Press Information for Immediate Release:

Exciting new developments on track at The Royal County of Berkshire Show

THE school holidays may be drawing to a close but there will really be something for all the family to enjoy with a host of new attractions on offer at The Royal County of Berkshire Show this year (20-21 September).

After a successful pilot two years ago, audiences will have the chance to enjoy some thrills and spills in the livestock arena as competition steps up in the novice pig handling classes. This year there will be three classes to watch out for including one for people who have never had a go at the tricky art of steering a pig around an arena, as well as classes for handlers under 16 years and Young Farmers Club members .

Lucy Venables, Chairman of The Royal County of Berkshire Show’s Pig Committee explained: “There will be a limited number of entries for people to take part who have not had a go at this before depending on the number of exhibitors who are prepared to let their pigs take part and the weather conditions.”
Winners from the classes in this section will be competing for the prestigious Ledgerwood Cup.

Lucy said: “Pig handling is not as easy as it looks and it is a great crowd pleaser. You may have a nine year old child in one class who makes it look like they are leading an old Labrador around the park, but then you’ll see grown men and women having a go and really struggling. Pigs enjoy taking part but they have their own minds and quite strong personalities.”

The classes will take place from 11.30am on Sunday 21 September and if you fancy donning a white coat and having a go yourself, contact the livestock secretary on the day.

Away from the traditional agricultural scene, The Royal County of Berkshire Show is catching the mood of enthusiasm from the wave of Beijing Olympic Fever with a new Sports Zone.

The area will include have-a-go opportunities provided by the Lawn Tennis Association, England Cricket Board (see attached), Rugby Football Union, Football Association, Berkshire Scouts (climbing wall), New Forest Outdoor centre (high ropes) and Newbury Sub Aqua Club.

All will be providing sessions free of charge except the High Ropes course which will charge a small fee of £2 per go.

Show manager Catherine Bates said: “We will be dedicating an area, adjacent to the Army Zone and Four Wheel Drive demonstration area, to the promotion of a variety of sports.
“The Sports Zone is designed to make a really exciting area and will replace previous attractions that the public had to pay for such as bouncy castles and side shows.”

Other attractions for teenagers include the timeless fun of an old-fashioned fairground, a stage with live bands and endless aisles of shopping for all the latest trends with more than 500 tradestands to choose from. For car enthusiasts there will be a fantastic range of motor vehicle dealerships unveiling the latest must-have four wheels, and for those with a yen for agricultural transport, modern state of the art tractors will be lining up alongside the vintage variety.

Sculpture, from topiary to metalwork is one of the garden fashion trends of the moment and is a new addition with its own area for the first time at the show.

Rhona Tucker, Chairman of The Royal County of Berkshire Show’s Horticulture Committee said: “We are always keen to bring new elements to the horticulture section and sculpture is particularly popular at the moment. There are some fantastic gardeners in this area and the horticulture area is always a buzz. This year we have a number of new exhibitors with everything from orchids to ferns to miniature roses so it should be a spectacular site.”

There will also be intense competition in the inter-village challenge which this year sees five communities taking part; Cold Ash, Kintbury, Bucklebury, Heckfield and Kingsclere.
As always there will be a wealth of talented artists and designers displaying their wares in the Craft Tent for the first time. Among those making their show debut is local jewellery designer Donna Byatt.

Thatcham-based Donna said: “As a Newbury person I have always wanted to exhibit at the show but it is difficult to get there as competition is fierce with so many jewellery designers out there. I approached the show with my new range called Baby Love which is based on children’s fingerprints in silver and is something a bit different. I am thrilled to be going.”

Other newcomers to look out for this year include Heritage Tables which produce giant jigsaw puzzle style tables, jeweller Margot Hartley with her quirky designs in different metals, Beau Bags with their range of unique designer handbags, and Hampshire-based artist Louise Braithwaite with art from Mad Lou Publishing.

Diana Amesbury who oversees The Royal County of Berkshire Show Craft section, said: “We have around 80 craft exhibitors at the show and each year around a quarter are new. We actively seek fresh exhibitors – we are quite spoiled for choice as people really love coming here, so when we choose new exhibitors we look for that wow-factor.”

Art and design for a different purpose will be on display in abundance in The Royal County of Berkshire’s other new area this year – the Elegant Wedding Marquee. This marquee will showcase the finest wedding essentials from around Berkshire and beyond giving visitors a feast for the eyes with wonderful gowns, hats, romantic venues and much more giving you inspiration for every kind of wedding from the modern to the traditional.

Tickets have already gone on sale at outlets throughout the region and purchasing tickets in advance will save money with an attractive discount on offer. For details of sales outlets see www.berkshireshow.co.uk or call 01635 247111.

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