[fiestyredhead331]

After going to the Black Isle Show this week I wondered how it compared to other farming/agriculture shows?

Entry per adult is £16 with under 12's at £8 so for the 3 of us (thank god I didn't take more children!) it set us back £40 just to get in to the show. Parking is free but was a disaster this year with one family waiting 2 hours to get out of the car park, missed their ferry to Orkney and had to spend £100 on extra accomodation.

There wasn't the usual amount of trade stands, as the SCF pointed out, the stall prices were prohibitive.
There is a funfair there but as one mum pointed out she only wants to take her kids to that so has to pay the entry fee and then pay for all the rides so it is an expensive day out.

We don't get the chance to go to other shows, down to distance mainly but are other similar shows like this? Would love to go to Royal Highland next year but might need to start saving now 

[mowhaugh]

That is an awful lot of money for children bearing in mind they then want to go on the rides and so on.  We only go to the Highland and Border Union, but children are free to get in at both.

[Bionic]

The Royal Welsh is £25 entrace for adults and £5 for children. Parking offsite is free and they have a very good free bus service that takes you from the parking field to the show ground.
We were very lucky to be given free tickets this year.

[Anke]

If you enter livestock - it is free to exhibitors. I won't go to any show nowadays unless I get in free, either as a guest of an exhibitor(like he Royal Highland) most of the time with my caprine entourage...

Of course, entering goats is considerable money in itself and probably not working out cheaper... 

[midtown]

We found it's better value to join whichever agricultural society that runs the County show of your choice.
In our case and without other benefits included in the membership, the annual fee covers admittance to two shows with guests, favourable members parking, and free refreshments in the members facility!
Totting up the costs and it works out a lot cheaper being a member than forever dipping your hand in your pocket, or having to walk miles in order to find where you parked!
 

[ballingall]

The prices are going up to get in. £14-15 seems to be the going rate. Dumfries was £14 for an adult- don't know about children. Kelso was similar but kids were free. Kinross show was yesterday, and they were charging £10 for an adult, £5 concession, and kids under 16 were free- but it is a smaller show than Dumfries or Border Union or the Black Isle. Black Isle I haven't been to for 3 years now, but it always used to be fantastic.


However on the topic on entrance fees- don't you think the cost of entries have gone up? Kinross charged £10 for your first entry, and £7 for each subsequent one, so we only took six goats as it was so much. Our entry fees cost £46 (adding in the prepaid catalogue and the ambulance fee). We did win prize money of course, but not everyone can. Perth wasn't cheap to enter either. 


Beth

[mowhaugh]

I always think I am so lucky to have Border Union as my local show, horse entries £7 non members/£5 members, sheep entries £2/members, not sure of non-members rates, but only £3 or4 I think.  They are also very generous with entry passes and prize money.

[ballingall]

Yes Border Union isn't expensive to enter, and very generous with passes- we got 3 or 4 for each day. Whilst Kinross, as in my example above we only got 2 entry tickets for our £46. That said, when we actually did arrive, no one asked us for any tickets 


Beth

[Sudanpan]

I think it was £17.50 for adults at the Royal Cornwall - children are £5. Parking is included. It does make for quite an expensive outing.

[Anke]

RE entries for the animals - Great Yorkshire is 22 per goat for non-members and 11 for members - it is very soon that your 50something membership fee is worth paying for! BUT that includes great facilities for exhibitors, a proper goathouse, and free accommodation if you sleep in your trailer or van, but you have to pay for caravan or tent. So far my favourite show - and lots if free tasting in the cheese area! 

This year it was also worth my while to pay for membership at Border Union, but entries there are rally good value for money!

But have so far baulked at Royal Highland - too expensive all round...

[Bigdreams]

The South of England show was £20 for adults  my partner and I are only 10 minutes away from the show ground in Ardingly but we didn't bother due to the high prices but instead we went to the Smallholders show which was great at £10 entry 

[doganjo]

I went to the Scottish Game Fair this year - to try to showcase my dog breed (Brittanys) - £18 entry fee, £2 car parking - and you do get to see what's on in the main ring if you can get close enough, but goods are very expensive as is the food.  I can't afford to go back!

[ballingall]

RE entries for the animals - Great Yorkshire is 22 per goat for non-members and 11 for members - it is very soon that your 50something membership fee is worth paying for! BUT that includes great facilities for exhibitors, a proper goathouse, and free accommodation if you sleep in your trailer or van, but you have to pay for caravan or tent. So far my favourite show - and lots if free tasting in the cheese area! 

This year it was also worth my while to pay for membership at Border Union, but entries there are rally good value for money!

But have so far baulked at Royal Highland - too expensive all round...

Both the Royal Highland and the Great Yorkshire are in a teir higher than most other shows (maybe the Royal Welsh too?), and they are just more expensive all round. The Great Yorkshire is not much cheaper than the Highland for entries- I'd say they are pretty level in all honesty, for admission fees as well.


Beth

[Rosemary]

Speaking as an event organiser (Scottish Smallholder and Grower Festival, 27th September, Lanark Agricultural Centre), I sympathise but I can see it form the other side. The costs of organising an event is huge.

Unless you get really good entries in livestock classes, the cost of prize money will exceed what comes in as entry money - plus the cost of rosettes, prize cards, engraving etc. A decent trophy will cost £70 - 100 to buy.

We use the market but we have to pay a pretty substantial hire charge, plus pen hire, advertising (massive costs), insurance, hospitality, expenses for judges, speakers and demonstrators and so on.

We charge £10 for and adult and under 16s are free; car parking is free; £40 for a craft stand and a bit more for trade stands. We think it's good value but we get folk complaining about the price every year.

Entry fees are £10 for first animal and £5 thereafter; £2 per bird in the poultry show and £1 for the Garden, Craft and Food competition.

I fear many shows are running on a shoestring and may fail, which will be sad.

[Victorian Farmer]

Well thev priced them selves out of the marts dingwall was the best so far .And me to will stop paying .The black isle wasent worth that money .Its granton show thersday 8 pound I'll go to that .The food was mad 4 daunuts 4 pound and a cup of tea 2 pound .Not worth the bother.