Date : Thursday 16th September 2004 Location : Corn How Farm field, Lorton. Cumbria Occasion : The Loweswater Show. Walk details : Several - round the field Weather : Disappointing tending to the downright unnecessary ( rain showers with very strong winds)

The Loweswater and Brackenthwaite Show this year was held at the new venue of Corn How Farm fields, opposite the New House Farm and Barn Tearooms in the vale of Lorton.

It was a large flat field down in the base of the valley, but fortunately was well drained enough not to turn to mud as a result of recent rains. The Show ground included four major marquees, namely the Cattle Tent, the Industrial Tent (local home industries) the Poultry Tent and not forgetting the Beer Tent !

Around the show ground were the local commercial stores where you could buy everything from chips to doughnuts, from spanners to garden plants, and from farming quad bikes to BMWs.

The Craft Fair in the Barn Cumbrian Fair at its best.

Loweswater is an old Farmers Meet and still has all the traditional competition classes for the various animals

Lots of work go into presenting the animals in their best condition too.

The Sheep Judging Swaledales and Herdwicks (right)

There were also a full range of classes in the Cattle and Horse sections

including this rather magnificent Longhorn Bull in the Cattle Tent.

Show Day is also an important time in the valley to meet friends.

In our case there were several people we knew, both local and visitors to the valley.

Ron and Olwen Hannaford, with our son Gareth and Ann.

Also regards to John Patterson and Peter and Joanna Rigg who missed out on the photos, and to Paul who was also there but we missed out on meeting altogether.

An old Austin pickup. One of several old cars on display.

It felt like there should have been someone called John-boy Walton sitting in the back suitably dresses in cheque shirt, cords and a binder twine belt.

The Cattle Class in the first ring and the Horses in the second.

The weather was not conducive to a relaxed atmosphere. The picture gives and idea of the low cloud base and one of the several rain showers, but not of the strength of the blustery wind as it whipped down the valley.

Edna Vickers (in red) and Johnny Vickers (red and grey) in different hound classes.

No point in competing with the wife for the same trophy.

The Poultry Tent Best Eggs and best Bantams.

The other events included Hound Trailing (Hounds following a scent trail rather than a fox) domestic dog classes and the like but the weather was already having a discouraging effect on the spectators.

From the field they managed to run the Junior and Senior Fell Races, here one of the competitors makes it home for a prize.

Suddenly a series of strong gusts of wind started to cause havoc amongst the tents. Small stall holders had their awnings blown down, plants were blown off tables and cheeses rolled across counters pushed by the wind.

The Industry Tent, home to the handicraft of so many local "school children" and "grown ups" was in danger of collapsing as the ridge pole broke. Swift intervention of tractors and 4x4s was required to act as anchors when tent pegs were pulled from the ground during one particularly strong gust.

The Cattle Tent also had to be evacuated and taken down when the wind started to cause problems here too.

The Show went on but it was such a shame that the efforts of so many had been spoilt. The Industry Tent for instance had only been open to the public after judging for ten minutes or so before it had to be closed.

Shows such as these form an important part of the valley social life and are talked about for weeks afterwards. This one will be too, but for all the wrong reasons. Still roll on the third Thursday in September next year.

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Technical note: Pictures taken with a Canon IXUS 400 Digital camera.

Resized in Photoshop, and built up on a Dreamweaver web builder.

This site best viewed . . . with a kinder weather.

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