Last year’s Show attendance was down from 2009 but still well attended and we had a good Show with no parking problems as we did in 2009. We now have a Traffic Management Company in place as well as Committee members and helpers to help parking and to keep the traffic flowing.
I would like to thank all our Sponsors – your help is greatly appreciated. Our main sponsor this year is ‘Daft as a Brush’, which is a cancer patient care charity. They have helped us with our Schedule and advertising, but their main sponsorship is for the ‘Daft as a Brush’ Fell Race. This charity provides cancer patients transport to and from the hospital; their representatives and vehicles will be on the Show field. Please go along and have a chat as they are actively looking for volunteer drivers to take patients from their homes to the hospital and back again. What a tremendous thing to do – once again thank you for supporting our Show. I hope your publicity and presence at Alwinton will give you some positive feedback and help your very worthwhile charity.
This year we have more events in our Main Ring – there will be a programme of events in this catalogue – so have a look and try not to miss out on what you want to see. As always Cumberland and Westmorland Wrestling is taking place in the Main Ring.
There is the return of the Confined Dog Show for terriers as well as the Pet Dog Show. There is a separate Confined Dog Ring this year – thank you for supporting this part of our Show. Our Presidents Stick this year is going to Classes 51 to 93 in the Horticultural and Flower Classes. Good luck to everyone exhibiting at the Show today and thank you for entering.
Alwinton Show Hut is well past it’s sell by date and is currently out of bounds. The Catering will be alongside the Beer Tent marquee this year. We have planning permission for a new Show Hut and depending on finances and sponsorship; we hope to have a new hut up and going for 2012.
Just after last year’s Show we had some untimely deaths of our Committee Members.
- Libby Dixon, who was our previous Show Secretary, was involved with the Show for many years and make sure we got everything done on time – for many years Libby was ‘Alwinton Show’.
- James Singer - who helped look after the Show field Trade stands, as well as many other jobs, helping with whatever needed doing. James was a great utility man to have on our side.
- Geordie and Jock Hall - who were cousins, died within a day of each other. Geordie was 94 and spent his entire life in Coquetdale living at many farms up the valley. Geordie and his family actually lived in what is the Show hut on the field during the Second World War. This was at the barrier just up the road and later it was moved down to the Show field. Geordie had great dry stone waller and fencer skills which he has passed onto his Son and Grandsons.
- Jock was also a Coquet man who was born in 1916 and his skills were very much to the fore in the sheep world. Blessed with being a great clipper of the woolly beasts and with husbandry skills which were greatly sought after. He was also World Champion on several occasions at Cumberland and Westmorland Wrestling.
Our thoughts are with these families, some of whom are still very much involved with the Show. So thank you for coming to support Alwinton Border Shepherds Show, let’s hope we have a good day’s weather and I hope you enjoy yourselves.
Jimmy Hall, Chairman
