Farming and animals were at the core of this year’s Kent County
Show.

The Kent County Agricultural Society, which runs the show,
promised a return to their roots - no pun intended - and that’s
what they delivered.

There was more space and more time devoted to showing livestock
of all kinds - from sheep to reindeer - and plenty of opportunity
for town visitors to get to understand both the difficulties faced
by farmers and the importance of farming to the county and to the
country.

All the traditional favourites were there, from sheep-shearing
to blacksmithing, with show-jumping displays and vintage
tractors.

Video: highlights from
the County Show

There were still plenty of stalls selling everything from
Burberry coats to garden furniture, and from beehives to model
trains, but there were fewer of the big commercial national
companies there - deliberately. Those that were permitted - like
Co-operative Funeralcare - largely entered into the spirit of
the event; the Co-op with a display of different types of Hearses
from around the world, including an eye-catching, highly elaborate
Buddhist hearse, complete with gilt dragons and brass
carvings.

Entertainment included Morris dancing, a game of cricket,
motorcycle display teams, and Punch and Judy. Many young visitors
enjoyed the challenge of rock-climbing in the Scouting section, or
trail bike rides with Kent Youth Tail Bikes, or just the fun of the
fun-fair.

On the organisational side, most visitors gave the show the
thumbs up. There were fewer queues for toilets, easy access to
snack bars and well marshalled parking.

As one visitor remarked: “I don’t believe it: I didn’t have to
queue to get in or out.”

One important question for the KCAS was whether the overall
visitor numbers held up.

Advance ticket sales were one per cent higher than last year’s, but
the organisers had been hoping for 10 per cent.