Great Yorkshire Show

Last week I was happy enough to plod on off up to Yorkshire to see my family, and whilst I was there, we were looking for a day out. Happily, my visit coincided with the Great Yorkshire Show, which was a 3 day midweek event about much more than cows, pigs and sheep. Here, people can also show off their vegetables, cheese and birds in the hope of winning first, second or third prize.

The showground near Harrogate offers far more than that though. I thought at first it was quite an expensive day out at £22 for a regular adult ticket, but there was a huge amount to do, and we were there for the full day, and it didn't feel like we had seen everything. Apart from the showground where the animals are shown (we saw some absolutely huge cattle), there are also falconry displays, a display by the Red Devils, sheep shearing displays, you can learn more about the schools and colleges in Yorkshire and what they have to offer. There are also a wide variety of stalls selling everything from food and drink to clothes and crafts.

We watched some of the wood displays, lumberjacks attempting to pop balloons, and competing to strip branches from logs while the mechanical equivalent tried to get through 4 logs in the same amount of time. The great British Pole Climbing championship was incredible, with amateurs and pros climbing 80ft in under 20 seconds!

We also saw a fashion show which had work by some local colleges and university students and the latest fashions from the store Hobbs. I was really impressed with the quality of the designs from the students, there were more than a few things I'd have loved to get my hands on.

Even if you're not interested in seeing the livestock, I'd recommend this as a great family day out, with so much to see and do. Even though they were expecting 130,000 people through the gates over the three days, and it was very busy, it never felt claustrophobic or as though you were being pushed around. And the service in the restaurants was impeccable, the tables were cleared quickly so that it was never a long wait to find a table. Add to that the attitude of all the staff and exhibitors and it just once again shows why I'm so proud to be from Yorkshire. It's the best.