The Suffolk Show

 Last week I had my annual day out at the Suffolk Show - it was very chilly and very, very busy.  I watched some show jumping and the parade of the coaches with their horses from the grandstand but sitting still wasn't much fun in the cold wind - best to keep moving and go in and out of the marquees to get out of the chill.

There's plenty to see with over 900 stands - I doubt I looked at half of them!

The first photo I took was of these wood sculptures on a stand selling wood garden furniture.

I was on my way to the Grandstand to watch the first session of show jumping and it wasn't very busy at 8.30.

Huge machines all around the showground

Lots of screams coming from this giant inflatable slide - one of the things that was extra expense 

Suffolk Bee Keepers stand is always interesting. Some honey available to buy and these below here for judging but how on earth do the judges pick the best from all these jars of honey?

On my way to the big Flower Show Pavilion I passed this stand of carnivorous plants and they must be the in thing at the moment because there was another stand inside the pavilion also selling them.

Beautiful Hostas - so many different types. I used to have lots at the smallholding and several at Clay Cottage. I only have one now and this display made me think about looking out for some others at boot sales. Mickfield Hostas are local to me in Mid Suffolk

Another local company - Potash Fuchsias - from Bacton. They had been at The Royal Chelsea  Flower Show before coming to Ipswich

I'm not sure that I like Bonsai - bit like keeping a bird in a cage, I reckon trees should be allowed to grow free and tall!

Just one of the many flower arrangements here to be judged.

These Library Labradors were in the Suffolk Libraries marquee. They have been decorated and sponsored by various people and companies and will later be displayed around Suffolk in the libraries before being auctioned. More about them HERE

A stand promoting National Trust Sutton Hoo where I will be visiting sometime later this year

There's a small display of old tractors

In the art exhibition this giant pot stood out

I went all round the art exhibition but only really liked this owl

A couple of wooden sculptures and paintings in the background

I didn't go and take photos of the cows, pigs, sheep, goats this year. But the Suffolk Punches were being shown and judged in one of the small rings as I went by

And finally, three of the Carriages and teams that once would have been so common on the countries roads before railways. Some teams had travelled all the way down from Scotland (in a truck and horsebox- not on the road!) to show off their finery for us in Suffolk.

I took some food and water with me but spent some money on a hot coffee, a large and delicious vegetable samosa and a proper ice cream but avoided temptation at all the craft, clothes and garden stands and just picked up this book for 50p from a table of second hand books at the Samaritans marquee.

It's getting to be  a very tiring day out as I get older but I expect in the autumn when they send me an email about early bird tickets for 2024  I'll be tempted all over again. 

Back Tomorrow

Sue

Suffolk Show Visit (Part Two)

 More Photos from the 31st May and my day out at The Suffolk Show. It's impossible to watch everything that happens in the Grand Ring and look around the whole showground and I kept going backwards and forwards.

I watched these guys jumping the ramps and doing tricks high up in the air .......

 

But missed most of the horse and carriage parades until they were going round the ring on their way out

Then and Now on the St John's Ambulance Stand

and into the Flower Show Marquee

 The St Elizabeth Hospice Fundraiser this year is The Big Hoot. These owls have been sponsored by organisations or people and painted by professional artists and later in the year will be all round Ipswich for people to spot. At the end of the summer they will be auctioned off

Back to the Grand Ring to catch some of the Scurry racing, They have to go between cones that have a tennis ball on top, if the ball gets knocked down it's a time penalty. It's fast and furious!

In the Bees and Honey marquee - How on earth do the judges work out whats best between all the different sorts of honey?

Line Dancers of all ages doing a display

By the time I'd watched all these things and walked around most of the showground my back was aching, so I called it a day and headed out.

The most worrying thing about the Suffolk Show is remembering where in the gi-normous car parks my car is parked!! Luckily they have some numbered flags at the end of some of the rows

My treasures from the show ...........I bought a new waxed hat - which I was very grateful for in the rain. I had one of these waterproof hats at the smallholding but somewhere in the moves it vanished. Also picked up a free bag from The Scottish Power stand.

It was a sign of the times that there were lots of Stands missing. Organisations that have been represented at the Show forever like the East Anglian Daily Times, The East of England Co-op and even the WI didn't have a stand of their own this year.

Already looking forward to next year.

Back Tomorrow

Sue

Visit to The Suffolk Show (Part 1)

After missing two years - like everything else- our big County Show was back. 

It's always been a favourite day out for me - usually on my own - which is much easier! I couldn't go through many of the smallholding and campsite days as May Half Term week was one of our busiest times for the campsite.

 90,000 visitors expected over the two days so I left home before 7.30 and drove cross country rather than the A14- just in case of accidents or traffic jams and got parked and into the showground and round to the grandstands by the  Grand Ring in time to see the first lot of show jumping which started at 8.30.

After the show jumping I walked round part of the showground - Rather Large Army helicopter

Specially for my American readers!! The USAF were in the military area too.

Then round to the sheep area.

We had a Texel ram for a while - the ugliest of all sheep in my opinion, but he worked well.

This is a Lincoln Longwool belonging to a lady who I knew way back when I lived in Bacton. She's been breeding them and winning prizes  for 40 years. Her daughter was at primary school with Eldest Daughter. I didn't mean to get her granddaughter in the photo but she suddenly turned round!

Now these are my favourite sheep, they are Ryelands, we started off with two and the most we had one year after lambing was 8. There wasn't a lot of money in sheep even though home produced meat is the best and once we'd extended the campsite and kept more chickens we gave up sheep keeping.

There's a competition for shoeing horses, this man was checking the preparation

And here's the Farrier preparing the shoe.

 

The Suffolk Horses in the picture are some of the few still being kept and bred.  They were featured on Countryfile TV programme recently. At one time the Suffolk Punch was rarer than the Giant Panda but things are looking more hopeful now.

Then I went into the Art Show - loved this one below, for sale for several hundred pounds

One local artist whose paintings of Suffolk landmarks are always on show is Reg Siger

More photos from the Suffolk Show tomorrow

Sue