[HappyHippy]

I'm definately up for helping/actively working on it (in between everything else lol!) I think a lot of it will cross over between other groups that I'm involved in/going to be involved in anyway - so it kinda makes sense  

I've spoken with Lanark market and it's a very definate possibility - they have all the facilities (toilets/catering/market traders licence/liquor licence  ) hire rates are quite reasonable - lets get a sit dowm meeting organised soon and form a plan 

All those in favour, say "Aye"

Karen x

[Beewyched]

Aye

[Rosemary]

come closer to aberdeenshire..please..ur miles away from us...

Where? It has to be near the main centres of population, I'm afraid, of we won't get the footfall.

Just had a quick look at Stirling Show's website - very nice. They've got poultry this year - that's a first. Anyway, the Show is run by Stirling Agricultural Society, which has a committee, Directors, members (you have to be a member to exhibit except in the Unaffiliated Light Horse classes). Would there need to be a Scottish Smallholders' Show Society? I rather think so, for legal reasons, insurance and so on.

Lanark looks like a good venue (sorry those north and south). Date? Maybe late in the year - a) don't want to clash with other major shows, b) smallholders don't really have a harvest to bring in c) catch the early Christmas present market   - September ish?

There must be other organisations we shoudl be speaking to - Scottish Goatkeepers, Scottish Poultry Club, Scottish Pig Keepers Association  , RBST.

Should we try and get articles in "Country Smallholding" and "Smallholder"?

God, Dan's going to kill me   I'm relying on all you folk to stick up for me.

[robert waddell]

stirling show had poultry last year     we were sitted next to the tent    they were going to have pig classes this year BUT the horsie wifie complained about the pigs upsetting there cuddies   eh will be making an effort to rectify this objection

[Beewyched]

ok, now I'm being a bit  - why would the pigs upset them 

[HappyHippy]

ok, now I'm being a bit  - why would the pigs upset them 

I believe, going way back into the depths of history, that wild boar predated on wild horses & ponies and it's an inbuilt thing in the genes. That said - I know plenty of horses who get on fine with pigs and a few livery yards who have resident 'pet' pigs - so it's not every horse. Just the same ones that would get spooked by a strong wind or russling trees 

Rosemary - I mentioned late summer/autumn time to the lady at Lanark, it was fine.
Sunday's tend to be really heavily booked, but Saturday's shouldn't be a problem.
I'll email you 

Karen x

[Beewyched]

Ah! I see 

But surely in a Show environment the pig area could be away from the horse area - to keep everyone happy 

That said, the horses in the field next to our piggies seem to think they are there for their amusement - they stand peering through the hedge at them - when Jerry decided to break-out last month (lifted the old stock fencing down the side we didn't run the electric tape  ) & get in with them they were grazing side-by-side with each other (sweet  ).  But then, they are huge horses XThoroughbreds I think, so a little Kune wouldn't seem a threat to them 

[wildgeese]

Very interesting; but the North of Scotland does get a bit sidelined and Aberdeenshire / Black Isle / Inverness must be prime small-holding country; its certainly very rich in studs and horse breeding and I think this is the same sort of edge-of-agriculture activity. Then there's the crofting tradition right across the Highlands. Can a show in Lanark really be said to represent Scottish smallholding? It rules out participation by anyone with animals in the top half of the country. Wouldn't it be better to go for a couple of smaller events rather than one big event that ignores the north? For example a big stallion show in Scotland has never been really successful; but a few years ago there were a series of smaller shows developed by the same organiser and covered by one programme that were staged up and down the country and these were bursting at the seams.

[Andrew]

I am up for helping in any way that I can. Think Lanark would be an excellent venue to get started but one option would be to have a show that moves around the country on an annual basis i.e. Lanark, Stirling, Aberdeen & Inverness if suitable venues are available.

[Rosemary]

Think Lanark would be an excellent venue to get started but one option would be to have a show that moves around the country on an annual basis i.e. Lanark, Stirling, Aberdeen & Inverness if suitable venues are available.

Now that seems a good idea - just what the Royal Highland used to do before it settled at Ingliston. What about Lanark and Thainstone AC, at Inverurie?

[HappyHippy]

Yeah, a 'portable' show that goes to a new area every year would be a very good idea. That way it covers the whole of Scotland and reaches everyone. We would definately need plenty of local support for that though - to find the people who'd want to exhibit/have stalls and also to find the best places for advertising locally etc.
Lanark is my home turf, I know it pretty well and have plenty of connections - providing there are others spotted around the country who're prepared to do a bit of groundwork there's no reason why it couldn't/wouldn't work though.

Do we need to organise a meeting to discuss this sometime ? or will we do it all 'virtually' ?

If everyone who's interested could pm me your email address or email me with Smallholding show as the subject (my email is [email protected] ) and let me know roughly where in the country you are we can start to get organised.

He he he - Bruce is going to kill me too 
Karen 

[Beewyched]

He he he - Bruce is going to kill me too 
Karen 

You know your gonna have to pay

[doganjo]

Remember committees don't always have to live close to each other!  I have tried time and again to persuade our present Brittany Club Secretary that we can hold online meetings via a chat room, he is totally against it - just a technophobe to be honest - but us lot aren't!

Dan could help set that part of it up.  (My son could too, if he's busy, but I'm sure we have other techie folk on here too)

Rosemary - do we need a new associations? What's wrong with Central Scotland Smallholders taking this on in name - we have a basic committee structure already and we could add other folks in from across the country to be a sub (show) committee - we are about to take out PL insurance anyway and this could maybe be extended to cover such an event?

Show venues in different areas would also work with an online committee as those committee members in each area could take the lead for the show nearest them.

I'm getting excited now - and no-one can kill me! 

[HappyHippy]

Sounds like a plan to me Annie 
Put my name down as part of the sub-committee (if no-one minds ?)
I would think that most places (especially the like of Lanark) would have their own PL insurance anyway - but it wouldn't hurt to have extra.

And if Dan the man  could organise a vitrual meeting space we can schedule a meeting to dicuss things at a set time.

But for the moment - suggestions of the kind of thing's you'd like to see would be a good starting point  My thinking is:
Housing suppliers - poultry houses, pig arcs etc
Feed suppliers
local producers (of animals and food products)
local community groups - thinking Clyde Vally Orchards, Bee Keepers clubs etc
garden stuff - nurseries, garden centres etc
local craftspeople
stock on show/for sale
demos - working dogs, shearing etc

c'mon, give us more ideas 

[Beewyched]

Karen -  SPKA / RBST stands or will everyone be too busy with their stock  ? SSPCA etc