26 May Countdown to the County’s big day out
Just four weeks to go until this year’s Lincolnshire Show, and as the countdown begins to the county’s big day out, some of the latest exhibitors and features have been unveiled.
Alongside the family attractions, local food producers and agricultural displays, there’s a Scruffts dog competition, top class equestrian eventing, eco-education and art exhibitions.
It’s all taking place at the Lincolnshire Showground, Grange de Lings on Wednesday 22nd and Thursday 23rd June 2011.
Visitors are well used to parades – there are grand parades of livestock, of agricultural machinery or of Young Farmers’ floats – but this year there will be a rather unusual addition, with a parade that explores the idea of what is normal, and whether anyone is truly normal.
Developed by Lincoln Art Programme, in conjunction with artist Anthony Schrag, local groups in Lincoln have donated objects or people that are representative of their ‘normal activities’. They include a cake from the WI, a pair of binoculars from a bird watching group, and they will be marched around by Yellowbellies in a Parade of Normal Things. The aim is to show that what is normal to some, might be considered eccentric by someone else. The parade will meander slowly around the Show offering a chance to explore the objects and how they relate to one another and to Lincolnshire.
Something for everyone is also on offer at the BBC Lincolnshire stand where the costumes and trophy from BBC’s chart-topping Strictly Come Dancing series rubbing shoulders with a fashion show of designs from Lincoln University students. Also on the stand are two contrasting musical attractions – there’s Abba Salute, the tribute band, and a community musical commissioned by the BBC, telling the story of Priscilla Biggadike, the Lincolnshire woman wrongly hanged for the murder of her husband.
Visitors can ask find out to live greener lives when they speak to The Greenhouse, a group of local companies designed to showcase renewable technologies. All of the companies are based in and around Lincolnshire and are all experts in their field. It’s been organised by Jo Huggett of Binbrook-based 4Eco who supply solar thermal systems and air source and ground Source heat pumps, for both domestic and commercial properties.
For those looking to get an agricultural hit, this 127th Lincolnshire Show will be keeping agriculture at its heart. The Show – on 22nd and 23rd June – includes the best of the county’s livestock on the judging lines and all the latest trends in farming and agriculture from the top breeds to top machines, as well as the best produce from the county.
In the Select Lincolnshire and Tastes of Lincolnshire Food Court the special Lincolnshire produce area will include national award-winning farmers and producers of free range pork, Redhill Farm, winners of the Countryside Alliance Local Food Award for East of England 2010 and Tastes of Lincolnshire BIG Sausage Festival 2010 for Lincolnshire’s Favourite Sausage. The Farm will be hoping for a repeat of their victory at last year’s Show, when they won the Oscar Brown Perpetual Challenge Cup awarded at last year’s Show for the best food stand.
In the livestock lines, two native breeds that are likely to attract much attention once again are the Lincoln Longwool sheep and Lincoln Red cattle.
From near Woodhall Spa in eastern Lincolnshire, Maurice Parker will bring his 6 Lincoln Longwools when he attends the Lincolnshire Show for the 41st time. He said: “It’s one of the best shows in the country. It’s our home county show and the stewarding at Lincolnshire is always brilliant.” Maurice has been winning championships firstly for others and for himself since 2000, including wool on hoof, interbreed and overall breed Champion.
In the cattle lines, Geoff Bolton from Market Rasen has notched up 52 Lincolnshire Shows, since his first visit as a schoolboy in 1959. Now chairman of Lincoln Red Cattle Society for the second time, and a judge himself at other agricultural shows, he has breeding Lincoln Reds for over 20 years and now has a herd of 30 beast
He said: “Lincolnshire Show is largely still agricultural and it’s got an important role to play in education. I first came to the Show on a School trip in 1959, and now, just as then, it’s an opportunity for young people to learn and to be involved in agriculture, livestock and where food comes from.”
ENDS
Media enquiries:
Sarah Poucher at Lincolnshire Events Centre inc Lincolnshire Agricultural Society
spoucher@lincs-events.co.uk – 01522 585501
Maggie Taylor at Prima PR
maggie@primapr.co.uk – 01400 251557 / 0797 3767 602
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www.lincolnshireshowground.co.uk