visit www.thrive.org.uk.

This prestigious award has become an integral part of the Dairy Industry Dinner. Nominations are therefore invited from those in the industry whom you feel would deserve and be worthy of such an award.

All nominations are put to a panel of three judges for their deliberation. The unsuspecting winner is invited to join us at the Dairy Industry Dinner and the result is not announced until mid-way through the evening. The award is presented by a representative of the sponsors.

Our sponsors this year are LloydsTSB Agriculture and Dairy Crest.

Nomination Form

Celebrating 30 Years and Still a Pure Dairy Show

2010 sees the 30^th Anniversary of the annual Dairy Show and there are celebrations planned to mark the occasion at the Showground, Shepton Mallet  in October.

Following the traditional Dairy Industry Dinner, held on the eve of the Show, the Dairy Show takes place on Wednesday October 6^th.   Chairman of the Show Richard Calver, who farms 400 cows locally commented “the Show has grown steadily over the 30 years and we have been very careful not change a very successful formula and retain it as a pure Dairy Show”.

 He added “2010 has been another tough year for the dairy farmer, with many challenges including the dry weather and shortage of forage and the prospect of world food prices increasing.   Most milk buyers are represented at the Show and it is an ideal opportunity for the dairy farmer to meet their customer and communicate any concerns they have over the future of milk prices.”

This year we welcome a panel of international judges from all over the World, including Canada and Australia to the Dairy Show, and they will be judging the breed classes throughout the day, finishing with the prestigious Supreme Championship at the end of the afternoon.

As well as the livestock there is a full programme of Seminars held throughout the day in the Bath and West Lecture Theatre and will include “X Bred Factor discussing the Pro’s and Con’s of the Hybrid Cow.

The Dairy Show organisers are pleased to announce a new competition at the Show.  The South West Herdsperson of the Year Award will be presented at the Show for the first time and it is open to all farmers in Devon, Cornwall, Bristol, Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire, Hampshire and Gloucestershire.  It is a chance for the hard working Herdsperson to be recognised for the important role they play in the dairy industry.

The Dairy Show is sponsored by Dairy Crest, Genus ABS, DairyCo and Pearce Seeds and The Dairy Industry Dinner is sponsored by Dairy Crest and Lloyds TSB Agriculture and the new South West Herdsperson competition is sponsored by Milk Link and Clydesdale Bank.

Gates open on 6^th October at 8.30am. Tickets can be purchased in advance via the Credit Card Hotline for £10.00  (£2 cheaper than the pay on the day price).  Details can be found on www.bathandwest.com or contact 01749 822200

The Dairy Show 2010

The Dairy Show sponsored by Dairy Crest, Genus ABS, DairyCo and Pearce Seeds Ltd celebrated its 30th anniversary at the Bath and West Showground on Wednesday 6th October, with over 6200 visitors on the day and a superb show of the finest Dairy Cattle.

The Show enjoyed a superb display of the finest dairy cattle in the country and to mark the 30th anniversary of the show, an international panel of judges were invited from Denmark, Australia, France, Canada, Ireland and Scotland. 

The Supreme Championship was decided on points after a thrilling tie in the initial judging. The Ayrshire, Haresfoot Red Pamela and the Holstein, Ridgefield Goldwyn Cinderella both scored an impressive 46 points in the judging. When there is a tie, the animal with the most 10s on their score sheet wins and it was the Ayrshire who took the title of Supreme Championship with three 10s and the Holstein took the Reserve title with two 10s.  

Supreme Champion bred in 2005 by David Hunter of Haresfoot Farm, Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire.  The Reserve Champion bred in 2006 by Ridgefield Holsteins

The Interbreed Championship was won by Bluegrass Comericas Pink Heather, a Jersey bred by Mr & Mrs B A Daw of Hertfordshire.

There were new competitions at the Dairy Show this year.  The new South West Herdsperson of the Year Award, sponsored by Milk Link and Clydesdale Bank Plc was won by Mike Peach of Messrs F E Hill & Son of Fiddinton Bridgwater, with the runner up Simon Wheatley of Messrs J Read & Company of Pyrland Farm, Taunton. The awards were presented by HRH The Countess of Wessex GCVO, President of the Royal Bath and West of England Society.

The Dairy Industry Dinner held on the eve of the show with 350 guests from across the dairy industry saw the presentation of the Dairy Industry Award, sponsored by Dairy Crest and Lloyds TSB Agriculture was presented to Jim Begg for his outstanding contribution to the Industry. Jim Begg is Director General of Dairy UK, the body that represents and promotes the interests of the dairy industry. Dairy UK was established on October 1, 2004. It operates throughout the United Kingdom representing processors and distributors of liquid milk and dairy products, as well as milk producer co-operatives and dairy farmers.

The 2010 Show also had a new Trade Stand Award.  The Dairy Show attracts top class trade stands from all parts of the industry, with the very latest equipment and technologies in the farming industry on show.  The winner of the Best Outside Stand went to Mole Valley Farmers and the Best Inside Stand went to South West Dairy Services Ltd.

The Lecture Theatre there were topical seminars throughout the day which were enjoyed by many starting with the Xbred Factor, a seminar on the pros and cons of having a pedigree/pure bred herd or a cross bred.  
Plans and ideas are already underway for next year’s Show which will take place 5th October 2011.

For further information and pictures please contact Julie Kitching 01749 822235 

“As a champion of the rural industry the Royal Bath & West has always been concerned about the green agenda and preservation of the countryside,” said Dr Jane Guise, Chief Executive. “With this in mind we decided to formalise our commitment to the environment by implementing the Environmental Management System and we are proud to have received certification and are already seeing the benefits flowing through.”

Click here to find out more about our Eco Credentials

Photo: HRH The Countess of Wessex - President, Matt Lomax - EMS Implementation Manager and Andy Cross - EMAS External Verifier from VCA. 

The South West Agricultural Mechanic of the Year competition was open to mechanics in the counties of Bristol, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Somerset and Wiltshire.

Chairman: David Cotton, Chairman RABDF

Speakers:
Paul Robinson, Kingshay Consultant
Neil Baker, Dairy Farmer of the Year - Farmers Weekly 2010
David Swales, Market Intelligence Manager, DairyCo

Free Admission - 10:30am for 11:00am including lunch

To reserve your free place please telephone Alison Ward on 01749 822243 or email alison.ward@bathandwest.co.uk

The five finalist flavours that will be put to the taste test in March by an expert judging panel including Taste of the West’s Chief Executive John Sheaves, Westaway’s owner Charles Baughan and the Bath & West’s Show Manager Alan Lyons are –

‘The Beast of Exmoor’, a pork sausage flavoured with rich porter ale, caramelised onions and mature West Country farmhouse cheddar, created by Cath Burley from Woodbury Devon.

‘The Roman Smokey’, a pork sausage celebrating the roman history of Bath with ancient seasonings including laurel berries and rue savoury and plenty of smoky bacon, created by Kath Deyke from Newton Abbott, Devon.

‘A perry infused pork sausage’ with South West country pear chunks and a hint or sweet chilli – for that extra bang, created by Joanne Thomas from Glasbury, Hereford.

‘A pork and blueberry sausage’ to represent the highly coveted Royal Bath & West Rosettes, created Jodie Smith from Wrexham, North Wales.

‘The Bath Blue’, a pork and caramelised Somerset red onion sausage with chunks of melting Bath blue cheese created by Rudiano Roversi from Gourock, Inverclyde, Scotland.

The winning flavour will be announced later in March. Not only will the winner see their sausage produced by Westaways and marketed to supermarkets across the South West from May, but they will also win a brand new Apple Ipad with Wi-Fi and 3G worth £550, as well as 100 yards of Westaways sausages to feed friends and family!

Watch this space for latest news about the winning flavour...

Tickets for the Royal Bath & West Show are available to buy now. Click here to find out more and make huge savings by buying your tickets in advance.

To celebrate the launch of their Summer Kitchen Sale, Spillers are giving all Bath and West Show attendees the chance to win a fabulous kitchen worth £10,000.

To find out more, don’t forget to visit The Spillers Farmhouse Kitchen Building on Avenue A (next to Art Pavilion), or you could always just follow your nose!

The Royal Bath & West Show 2011, 1 - 4 June, is bursting with fantastic things to do to make a superb day out for every member of the family! So make the most of purchasing your tickets in advance to save yourself money. Advance Tickets close on Friday 21 May!

Main highlights include the Sway Pole all the way from Germany, the Giant Spacewheel which will appear in the Main ring throughout the four days and come and meet Titan the Robot.

Watch a medley of over 2000 livestock including over 500 cattle, 300 pigs, 1000 sheep, 230 goats, 1000 horses, 300 alpacas, 800 poultry and eggs, rabbits, cavies and new for 2011 Pigeons judged by judges from across the UK to find the "best of the best".

Don't miss the adrenaline fueled Xtreme 4x4 Course where you can drive yourself under instruction or be driven.

Get in amongst the blooms at the Flower Show, with plants for sale, inspirational ideas, friendly advice, lectures and demonstrations, and then visit the Art Pavilion with paintings, drawings and sculptures all for sale.

Take the children to Bees & Honey to roll candles, draw a picture and win a pot of honey and ensure you taste some of the best honey in the West and vote for your winning honey each day.

The National Cheese Awards sponsored by Pilgrims Choice and Marks and Spencers section is a must see with a record-breaking eight hundred and fifty entries, a large number of which coming from right here in the West Country. Plus join in a judge a cheese in the People Choice Awards.

The Eco-Zone reflects how our lives will have to change. School children have been challenged to design the perfect eco-house and you can see the winners receive their prize from Noel Edmonds on Saturday. Within Eco-Zone visitors can also race solar powered buggies and pedal-powered scalectrix. Experts will also be on hand to give free advice on cutting energy bills, showcasing solar panels, wind turbines, or wood fired boilers.

The Imagineering Fair returns again with scores of free, fun activities for children of all ages and abilities. From submarines to aerospace - and everything in between - there are opportunities to explore the creative possibilities of science, engineering and technology. There is something for everyone, with opportunities for close-up, hands-on inspection of fascinating technology used in production and defence engineering that affects our every day lives, but is rarely seen by most of us.

Join in the educational and very popular Family Trail sponsored by Sainsbury's which leads visitors round the show through some of the key features where lots of Prizes can be won! Entry forms can be collected from entrances to the Showground.

And don't miss the opportunity to Win a Spillers Kitchen worth £10,000 at this year's Royal Bath and West Show. To celebrate the launch of their Summer Kitchen Sale, Spillers are giving all visitors the chance to win a fabulous kitchen worth £10,000. To find out more, don't forget to visit The Spillers Farmhouse Kitchen Building on Avenue A (next to Art Pavilion), or you could always just follow your nose.

The Royal Bath & West Show is four Champion days out and there really is something for everyone!

To purchase advance tickets ring 01749 822 222 or visit our website www.bathandwest.com.

To find out more and to enter click here.

The first is the Giant Space Wheel of Death! Performed by the Vander brothers the 50ft wheel will be seen from all corners of the showground. As it rotates the brothers perform acrobatics blindfolded at increasing speeds. You may have seen them on ITV’s “Don’t try this at Home” or even in Moscow’s Red Square but you’ll certainly never forget them!

Secondly continuing the circus theme we have the Giant Sway Pole! Mounted on an old Dodge and at around 58 meters (190ft) high it is one of the biggest in Europe. When at the top the artist performs precision acrobatics as the pole sways to ever increasing angles creating a performance that is truly spectacular.

Click here to visit the main ring programme page to find out what times you can catch these spectacular shows.

The Royal Bath & West Show at Shepton Mallet is a great day out this June. From the country's finest livestock, over 600 trade stands, the National Cheese Awards to the UK's biggest cider competition, there really is something for everyone - family or food lover.

Advance tickets are now available to buy and offer a 15% saving on adult tickets. Children under 16 years go free when you buy a family ticket in advance and children under the age of 5 go completely free. To book go to www.bathandwest.com or call 01749 822222.

Show highlights include:

• A chance to see the country's finest livestock including cattle, pigs, goats, sheep and alpacas. Visit one of the largest dog shows in the county. ‘Fur and Feather' zone where you can see small animals and birds such as rabbits and cavies, tame birds and poultry.

• Ladies Day, on Friday 3rd June is back. Fashion-conscious visitors will stand a chance to be crowned ‘Best Dressed in the Show' and win a mystery VIP prize.

VIP Ladies Day ticketholders will enjoy access to an exclusive VIP area, afternoon tea, priority parking, a special reception compliments of Old Mill financial planners and consultants and a complimentary Neal's Yard Frankincense Skincare Essentials gift set, worth £26.50, courtesy of our exclusive Ladies Day partner, NYR Organic, the home selling channel of the multi award-winning organic beauty brand, Neal's Yard Remedies.

• The country's biggest cheese show. At the National Cheese Awards, visitors will be able to sample a staggering array of some of the UK's finest cheeses and dairy produce.

• A celebration of cider featuring the biggest cider competition in the country and the chance to take part in cider tasting with experts. Food lovers can also explore the vast food halls brimming with the finest local produce.

• Farming for the Family - children can watch milking demonstrations, see piglets, lambs and calves and experience the fun of feeding a chicken and collecting an egg to cook and eat in the Farmhouse Kitchen.

• In the Imagineering Fair, children will be able to explore the creative possibilities of science, engineering and technology. International robotic sensation, Titan the Robot, will also be at the show.

• 4 x 4 off road - Adrenaline junkies will have the chance to drive 4x4 off road vehicles in the most extreme off road experience at the Show to date

• Horses - showing, show jumping and the excitement of the fast-paced Pony Club mounted games. Enjoy the thrills and spills of the ever popular Inter Hunt Relay.

• Sheep shearing -. Be amazed at the speed of competitive shearing. Also spinning and weaving demonstrations.

• Countryside Arena - Watch thrilling falconry displays, admire the discipline of gun dogs and cheer on your favourite in the terrier racing. Alongside the arena is the Canoe Village where you can experience canoes, kayaks and much, much more

• See traditional events on the Village Green, the W.I. a working forge and an old time fairground

• Gasp at the beauty of the Floral Marquee, watch floral art demonstrations and learn from the interesting talks

• Visit the Art Pavilion with over 400 entries all of which are for sale

• Experience the working countryside and see Heavy Horses pulling logs in Woodlands and Wildlife; learn about the secret life of bees in the Bees & Honey Tent

For more information visit our website www.bathandwest.com and follow us on Twitter@BathandWest and Facebook www.facebook.com/royalbathandwest

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Advance ticket pricing
To book tickets, go to www.bathandwest.com or call 01749 822222
• £17 per adult ticket
• Family One ticket - £20 (includes one adult and two children under 16 years)
• Family Two ticket - £40 (includes two adults and four children under 16 years)

Gate prices
• £20 per adult
• £6 per child ( 5 to 15 years)
• Children under 5 go free

About the Royal Bath & West of England Society
The Society was founded in 1777 in Bath by a group of philanthropists led by Edmund Rack. We are a registered charity organisation (Registered Charity Number 1039397). The Society was formed with the aims of encouraging agriculture, arts, manufacture and commerce.

Our charitable activities provide:
• Agriculture, veterinary, educational and art scholarships.
• Technical events and Seminars
• Practical farming advice and conferences
• Countryside Education
• Diversification advice for farmers
• Education for children
• A market place for countryside products
• Plus all the events run by the Society and the Bath & West Trading Company

As the Society approaches its 234th year it continues to deliver a wonderful mix of established traditional exhibits through to the latest energy technology and contemporary entertainment

The entertainment and features around the 240 acre site ensure enjoyment for every member of the family and include attractions that are spectacular to watch, educational, inspirational, "hands on" or just plain fun.

Beef cattle entries are up on 2010 with the Ruby Devon classes with 71 entries in comparison with 39 last year. Other native breeds are particularly strong including Hereford, Longhorn and South Devon.

The Saturday classes reflect the continuing support for native breed classes with Belted Galloway almost doubling their entry, and an interesting class will be the Imported Breed of Native Origin with two leading Murray Grey herds exhibiting for the first time. Also for the first time Welsh Blacks and Riggit Galloways are entered in the Any Other Native Breed class.

The ever popular Pig section has seen increases in the Duroc/Hampshire classes, meanwhile two breeds that have struggled previously, the Large White and Welsh have increased this year with the Welsh more than doubling the numbers entered in 2010.

The Royal Bath & West Society is delighted this year to be given the opportunity to include the Flack Trophy that had been previously held by the Royal Show and is awarded to the Champion Pair of Pigs. This is an important trophy and for non pig people this equates to the "Burke" in cattle and the "Cuddy" in Horses & Ponies demonstrating the national status of the pig section at the Royal Bath & West Show.

The Sheep Section remains strong with 40 different breeds represented over the four days. Texel entries are over 90 with Hampshire Downs up 20; likewise the Scotch Blackface entries have doubled on last year. New this year will be a pairs championship to add to the busy schedule of the Sheep Judging ring programme. Last but not least the Goat section has had increases in both sections; Dairy has jumped from 143 to 162 and the very popular pygmy goats 59 to 66.

The Sheep Shearing Shed will as normal be humming to the sound of blades as shearers from across the globe compete in various competitions. The whole section this year has a new sponsor in Mole Valley Farmers Ltd. Also new this is an Inter County YFC Shearing Competition. Entries close 25th May.

Of the 600+ Trade stands at this year's show, they include John Sheppard Feeders, Harper Adams University, Bridgwater College, Barry Fowler Farm Supplies, George Mudge , CLA, David Ritchie ,Old Mill Rural Services and the National Farmers Union.

This year's Show was opened by Professor Sir John Beddington, Chief Scientific Adviser to the Government, who talked about the world food crisis and farming to very interested visitors who gathered around the Bandstand.

HRH The Countess of Wessex GCVO, President of the Royal Bath and West of England Society enjoyed three days at the Show and she visited many sections of the Show, including Farming for the Family, Power of the Past and joined the West Country PDO Lunch to present awards, she also visited many of the stands and also chaired a Supermarket Seminar for farmers.

Livestock numbers were excellent across the board, with the quality of entries exceptionally high. The overall Beef Champion Prize going to the impressive Red Devon Yeomandon Ferdinand.
In the equine section the Cuddy in Hand Championship went to Moortown Countryman produced by the Jordon family from Devon.

Tradestand exhibitors reported very positive sales throughout the show with some even running out of stock completely. Gold award winners for exhibitors went to Gerald David in the Food Halls, Volvo Cars, Imagineering for Feature Stand and Mark Dovecots.

The Main Ring attractions went down a storm with the White Helmets roaring around the Main Ring, and the Giant Sway Pole and Space Wheel wowing the crowd with something a little different. The Grand Parade of Livestock was a sight not to be missed with crowds flocking to watch the farmers parading the Best in Show animals.

On Friday in the Main Ring The Royal British Legion held the 90th Muster to celebrate the 90th Anniversary of the RBL, and the release of poppies touched so many people in the crowds and was a superb spectacle.

Out on the avenues you certainly knew when Titan the Robot was around. The extraordinary two metre talking robot brought the crowds to a standstill and transfixed the children as he moved through the show, entertaining people and cooling them by spraying them with water!

The Supreme Champion Cheese in the National Cheese Awards went to Belton Cheese, with their Wensleydale Cheese, with Reserve Champion going to Adams Foods with West Country PDO Farmhouse Cheddar. A new Retailer class was introduced to the National Cheese Awards this year and the Champion prize went to Waitrose and Reserve Champion to Morrison PLC.

There were many other awards being presented at the Show including the Environmental Youth Award which went to Shaw Primary School from Wiltshire. The annual Royal Bath & West Society's Long Service Awards were awarded to five worthy recipients this year - Ken Hayter, Lester Lavington, Derek Sparks, Robert Taylor and Mary Mortimer who were all presented with their awards by HRH The Countess of Wessex GCVO.

The Show organizers would like to thank all the volunteers and stewards who help put together such a unique Show and to all the visitors who make the Show such a great success.

The Royal Bath & West Show 2012 will take place 30th May - 2nd June 2012.

The competition, sponsored by uSwitch.com, asked children from over 500 schools in the South West to design their own dream energy-saving bedroom for the chance to win a bicycle or scooter.

Entries were judged on creativity, originality, practicality, and presentation, and the children were asked to consider ideas to reduce energy consumption, including technologies and changes in the way that we live.

The prizes were awarded by Gareth Wretham, Events Co-ordinator, uSwitch.com at a special ceremony at the Royal Bath and West Show last Saturday 4th June.

The winners were:

8 -11years category
1st Dolly Swann from Oakfield Middle School
2nd Hannah Quick (Broad Hinton School)
3rd Hope Ashford (Broad Hinton School)
4th Ivy Mary Langley (Sticklands)
5th Henry Hill (Broad Hinton School)

5-7years category
1st Lilly Mae Messenger from Okeford Fitzpaine School
2nd Ariana Tulissio (Broad Hinton School)
3rd Jake Milisic (Witchampton Primary School)
4th Ben Minter (Okeford Fitzpaine)
5th Lara Meldrum (Coxley Primary School)

Special Needs category
1st Aden White Rowdeford
2nd Darcy Hamblin (Rowdeford School)
3rd Nathan Hammond (Rowdeford School)

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For more information please email Margareta Stanley on press@ref.org.uk or telephone 020 79303636 /07968049832

Notes for Editors:
The Renewable Energy Foundation is a registered charity promoting sustainable development for the benefit of the public by means of energy conservation and the use of renewable energy. See www.ref.org.uk.

REF is supported by private donation and has no political affiliation or corporate membership. In pursuit of its principal goals REF highlights the need for an overall energy policy that is balanced, ecologically sensitive, and effective.

REF makes freely available the most comprehensive database of renewable energy generator performance in the United Kingdom: http://www.ref.org.uk/roc-generators/

Somerset, UK.

The National Gardening Show is an ideal day out for gardening fans - the event showcases the finest in Autumn gardening, with lots of features that are unique to the show, advice from experts, and help on how to grow plants and vegetables. Experienced and beginner gardeners alike will enjoy the event, as will food lovers and people hoping to learn new crafts and discover hidden talents!

Key show highlights include:

Bright Green Shoots is an exciting new feature which brings together four entrepreneurs who are making their names in the horticulture world with their gardening skills and creative flair. The project is the brainchild of Jo Thompson, one of the country’s rising stars in garden design and winner of a Gold medal at last year’s Chelsea Flower Show for the Best Urban Garden, who is always on the look-out for new talent and ideas.  The four pioneers are: Mark Diacono who set up the award winning Otter Farm, Armando Raish, the founder of Treebox, and Fabrizio Boccha and Georgie Newbury from Common Flower Farm - all of whom are unified by a passion to create something that will help make a difference to the environment and get people gardening, whether it be wild flowers, an olive grove or an eco vertical allotment. There is not only a chance to meet them all at the show but also to hear about their work in the Lecture Theatre.
       
A new Poultry Show will be launched as part of the event, for people who want to become more self-sufficient – ideal for those who are thinking about rearing hens and having their own free-range egg supply! The new South West Autumn Poultry Show will feature a hundred classes giving visitors a unique chance to see the Finest Poultry. This will be part of the flourishing Smallholders area which will be showcasing pygmy goats and birds of prey.
       
Foodies wishing to join the rush to grow their own veg will be able to learn about growing techniques and allotments, as well as how to cook tasty fresh meals with accomplished well-known chefs from the South West in the Cookery Theatre. The three chefs are Alex Taylor from the Severn & Wye Smokery, Josh Eggleton, the award-winning Michelin star chef from The Pony & Trap, and the highly skilled, James Finch.

The ‘Best of the West’ will also be showcased in the Food Halls, including mouth-watering national delicacies such as cheese, chutneys, jams, Cornish pasties, fudges, liqueurs and cider. Two highlight exhibitors this year are Peter Osgrow who will be serving more exotic treats such as delicious ostrich, kangaroo, crocodile and springbok steaks and burgers, and Piescream who specialise in gourmet pies and mash with a twist in the shape of an ice cream!

The National Dahlia Society Show will take place within the main show. Dahlias are unique flowers with such a wide range of form, size and colour, from the two inch globe of the pompom to the massive 18 inch diameter giants. Walking into the National Dahlia Society Show is a special experience - it is the oldest of its kind (established in 1881) and holds the largest and most varied collection of the National Shows. Simply enjoy the riot of colours and the beauty of these stunning blooms, or be inspired to speak to experts about how you could start growing dahlias.
     
See the countries biggest vegetables! The UK National Giant Vegetables Championships is a real show highlight for everyone from amazed children to keen foodies! Competitors return to the show in the hope of breaking world records and smashing their personal bests, with absolutely huge vegetables from carrots to cucumbers, and melons to marrows! Science and pure dedication is involved, and at last year’s event a gigantic 8.3lb (3.76kg) spud broke the world record! It was grown by Peter Glazebrook who is a full time giant vegetable grower - so come to the show, see the mammoth exhibits (which often need to be carried to the scales on fork lift trucks!) and find out how to grow bigger veg.

Another unusual record breaker on display at the show is the world’s largest
spade made by Bulldog Tools, Britain’s last working forge. Measuring 3.610m (11’8”) tall, with a blade of 59.8cm (23.5”) and weighing in at over 180KG (28st 4.8lbs) the spade was designed and manufactured to celebrate Bulldog’s 230th anniversary.

Sarah Raven, the high profile gardener will be making a guest appearance on the second day of the show. Sarah will not only be revealing her hottest tips for flower arranging but also signing copies of her latest book which will give visitors the chance to meet her.   Other authors include Alastair Sawday, Jake Hobbs and Anthony Woodward and local writers Alan Gloak and Joe Hashman.  In the Lecture Theatre there will be a host of experts such as Rachel Brewer, Pommelier for the National Trust, Charles Dowding, expert on No Dig Gardening, Alan Down, owner of Cleeve Garden Centre and gardening correspondent for the Western Daily Press, as well as diverse subjects from carnivorous plants to garden design.

In The Studio there will be an exhibition of botanical art, with the chance to buy, from Sally Pinhey one of Britain’s foremost botanical illustrators, Ros Ford, the Bristol artist specialising in prints of your garden and Maria Bruker, the botanical watercolourist.

The Show and Feature gardens will once again be a major highlight of this year’s show. Designed to inspire gardeners and demonstrate just what can be achieved with a little imagination and flair, the Gardens are being created by, HMP Guys Marsh, Somervale School and Designs in Stainless.
      
Another exciting new gardening highlight this year is the Instant Garden Challenge. Sponsored by Park Garden Centre from Cheddar and Almondsbury, there will be a competition on each day of the show with different competing teams. Drawn from landscape gardeners and gardeners on the first day, schools on the Saturday and gardening clubs on the final day, the gardening teams will be tasked with creating an instant garden from a selection of plants and flowers supplied by Park, augmented by items chosen by the teams from exhibitors at the event. 
        
Lots of people want to learn about traditional crafts and skills and this is the ideal show to visit to learn about crafts such as basket making in the Gardening Pavilion and flower arranging with The National Association of Flower Arrangement Societies. Visitors can then browse the array of beautiful flowers in the Floral Halls – everything from the nation’s favourite varieties to exotic blooms. And in the showground’s apple orchards, visitors can learn all about making cider.

The show is designed to provide a fun day out for all the family. Children will especially enjoy the popular Scarecrow competition featuring interesting and unique scarecrows. This year's themes are nursery rhyme characters and traditional and the scarecrows will be displayed and judged at the Show.  There is also a Woodland Trail for children, story telling and a new competition whereby children can bring their home grown sunflowers to the show - with the heaviest sunflower head declared the winner.

The Natural Theatre will also be out in force to provide sparkling street entertainment throughout the show with performances from gnomes to 'Bill & Ben'!

ENDS

Website: www.bathandwest.com

Ticket hotline: 01749 822222

Ticket price: £10 for a ticket to the show on the gate or £8 in advance. Children under 16 get in free.

For more information, please contact:
Hammond PR
Stephanie Charteris / Suzanna Hammond
stephanie@hammondpr.co.uk
07944 860 839 / 0207 630 6633

Show details:
The National Gardening Show
The Royal Bath & West Showground, Shepton Mallet, Somerset

Click here to find out more about the Bright Green Shoot feature.

The Supreme Championship went to Bluegrass Heritages Lovely Lady, a 5 year old Jersey owned by Mr W JP Wilson  from Dyfed in Wales. With reserve going to last year’s Supreme Champion the Ayrshire Haresfoot Simply Red Pamela.

The Interbreed Heifer Championship was won by the Ayrshire Castern Tornado, owned by C&L Window from Hunnington, West Midlands.

The South West Herdsperson of the Year Award, sponsored by ADF Milking was won by Emma Martin from Bodmin in Cornwall who milks 1000 cows, with the runner up John and Pam Taylor who look after Glastonbury Festival founder Michael Eavis’s herd at Pilton, Somerset. The awards were presented by Sir Henry Elwes, President of the Royal Bath and West of England Society.

The Dairy Industry Dinner held on the eve of the show with 370 guests from across the dairy industry hosted the announcement of the Dairy Industry Award, sponsored by Dairy Crest and Lloyds TSB Agriculture which went to John Allen for his outstanding contribution to the industry. John has worked within agriculture his whole life and has almost three decades experience of consultancy. He is currently a managing partner for Kite Consulting, a business that he set up. Under the direction of John, Kite now provides business services to the entire food supply chain and is widely recognised as a specialist in the UK dairy industry.  John is well known throughout the industry and regularly takes a leading role in dairy conferences and events.  He is also highly respected as a dairy spokesperson and commentator. John works across the UK and the EU as well as having undertaken projects in the US and Eastern Europe.  In addition to dairy farming, his areas of expertise include strategic planning, carbon reduction project management, supply chain management and change management. John works closely with some of the UK’s leading farmers as well as major food and dairy processors and retailers.

The Dairy Show attracts top class trade stands from all parts of the industry, with the very latest equipment and technologies in the farming industry on show. The Show Tradestand awards went to Cow Care Systems for the Best Outside Stand and the Best Inside Stand went to GEA Farm Technologies, South West Dairy Services, Partners and Dealers . Judge Ollie Allen, Show Manager of Devon County Show commented “Cow Care Systems had a small stand but made use of all the space and the gentlemen manning the stand was informative and helpful to all customers”

The Lecture Theatre held topical seminars throughout the day which were enjoyed by many. The new Lely Robotic Milking display also went down a storm with visitors who were able to watch cows being milked by robots during the Show.

Plans and ideas are already underway for next year’s Show which will take place 3rd October 2012.

For further information and pictures please Julie Kitching 01749 822235

Numerous awards were won throughout the day, with the Supreme Championship going to Bluegrass Heritage’s Lovely Lady, a 5 year old Jersey owned by Mr W JP Wilson from Dyfed in Wales. South West Herdsperson of the Year was awarded to Emma Martin from Bodmin in Cornwall and the annual Dairy Industry Award went to John Allen for his outstanding contribution to the Industry. John has worked within agriculture his whole life and has almost three decades experience of consultancy. He is also highly respected as a dairy spokesperson and commentator.

Once again the show attracted top class trade stands from all parts of the industry, with the very latest equipment and technologies in the farming industry on show. The Show Tradestand awards went to Cow Care Systems for the Best Outside Stand and the Best Inside Stand went to GEA Farm Technologies, South West Dairy Services, Partners and Dealers.

The Lecture Theatre held topical seminars throughout the day which were enjoyed by many. The new Lely Robotic Milking display also went down a storm with visitors who were able to watch cows being milked by robots during the Show.

Plans and ideas are already underway for next year’s Show which will take place 3rd October 2012.

The Award, organised by the Royal Bath & West of England Society, is open to all Agricultural Mechanics who are based on the farm or from dealerships and manufacturers’ across Devon, Cornwall, Bristol, Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire, Hampshire, Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire.

Those mechanics shortlisted will be visited by the Award judges for 2012. At each visit, the judges will look at all aspects of the farm/business and the machinery involved.

The overall winner of the competition will receive £500 in prize money plus an invitation to the Show, engraved glass bowl and framed photograph of the occasion.  

Entries for the competition close 10th January 2012.

Entry Form

The Winner of the 2012 award went to Steve Gibbs of Uphills, Chewton Mendip. Steve Gibbs fought off stiff competition from the other finalist David Turner of Highwood Yeovil to take the title for 2012. Judge Allen Cotton said “this year it was a very tough competition to judge with exceptional entries and the two finalists being two great mechanics”.

The Award was presented at the Show by Sir Henry Elwes KCVO, President of the Royal Bath & West of England Society.

The search for the perfect pie, also kick-starts the show’s, ‘I heart baking’ campaign, which will culminate in a festival of baking during the four days of the show from 30 May to 2 June.

The show’s organisers hope the campaign will appeal to the taste buds and enthusiasm of the thousands who descend on the Royal Bath & West Show every year. Last year the show enjoyed visitor numbers of more than 160,000, where many enjoyed the delights of the vast food halls filled with some of the region’s top, award-winning food producers.

Competition now closed for entries

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For media enquiries, please contact Ernestine Allen, Alexis Molyneux-Brand, James Bunting at JBP:
•    ernestine.allen@jbp.co.uk or call 0117 907 3405
•    alexis.molyneux-brand@jbp.co.uk or call 0117 907 6516
•    James.bunting@jbp.co.uk or call 0117 907 2714

The Royal Bath and West Show now hosts one of the largest poultry shows in the country and a great place to go to see the huge range of breeds and maybe chooses one for yourself!

A passion for poultry and waterfowl has led one Somerset man to an astonishing number of national successes, and now he hopes for others to follow in his footsteps. Bruton-based Paul Meatyard is, among other things, a steward for the Royal Bath and West Show’s fur and feather section, president of the Domestic Waterfowl Club, and an egg judge.

He began showing his feathered friends at the first ever Royal Bath and West Show, and with subsequent wins at shows including Cornwall, Eastern England, Royal Welsh, Scottish, Royal Cornwall, Mid Devon, and Stafford, he’s currently the man to beat.

“We used to just have ordinary ducks on our mill pond, until one man started coming into the bakery I worked in, asking me for bread to take home. He told me he had special show ducks and he let me go and see them. I came back with two Cayuga ducks. I went to a show with him, and then the year after that I did my first show – the very first Bath and West. I’ll never forget it, it was pouring down and the marquee blew over!”

Since then his passion has gone from strength to strength. “I haven’t missed the show, apart from when the whole country had the bird flu scare, when all movements of poultry were stopped.  I’ve won every poultry show and the national twice. You’re lucky if you win it once.” In fact, Paul has won the Bath and West 21 times.
Now he breeds Aylesbury, Muscovy, Cayuga, Pekin, White Call, Saxony, Black East Indies, and White Runner Ducks and this year he is turning his hand to Chinese Geese as a new project.

“It’s just like any other hobby”, he says. “Some people are passionate about football - this is my passion.”
Hoping to encourage more people to the show, Paul says: “The show is much more than agriculture. It’s not just cattle – ducks and chickens are becoming more and more popular, and now so many people want to start keeping them. They produce great eggs, they are lovely to look at, and they keep down the slugs in the garden!”

Last year other contenders at the show were given a chance, as Paul put his judging hat on and in a rare move stood down from showing.“It’s nice to get out for a day without showing, it’s like having a day off really and you get to look at everyone else’s poultry and ducks,” he says.

Every breed has its own standard, but judges look for certain qualities. “The Aylesburys have to be what is called “brick shape” - they have to look square, whereas the Indian Runners have to stand at 90 degrees in the pen. From the skull to the end of the beak has to be completely straight,” says Paul.

Paul selected his show birds in March ready for this year’s Bath and West, and said: “I just start mollycoddling them after I’ve selected them. I have a special bath and, without giving too many of my secrets away, I wash them with washing powder!” In the run up to a show white ducks can turn yellow if they are exposed to too much sun, so Paul tries to keep them inside beforehand. He wets the show ducks’ wings and removes the grime.
Not only does Paul know his birds, he also knows his eggs. “They have to be a certain colour, and they get presented in threes or sixes. All the eggs have to be the same size and colour. The judges are allowed to crack the eggs if they choose to, but it’s not the done thing, especially after someone’s taken the time and effort to select them.”

Paul once took away the prize for Champion Eggs at the national competition, and then won the federation show just two weeks later with exactly the same three eggs.

Anyone can show waterfowl or poultry, and according to Paul, the breeds you choose depend on the amount of land you have. “For people with a smaller garden, they could go for something like Pekins, but for bigger gardens, the Sussex breed is nice. Really any bird with some colour is good, maybe some Buff Orpington or Leghorn, you just have to make sure you have a chicken house.”

This year’s Royal Bath and West Show is the ideal opportunity to find your perfect breed. “The fur and feather section is really picking up,” says Paul. “I’m hoping to get over 1,000 people up there, I shall be pushing it really hard.”

The Royal Bath and West Show runs from May 30-June 2. For more information visit www.bathandwest.com 01749 822200

ENDS

Robotic milking is proving invaluable on many dairy farms, especially  small, family run farms where labour constraints are becoming prohibitive, as  owner of the 30  Holstein Friesian  cows coming from Park Farm, Blandford in Dorset to star at the show explains. "Robots have really given us a future in dairy farming. It was becoming increasingly hard to find people who wanted to work the demanding hours milking  requires and this has freed us up to concentrate on the cow’s health and feed and to carry out other farming tasks.  The cows have really taken to it too,  in fact the herd has become much more relaxed since we’ve had the system! The cows have freedom of choice as to whether to be milked at 2am or 11am and they are  much freer to wander about and express their  natural behaviour."

The self service robotic system where the cow chooses to be milked more frequently than previously reflects what happens in nature, where a calf suckles the mother many times a day. The cows are attracted to the  robotic parlour by the incentive of food. The computer recognises each cow by its unique electronic ear tag and records information relating to milk quantity, quality, fat and protein content.  It also puts a lock out on the greedy animals that try to go around continuously! 

The robotic system will be the centre piece of the Farming for the Family area which this year moves to the heart of the Royal Bath & West showground emphasising that agriculture is  the core of the Show. Show visitors will be able to see the robotic system in operation and speak to farmers about how it works; taste the milk, find out all about the merits of milk both pasteurised and unpasteurised;  engage with the cows, watch conventional milking and sample milk (a highlight for children).

"The robotic system shows that agriculture is a specialised, high tech industry and and  by supplying our  food, it  touches us all.  I believe that visitors to the show,   (including other farmers) will be fascinated by this display, it’s a wonderful opportunity to meet the farmers and the cows and to find out about how much attention goes into getting milk to the table," explains farmer David Sedgeman, from Somerset, one of the key instigators of the demonstration and the whole Farming for the Family area.

There will also be a wide array of other farming enterprises in the Farming for the Family section including a chicken hatchery; the famous performing sheep show; machinery; and a field bakery using the produce supplied by the farmers to turn into tasty cup cakes.

This year’s Royal Bath & West Show takes place from Wednesday May 30th – Saturday June 2nd. For further details and to apply for tickets in advance visit www.bathandwest.com

NOTE TO EDITORS
A range of images are available 
For further information: Rebecca Pow 07900 685 303/ 01823 443816 rebecca@powproductions.tv
Or Julie Kitching 01749 822235 julie.kitching@bathandwest.co.uk

Hack and Riding Horse Breeding is now two classes and both qualify for the Horse of the Year Show Cuddy Supreme In Hand Championship Qualifier.

Sports Horse Breeding now has a Brood Mare and Foal class.

Irish Draught Breeding has now increased to six classes

Private Driving is making its return to the Bath and West due to kind sponsorship from Victoria foods and is also a qualifier for the Carriage Driving Extravaganza at The Hand in September.

Ridden Anglo and Part Bred Arab is now a Royal International Horse Show qualifier.

The ever popular Retraining of Racehorses has now been split into two classes for those who have run under National Hunt or Flat rules.

Double Harness Scurry is now over two days, 122cm and under on Friday and over 122cm but not exceeding 148cm on Saturday with the championship following in the afternoon.

BSPS Leading Rein & First Ridden and BSPS Working Hunter Ponies are now both qualifiers for the Royal International Horse Show at Hickstead.

Heavy Horses now also have a qualifier for Shire Horse of the Year at the Horse of the Year Show

And finally, ALL In Hand Breed classes have had their entry fees REDUCED by £5!

Click here to enter online or download a paper entry form online or call 01749 822200

If the answer to this question is yes, then you must enter our new Agricultural Technology Award now.

The Royal Bath & West of England Society has joined forces with top local accountants and financial planning company, Old Mill to launch this new award.

This award aims to encourage the production of new equipment that will benefit both farmer and agriculture. Machinery manufacturers and dealerships across the South West are welcome to put forward their ideas. Entry to the Competition is just £25, which is refundable after the Show.

Space at the popular Royal Bath & West Show 2012 will be given to short listed finalists to showcase their product. The finalists will be judges on Wednesday 30 May where the winner will receive £500, the runner up £250 and third prize £100.

Entries to the competition close on the 18th May and entry forms are available to download here

For further information please contact:

Julie Kitching on 01749 822235

The four champion horses are all part of the Paul Nicholls prize winning team based just down the road from the showground, in Ditcheat.

Paul Hooper, Administrator at the Society said “we are delighted and honoured to have these four exceptionally talented and brave horses parade in the main ring. Perhaps in years to come they will return in the popular retraining of racehorses show classes.”

You can see these four famous horses at 4pm on Wednesday 30th May when they parade in the main ring.

The Honor Chapman Mentoring Award was launched in November 2011 in memory of Honor's inspirational work and love of farming, food and the countryside which she demonstrated as Chair of the Somerset Food Links Board until her untimely death.

Somerset Food Links supported the growth of the local food sector across Somerset for a decade before it closed in 2009. Their residual funds have been donated to The Ducky Foundation in order to support a one off Honor Chapman Mentoring Award to a Somerset candidate who has managed their food and/or farming business for no more than five years nor should the turnover exceed £150,000.

The Ducky Foundation will manage the Awards and, unlike any other award, The Honor Chapman Mentoring Award will combine business mentoring from a range of industry experts and the opportunity for up to £10,000 as an investment in the winning enterprise.

Applications can be made via the website www.theduckyfoundation.com and will close on 30th June.

Contact details 
The Ducky Foundation Administration Officer: Elaine Spencer-White
Email: emswhite@farming.co.uk
Tel: 01935 851280

The Ducky Foundation
The Ducky Foundation is named after Honor's fondness for calling her friends and colleagues "Ducky". The five founding members of The Ducky Foundation are James Allen, Catherine Butler, Henrietta Green, Yael Mejia and Jane O'Riordan. Each year the founding members will co-opt a member of the food related world to join them in selecting that year's beneficiary.

The Ducky Foundation Network
The Ducky Foundation Network will be drawn from experts in the world of farming, land use, food industry, finance, food legislation, product & packaging design, food retailing, marketing and production. Network contributors already signed up include Sarah-Jane Curtis of Covent Garden, Ewan Venters of Selfridges, Randolph Hodgson of Neal's Yard, and Anita Le Roy of Montgomery Coffee.
Company No. 7425523 Charity Commission No. 1142087

If you believe that your local bus stop would benefit from an exciting makeover by the high profile Edible Bus Stop Project and Cleeve Nursery - and your community would welcome the challenge of working together to support it - complete the competition entry form below.

The winner of the competition will be announced at the National Gardening Show at The Royal Bath & West Showground (Friday August 31 to Sunday September 2) where you will be able to see for yourself the Edible Bus Stop’s feature - which will  then be transported after the event to the lucky community’s bus stop.
The acclaimed Cleeve Nursery and Garden Centre near Bristol will be supplying the flowers and plants for the feature. The winning community will then continue to tend the garden, grow a friendlier neighbourhood and create a focal point of pride in the process.

Click here to view and download the entry form.

The Edible Bus Stop exhibit will be part of the successful Bright Green Shoots initiative which was launched at last year’s show. The brainchild of Jo Thompson, one of the UK’s rising stars in garden design and a recent winner of a Gold medal at Chelsea Flower Show, this will showcase her choice of the most interesting entrepreneurs in the horticultural and gardening world.

The conference will be held in Livingstone, Zambia, from 24th to 27th September 2012, and will be hosted by the Agricultural and Commercial Society of Zambia. Its theme is Feeding People: Africa’s Role in Sustainable World Food Supply. More information, including a full Conference Brochure, can be found here.

The Royal Bath & West of England Society is looking for some Next Generation delegates to represent it at the Conference, and is willing to provide funding to two individuals. Applicants will be expected to show their potential to contribute to the long term face of agriculture in their regions and to the Royal Bath & West of England Society.

If you are interested, please email matthew.butler@bathandwest.co.uk for more information.

Details of the Conference can be found here.

The conference will be held in Livingstone, Zambia, from 24th to 27th September 2012, and will be hosted by the Agricultural and Commercial Society of Zambia. Its theme is Feeding People: Africa’s Role in Sustainable World Food Supply. More information, including a full Conference Brochure, can be found here.

We are looking for the top South West Agricultural Contractor. Do you have an outstanding contractor working for you who you would like to nominate, or are you yourself a hard working contractor? The 2013 Agricultural Machinery & Equipment Show (AMES), in its 4th year is running this new competition. - The South West Agricultural Contractor at the Bath and West Showground on 6th February 2013. This is your opportunity to put forward your recommendations or be recognised personally for all your hard work.

To find out more CLICK HERE

Many local and national companies already enjoy the benefits of sponsorship at the Show each year and we can offer a wide variety of opportunities to companies interested in reaching selective and targeted audiences.

Click here to see some of the sponsors from the 2012 Show. If you would like view packages available for the 150th Show in 2013 please click here or contact Rachael Hann on 01749 822215

This Award is open to community organisations, schools, colleges and groups which have, through their own initiative, brought about improvements to the lives of the rural population in a sustainable manner. The Award is intended to embrace a wide range of schemes where there has been a genuine attempt to move forward in a resourceful and inventive way to the benefit of a rural Community.

Examples of such projects would be:-

a) The communal buying of a local asset e.g. to preserve a village shop, post office or public house.
b) The development of allotments by villagers without gardens to grow their own vegetables for their own or village consumption.
c) The collection and conversion of village waste into compost for the use of the community.

The Award is open to all communities across Bristol, Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire, Hampshire, Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire.

Shortlisted communities will be visited by three judges representing the Royal Bath & West of England Society and the Duchy of Cornwall, who will decide which organisation, has made the most outstanding contribution to improving the lives of their community.

Finalists will receive complimentary tickets to the Royal Bath & West Show and the overall winner of the competition will receive £1000 in prize money and a memento from HRH The Prince of Wales which the winning group must use to further their community initiatives.

Entries for the competition close 15 April and entry forms are available from www.bathandwest.com

For more information please contact:
Julie Kitching
Marketing
The Royal Bath & West of England Society
Tel: 01749 822235

Entry Form

CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE

The Burke Trophy, formerly a highlight of the Royal Show, is presented to the best pair of beef animals - one male and one female - chosen out of all the breed classes at the event. It was - and still is - considered a huge triumph to win it and an even greater honour to be invited to judge it.

The trophy, which is presented courtesy of the Royal Agricultural Society of England, will be in safe hands at the Royal Bath & West Show, says show manager Alan Lyons. "Three of our committee members, who are often referred to as the "Three Wise Men" of the cattle committee, have been instrumental in bringing the Burke Trophy to the West Country this year.

Livestock competition classes are now open to enter enter CLICK HERE

Open to all, the gallery showcases professional and experienced exhibitors alongside the amateur and up-and-coming, all in the running for prizes awarded by a panel of judges and all for sale to members of the public during the Show.

This year, you will be able to watch the world renowned sculptor Mark Coreth carves "a large beast" in front of the Art Pavilion, following his international Ice Bear Project, which saw him create a life-sized polar bear from ice in Copenhagen to coincide with the 2009 UN Climate Change Conference.

Meanwhile, artist in residence Toby Ward will be keeping up a long held tradition by sketching and painting scenes that catch his eye from this year's show as it celebrates its 150th anniversary, from May 29 to June 1.

To enter the art classes CLICK HERE

The Cayman Islands Department of Tourism have teamed up with the Royal Bath & West Show to offer a 7 night holiday of a lifetime. A weeks holiday for two to the Cayman Islands nestled in the warm turquoise waters of the Caribbean Sea will be won by one lucky person who has purchased an early bird or advanced saver ticket for the show! CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE TICKETS

The prize is inclusive of flights from London to the Grand Cayman with BA, twin share accommodation in the Marriott Beach Resort on the island's renowned Seven Mile Beach, two days car hire to explore the 76 square-mile island at leisure and some extraordinary experiences that showcase the island's stunning natural beauty both by air, with a Hollywood helicopter stunt pilot, and below the surface of the sea, in a multi-million pound submarine that plunges down the colourful reef to spot rays, turtles, and vibrant fish life.

Representatives from The Cayman Islands Department of Tourism will also be manning a stand at the show, so all visitors will have the opportunity to find out more, including its abundant wildlife - not least of all the giant Blue iguana, one of the reptiles in the world - and to sample one of the Cayman Islands' famous local delicacies, the deliciously moist and moreish Rum Cake.

Click here to visit the website.

Speaking about the initiative, Micron's Mark Cox said: "The Dairy Show is a key fixture for many dairy farmers throughout the south west and further afield. It is widely recognised as a one-stop-shop for all things dairy, from world-class cattle showing to over 300 trade stands.

"Micron Bio-Systems is delighted to be involved in this exciting year of change, supporting the team's endeavours to increase the number of trade stands, educational seminars and showing classes."

Micron Bio-Systems' headquarters is not far from the Bath and West Showground and the company is planning its own initiatives for the event details of which will soon be available.

If the answer to this question is yes, then you must enter our  Agricultural Technology Award now.

The Royal Bath & West of England Society has joined forces with top local accountants and financial planning company, Old Mill to launch this award.

This award aims to encourage the production of new equipment that will benefit both farmer and agriculture. Machinery manufacturers and dealerships across the South West are welcome to put forward their ideas. Entry to the Competition is just £25, which is refundable after the Show.

Space at the popular Royal Bath & West Show 2013 will be given to short listed finalists to showcase their product. The finalists will be judges on Wednesday 29 May where the winner will receive £500, the runner up £250 and third prize £100.

Entries to the competition close on the 17th May and entry forms are available to download here

For further information please contact:

Julie Kitching on 01749 822235

The awesome Quad and Motorcycle Stunt show, starring Jason Smyth. Jason is one of the UK's leading quad bike and motorbike stunt riders, with many years of experience in top level Motocross. The stunt show will take place each day throughout the Show in the Main Ring

"My family has been on the ground at Worthy Farm for 148 years now and we are all part of the same thing really - it's all about farming and the beautiful Somerset land," said Michael Eavis. "And this is such a special, special show; we are really looking forward to providing something brilliant for it."

Michael is working with Joe Rush whose creativity put together the closing ceremony of the paralympics.

The event will take place in the Main Ring each day of the Show. More information on the act will be annouced  closer to the Show.