The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Community => Coffee Lounge => Topic started by: gavo on May 12, 2011, 10:25:15 pm
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Has anyone been before?
We are thinking of having probably our only break away this year and we were wondering if the show needed 2 days to see everything or would 1 be enough?
We are travelling from N.I and want to make the best use of our time and money.
All advice /opinions greatfully recieved.
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We went two years ago with a group from CSSA - there's a report on the CSSA site here: http://www.smallholders.info/rwas-smallholder-and-garden-festival-wales (http://www.smallholders.info/rwas-smallholder-and-garden-festival-wales)
It definitely is geared towards smallholders - it has a different vibe to your average agricultural show - but is big enough to attract good crowds, good trade stands, good entries into classes and good demos.
Six of us are going back this year and taking a bit more time - there's loads to see at the show, and it's difficult to cover it all in a day.
Hope this helps, and maybe see you there? :)
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We are going this year after promising ourselves for the last three and never making it!
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Thankyou very much for your replies; we have cover for the livestock we will definately be going; been promising to go for years aswell so we are booking the flights and accomodation in a minute .It would be nice to put faces to names and replies so we're happy to meet up with any TASER'S that are venturing to the show; if anyone wants to.
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This show has become our annual family holiday. This will be year 6 for us.
We always seem to take a trailer load of sheep with us - it is always so manic that there are still areas of the show that I have yet to see.
I am sure you will enjoy it. It has a lovely atmosphere. Plenty of people but not so many it feels crowded and not quite so much pointless tat as you get at lots of shows.
It could do with a good weather break as it was freezing last year and wet the year before.
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Herself and I are heading down from Skye this year to the show. Had been wanting to visit for several years but it is such a loooong way. Normally we visit the RHS in Edin. We have combined it with a short holiday in Wales and visiting friends in leic+Notts on the way back through to home. We're making a week of it. Should be fun.
So, cannae help to tell if it is any good/needs 2 days etc. We have bought tickets for the Saturday and, if we want to go on Sunday too, will buy tickets on the Saturday before we leave the show (I assume you can do this? Does anyone know, to save the queue on Sunday?).
Have fun everyone:-)
SSKye
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Its a brilliant show - just the right sort of size (not so big that you don't get chance to see most things). Lovely venue of course ;D The Winter Fair (and fatstock show) is also a good one there too.
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It is a lovely show and well worth a visit. It doesn't matter if the weather isn't great as there is plenty to see indoors. Look forward to seeing those who venture into the cattle buildings - I shall be there with my cows on the Dexter breed stand. Please come up and say hello.
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So where and when? May well pay a visit.
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Do we want a quick TAS meet somewhere on the Saturday?
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I reckon that's a good idea, where and when should we all meet? Somewhere we can have a sit down and a cuppa?
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It's a lovely show, we are going on the sunday,as that is when the traditional pig classes are. I'm helping Liz Shankland showing one of her Tamworths so watch out for the dumpy bird chasing a ginger pig about ( Me not Liz!!)
It will also be the official launch of the Haynes pig manual, so if you don't already have a copy you can get one signed! Think Liz is doing a pig talk on the saturday too.
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I'll definately be watching the pig classes esp Tams lovely animals (not that i'm biased or anything)
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Has anyone been before?
We are thinking of having probably our only break away this year and we were wondering if the show needed 2 days to see everything or would 1 be enough?
We are travelling from N.I and want to make the best use of our time and money.
All advice /opinions greatfully recieved.
Post code etc. ( if you have satnag ..)
Llanelwedd
Buith Wells
LD 2 3 SY
Thanks for the post I've just joined the site and seen the show thread ..we are going .... beware of him on crutches with a black dog . :D
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Do we want a quick TAS meet somewhere on the Saturday?
Do please arrange. It would be nice to put some names to the faces.
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Do we want a quick TAS meet somewhere on the Saturday?
Do please arrange. It would be nice to put some names to the faces.
Just checking with Dot where the best place would be. I don't know the showground well enough.
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Have emailed you Rosemary.
This might be some help to you all.
http://www.rwas.co.uk/assets/var/docs/smallholder/map/Smallholder-Map-Colour.pdf (http://www.rwas.co.uk/assets/var/docs/smallholder/map/Smallholder-Map-Colour.pdf)
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"How about meeting by a loo block? Not very glamourous I know, but they are usually quite easy to find. I suggest meeting out side the toilets between the shearing demonstartion (numbered 10 on the map) and the pig ring (this is the small unlabelled square to the southwest of building 10 and the loos."
Dot suggested the above - seems good to me - toilets and pigs, what more does a girl need ;D
Time? 11am on Saturday?
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Do come if you can. The event used to be known as the Smallholder Show, then metamorphosised into the Royal Welsh Smallholder and Garden Festival and then, about a month before the event, the organisers announced it would be known henceforth as the Royal Welsh Spring Festival! Not exactly a case of "does what it says on the tin", but there you go!
Anyway, a cracking event (www.rwas.co.uk (http://www.rwas.co.uk)). Usually gets over 25,000 people over the two days (21/22nd May) and is a kind of miniature Royal Welsh Show (the big one - July 18-21 - the biggest show of its kind in the UK). Much easier to get round in one day than the main Royal Welsh, but lots to see and, as mentioned earlier, plenty to do indoors if the weather is bad (though it's forecast warm for this weekend up here).
Not sure of the full running order, but I know the modern pigs are being judged on Saturday from 9am and the traditionals (the colourful ones/ones with personality!) on the Sunday, followed by the championship.
It's a great show for anyone just starting in smallholding, or thinking about it. Not like your average "county" show. All sorts there, from livestock to green energy ideas. As Skidley says, I'm doing a talk on starting with pigs on the Saturday, 12 noon, in Speakers' Corner in the Glamorgan Hall (full programme of talks planned on various subjects both Sat and Sun), and I'm in the ring with the Tamworths on the Sunday.
If anyone fancies meeting up, the clock tower is a good landmark. Top of the hill, near the President's pavilion.
Hope to see some of you in the pig building - come and see some of the herd and ask as many questions as you like.
Liz
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Clock Tower or Toilets?
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We are on course to be there for Sat, just incase I dont make the toilets or the clocktower I will make a badge that says TAS, with Frieslandfilly underneath feel free to accost me and chat!
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Toilets / Pig arena at 11am on Saturday. How will we know each other or will we just accost total strangers?
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Maybe you need to get more TAS badges, Rosemary. ;)
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Won't be there Saturday. Helping with the Ryeland stand sometime between 9.00 and late morning on Sunday if anyone about.
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Toilets / Pig arena at 11am on Saturday. How will we know each other or will we just accost total strangers?
Cor you sound like a politician working in the cottage industry :D :D :D ( sorry just my wicked sense of humour ;))
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Right so, toilets at 11 saturday all with some sort of badge referring to TAS yeah?
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We had some made for teh Highland Show last year but at 3/4" they were too small ::)
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We had some made for teh Highland Show last year but at 3/4" they were too small ::)
OK, everyone that's going get a large white hanky, a couple of marking pens (thick liners) and draw T A S in hugey letters in one colour and underlined in the other. ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D , get four nappy pins and pin it onto your back!
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The wife and I may be there by that time.
If so we will pop over and look for the White hankie brigade ;D if that is OK?
We will be a pair o 6 footers, both long pony-tails. Specs and I will probably have a waist-coat of sorts and I will have a goatee (beard, I have no livestock!!) unless I suffer a bizarre shaving accident in the next 48 hours!
Just try a subtle *cought-TAS* *TAS TAS Cough*
Rgds
SSkye
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Wish I was going now - and with a camera ;) SOMEBODY please take photographs
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I think we'll go for a more discreet white sticky label with TAS written on it ,that way we can stick it on our coats just as we arrive at the meeting place(no earlier people already think we're strange)