County Show

For a week in August agricultural and horticultural shows happen throughout the isles. Culminating in the County Show, one of the biggest days in the Orkney year.

Thankfully the sun shone down on us and the show was really busy. This year it has been a bit strange, due to the absence of all the cattle, sheep and goats. Although we are 700 miles and a sea crossing away from the outbreak of Foot and Mouth the animals are all subject to restriction of movement orders. It does seem a bit over the top as some areas of France are closer to the infected areas than Orkney are but most folk seem happy to keep their beasts at home in order to be safe.

A bonus was pointed out to me by our school headmaster, who also breeds sheep and normally has to be up at 5am to bring them to the show. This year he was only showing his Shetland Ponies, so he got a long lie and got up at 7am instead.

The ponies in the picture are his. A mare, on the right, and her very fuzzy foal. His ponies are gorgeous and if it wasn't for my severe allergies to horses I would have brought a couple home with me. Them or the equally gorgeous Clydesdales, which are just a peedie bit bigger.

We did of course spend a lot of time in the poultry tent. Admiring the glamour birds. The girl that we bought our ducks from, who is the same age as my eldest son, had many birds in the show and one of them won reserve champion. So she was delighted, so were we.

Not only is it a place for show off your livestock, buy a tractor, eat ice cream, drool over the many wonderful crafts, buy a raffle ticket and some excellent baking, watch show jumping or stunt cyclists but it is a great place to catch up with folk you haven't seen for a while. And it's all the better when there's no mud.