The Wayland Show is south west Norfolk's local one day show. It was held yesterday (Sunday) and attracted an estimated 10,000 people, which isn't bad for an event in a field on a showery day, Maybe the showers helped, in fact. They stopped combines from working and enabled farmers and farm workers who might have been otherwise employed to join in the fun.
This years success, however, is even more gratifying for the organisers who have had a couple of difficult years. In 2006 the ground was so dry it was considered a fire risk and the whole event was cancelled. Last year Foot & Mouth disease broke out in the south east of England the day before the event and all cattle, sheep and pig entries had to be cancelled at the last minute.
But what a good show of livestock this year. If I were cynical I would suggest there were almost as many entries forward as at the Royal Show. Certainly they provided a spectacle for those who attended and a nice touch was the bagpiper playing beside the ring while the Highlanders were being judged.
There was a food hall featuring local produce (and a few other things) lots of craft and trade stands (I ordered a flying hawk thats supposed to frighten pigeons on rape fields from one of them) and a full ring programme. It was an old fashioned, local, community, agricultural show. And those of us who attended enjoyed it very much indeed.