Shropshire Star

Thousands out for bumper Burwarton Show

[gallery] It was a bumper year for one of the region's biggest agricultural shows as thousands turned out to enjoy a day of fun, farming and food.

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The Burwarton Show is one of the biggest one-day agricultural shows, attracting farmers from across the country eager to show of their prize-winning livestock, as well as a families there to see the animals, browse the stalls and take in a wide range of entertainment.

This year the Devil's Horsemen performed Cossack riding stunts in the main arena, and there were also falconry displays, show jumping, and a grand parade of livestock at the end of the day.

Mike Bradbury, show chairman for the first time this year, said: "It has gone very well, and the weather has played its part – it's a good crowd, and a happy crowd, I don't think we've had a single complaint this year.

"We're very pleased with the turnout. I wouldn't like to second guess what the numbers are yet, but it's definitely busy – judging by the car parks, it's pretty good.

"The strength of the show is that it's all done through small committees coming together – and all want their part of the show to be the best it can."

Attractions this year included a new stage for sheep shearing competitions and interactive pig-handling demonstrations by Kune Kune Pig Society.

There was also a conservation area with lots of animals to pet including alpacas and ducks and geese, and horse shows throughout the day.

Vintage vehicles included a tractor parade, a military vehicle display, and a restored Bentley rescued from a tea plantation in Africa.

The British Ironwork Centre also had a pop-up charity garden of metalwork flowers to raise funds for the Severn Hospice, overseen by a life-size metal elephant, rhino, gorilla and giraffes.

But the heart and soul of the event was the livestock – with the best cattle, sheep and pigs all on display.

Brian Joseph, from Waen Farm, Hope Bowdler, said Burwarton was his last show of the year and he was ending on a high.

"The weather's been perfect and we've had a wonderful day because we've had so many awards," he said

"We've had first with the group of three, and the aged ewe, the yearling ewe and the ewe lamb.

"We also had a special prize for the best sheep of the opposite sex to the champion.

"It's a family effort – I've been showing them with my daughter Megan, 16, and son Matthew, 17."

Raymond Birch, 74, a retired Milk Bar operator from Shrewsbury, was there with his wife Mary, sister Betty and nephews and nieces Wendy Davies, Sarah Horton and Robert Sayce.

He said: "It's an annal occasion for Wendy's birthday. It's excellent – there's some of the finest stock here, it's as good as the Royal Welsh Show, especially the beef category, and there's a full programme."

Lynne Dixon, 52, a Shrewsbury supermarket worker, there with her four year-old-daughter Ava, partner Ian Evans, and friends Jean and Michael Watkins, said: "There's plenty to see and it's not too expensive – and the toilets are exceptional for a show like this."

Mrs Watkins, 73, added: "We haven't been before – for a one-day show there's an awful lot going on."

Among the farm-themed attractions was a fully working vintage dairy – in the back of a lorry.

Roger Knowles, a dairy farmer from Leominster, has built his display himself and does about 30 shows a year.

"It has all the old tools, there's everything the farmer would use, from about the early 1920s to the 1960s," he said.

"The children love this, I was here last year and they asked me back again."

Across the other side of the show, families were taking alpacas on a "mini-trek" around the Mill Pond.

Fiona and Graeme Barrett, of Temevale Alpacas, had bought along a bunch of the gentle South American animals and were offering the chance to interact with them on a short walk.

"It's about being close up, being able to handle them, lead them and stroke them," Mrs Barrett said.

"We've had a very, very big take-up, it's very, very busy.

"We have been to other shows, but not as good as this – this is the first time we've been here and it's wonderful, we'll definitely come again."

As well as livestock, farm machinery was well represented with a host of vintage tractors and engines, some of which took their turn to parade around the main arena in the afternoon.

The oldest at the show was a 1918 Model F Ford, that had been filmed for the latest series of historical BBC drama The Village.

Owner Margaret Badham said she and husband Derek, of Horsehay near Ironbridge, owned 14 vintage tractors.

She bought the Ford about 15 years ago from a man in Suffolk just before he died.

"It was all in bits and he wanted it to go to a good home and go out to the shows in Shropshire. It's been sought after by an Italian museum, but it's not for sale," she said.

Elsewhere, Oswestry's British Ironworks had life-size metal giraffes, an elephant, a rhino and a gorilla on site – but not Uri Gellar's gorilla made of 40,000 spoons, which was unfortunately unable to make the event due to a transport malfunction.

Burwarton Show committee member Ken Vine said: "It's a good day out for all the family – you've got everything from pensioners to babes in arms – and with the sun and just that bit of breeze, it's been perfect."

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