Annual agricultural show welcomes thousands

6 hours ago

Kate Reltonand

Briony Leyland,South of England

News image — Thousands of visitors flocked to Newbury Showground for the annual show

BBC/Briony Leyland A group of farmers in white coats display sheep in a field. Each person stands or kneels next to a single sheep, all in a line. Behind them is a large barn with a sign reading "LIVESTOCK ENTRANCE". — Thousands of visitors flocked to Newbury Showground for the annual show

Organisers of an annual agricultural show say it has come back bigger and better with visitor numbers expected to top 35,000.

The Newbury Show showcases the best of local agriculture including livestock, rural crafts and hands-on activities.

Organisers the Newbury and District Agricultural Society (NADAS) said it hoped the show would bridge the gap between farmers and the wider community.

The two-day event held at Newbury Showground returned in 2023 after being cancelled in 2020 due to the pandemic.

Chair of the board of trustees for NADAS, Steve Ackrill, said: "A lot of people genuinely don't know where their food comes from and how it's produced. If we can do a small bit towards making them realise that then that's what we're about.

"It's been a difficult year for farming, a long dry year. For arable farmers, yields are rumoured to be 40% down.

"We want to get people supporting local businesses and local farms, and understand where their food comes from."

BBC/Briony Leyland A man wearing a dark suit with a rainbow-striped tie is facing the camera. He is outdoors with crowds of people and white marquees in the background behind him, and the sun is shining. — Steve Ackrill said that it was a great feeling to see the show come together

With expected visitor numbers topping 35,000 over the two-day show, Ackrill said that the show was growing bigger every year.

"Farmers love to show off what they do and talk about what they do," he said.

"This show is our prime shop window. We promote agriculture all year round but the show gives us a captive audience.

"It's a real buzz to see it all come together here - it's a really good feeling."

BBC/Briony Leyland A man with ginger hair and beard, wearing a dark blue rugby shirt with white collar stands with a woman in a brown and white striped jumper and yellow coat. She has curly brown hair and is wearing glasses. They are both smiling at the camera and there is a white marquee behind them. — Local residents Tom Dunn and Annie Rankin said they were amazed at how much was on offer

Tom Dunn and Annie Rankin, from Hungerford, attended the Newbury Show for the first time last year.

"You think about a country show and you think you're going to see some big marrows on a table and that's it. But here, there's the livestock and the tractors and the steam engines," Dunn said.

"We learn something every time we're here."

Rankin said: "It's so important to back British farming. Understandably, it's been a struggle for them. I do feel for them, but they're important to us so we want to show our support by coming to these events more often."

BBC/Briony Leyland A teenage boy wearing a black t-shirt and beige flat cap using blacksmithing tools. He is standing behind a metal vice. In the background is another man using tools and wearing a blue high-vis vest. — Albert Hide, 16, demonstrated his blacksmith skills at the Newbury Show

With a charitable mission of sharing the story of food, farming, countryside and country living, NADAS provides hands-on learning activities for schools in the area including sausage-making and how to milk a cow.

Ackrill added: "We want people to see agriculture first-hand, and what better way to start than with young children."