Thousands at first Shropshire County Show

Thousands of people turned out to help make the first ever Shropshire County Show a big success, with organisers vowing it will continue to go from strength to strength.

The two-day celebration of agriculture and rural life took place at the Berwick Road showground in Shrewsbury yesterday and Saturday.

The show featured a feast of entertainment, dozens of agricultural classes, stalls, performances, filming for the BBC's Countryfile summer special with all seven presenters and even an appearance by a film-star animal.

The event replaced the West Mid Show, which ran for 120 years but ceased to exist after it was hit by financial problems last year.

Mary Hopkins, general manager of the show, said: "I feel that it's been a success for the first one. It's had a really buzzing atmosphere.

"I think a lot of things have gone well and a few things we can build on for next year. I think it can go from strength to strength."

Fortunate

Speaking at the show farmers and farming leaders spoke of the challenges the agriculture industry had faced over the past 12 months, but said that it had luckily not been affected by the nation's economic downturn as much as other parts of the country.

And they said agriculture was fortunate to have not experienced any major disease outbreaks in Shropshire in the last year.

But they said there were challenges ahead for the industry and "caution" was needed for the next 12 months.

Malcolm Roberts, a farmer from Oswestry and chairman of the National Farmers' Union in Shropshire, said there was still "decline" in the dairy industry but the "exodus has slowed to a degree" and there were "encouraging signs".

He said meat exports had been boosted by the exchange rate, but arable farming was hampered because of the cost of importing parts and oil for machinery.

Mr Roberts said: "I think the next year is going to be very cautious and our farmers are being very cautious on investment.

"We understand the Government has got to claw back a lot of deficit now and rural development investment is frozen at the moment and there's a danger that will be cut, but we very much hope they don't cut on research.

Exhibit

"The challenge ahead will be TB and the outcome of the suggested wildlife management cull and we hope that the coalition Government will meet us somewhere along the way on this one to help eradicate the disease."

Sam Dixon, from Home Farm, Attingham Park, said he had overcome bovine TB in his dairy business and had only been given the all-clear three months ago, meaning he could exhibit at this year's show.

He said: "We found the disease in one of our Jersey cows in December. It wasn't good news and we just didn't know how long it would last or if it would continue through the rest of the herd.

"We had never had TB on the farm before and we are still not sure where it came from. Luckily it only affected one of our cattle. We were tested in April this year and had the all-clear."

Countryfile presenters were also at the show yesterday filming its summer special set to be aired on BBC1 on July 5.

Frontman Matt Baker said: "We were looking for a way to celebrate our summer special episode and what better way than with a classic agricultural show like this. It's not often all of the presenters are together so it was really good to all be here at the weekend."

Co-presenter Julia Bradbury said: "It's a really cracking show, we also had a go at exhibiting sheep in the Norfolk Longhorn and Portland sections. Our two sheep were called Spartacus and Jeopardy and we ended coming a valiant sixth place.

"It feels like a really vibrant show and all the people on the stands have been very friendly."

Among the show-goers during the weekend were Robert Gregory, 54, from Harmer Hill near Shrewsbury, who also attended the show with his dad Don, 74. They are the latest two of four generations who have exhibited at the West Midlands showground.

Robert said: "My great-grandfather Samuel first exhibited here in the shire horse section and that was back in the 1950s, then my grandfather and father exhibited cattle.

"I followed in their footsteps with cattle farming but I now breed Charollais sheep so between us we have exhibited in most of the livestock areas.

Supportive

"It's in the blood to carry on the tradition of exhibiting, although I have two daughters so I think I will be the end of the line. This is the big local show for us so it's important that we are supportive and it's an important shop window for us."

Roger Everall, a Charollais sheep farmer from Shrawardine Castle, in Montford Bridge, near Shrewsbury, was delighted to post his best ever results at the show.

The 81-year-old scooped the best male, best female and supreme champion in his section. He said: "I have been exhibiting here for more than 25 years. I used to breed Hereford cows and I bought my wife, Bridget, 10 of them as a wedding present. She carried on breeding the cows and I started breeding sheep.

"Our daughter Hazel Timmis is now one of the best Hereford cattle breeders around and she also exhibited this year.

"It has been a great show, it's the first time I have swept the deck and I'm very pleased."

Fiona Jefferson, from Bronington, near Whitchurch, was at the show for the first time with her pigs from Pear Tree Pigs. She started her business five years ago when she bought two pigs for her own family to raise and eat and now makes wooden "pig arks" to keep the animals cool as she said metal ones tended to become very hot.

She said: "As soon as we took them to slaughter we missed them so we went into breeding pigs and then we built our own arks for them to live in."

Four people who have worked in the agricultural industry for a combined 200 years, received long-service awards at the event on Saturday.

John Turner, who began work at Billingsley Hall, near Bridgnorth, in 1958 and who now works at Billingsley Park Farm, has had a lifelong job as a stockman, with a particular interest in pedigree Herefords and Clun sheep and now mostly Texels.

Peter Morris and John Ratcliffe began at Burgess's Agricultural Engineers Ltd based in Shropshire within a few days of each other in 1958 and their colleague Brian Burrows started at the same firm in 1959. Mr Ratcliffe retired in 2007, just a few months short of his 50 years' service but the other three all still work in the industry.

Michelle Huxley, regional co-ordinator for the British Llama Society, paraded a young llama called Peru this year, which made its show debut at just 12 months old. She said: "We also took along a three-year-old called Mercedes and a five-year-old called Chile but this is a great experience for the baby Peru. Llamas can be a bit of a challenge but that is part of the attraction."

Showgoers also had the chance to meet a film star who arrived at the event following his acting debut.

Brad Pig travelled from his home in Kentchurch, in Hereford, last year to France to star in a short film called Kosher about a Jewish boy who befriends the animal and keeps him hidden from his parents.

Brad's owner Wendy Scudamore said the prized porker, who is a Kune Kune breed, had taken to the movie star life during the two weeks he was on set.

She said: "He took to it very well, the heat was amazing but once he'd adjusted to the climate he was great. The film should be out later this year in France and I'm hoping it comes to Britain too."

Shropshire produce also featured heavily at the event, which focused on the theme of "from gate to plate".

Entertainment

Howard Astbury ran the chef's table marquee next to the foodhall. Mr Astbury, from the Lion Hotel in Wyle Cop in Shrewsbury, said: "It's the first time we've done this at the show. It's local produce that we used and there was a lot of interest."

The main ring featured a variety of entertainment including daring motorcycle displays from the Bolddogs and aerial performances from the Red Devils Parachute Regiment Freefall Team.

Visitors also had a chance to sample how school meals in Shropshire taste today at an exhibition put on by Shropshire Council. Wendy Brown, cook in charge at the Monkmoor Campus in Shrewsbury, said: "We have a lovely menu coming in this September with organic fresh local produce. "

Showgoers also had a chance to take a look around stalls and enjoy trips on a land train around the showground and a river taxi to and from the site.

Dilwyn Jones, who runs the Sabrina boat tours from Victoria Quay in Shrewsbury, said: "People were interested in coming along and combining it with a trip on the river."­

And Shropshire Poultry gave people a chance to own their own floating duck house, the poultry shelter made famous in the MPs expenses scandal. Jeremy Harris, who runs the company which is based in Tilstock with his wife Gemma, said: "We should put up a sign saying 'as seen on News at Ten' as people keep mentioning it."