The great thing about a country show is that you can always buy yourself pair of waterproof boots and coat if the weather turns nasty – and then forget all about the rain and focus on enjoying the day.
With thunderstorms and a deluge of rain the night before Lowther Show, it was a miracle they were even about to go ahead with the annual two-day event – and everyone going had the heads up on what to wear!
Many of the paths are muddy swamps, however, it is still worth making the effort to go, especially if you have a dog. It is like dog fest at the show this year, with many different activities for your dog to take part in – from retrieving competitions to dog water events – as well as the entries for the show events.
Many of the stalls are also dedicated to all things doggie, and it is wonderful to watch the working dogs demonstrations.
Some of the displays in the main arena had to be cancelled due to the wet weather, and the food demonstrations and some judging were delayed due to an electrical fault but that doesn’t stop country folk! They are prepared for every eventuality, and the show must and did go on.
Gary McLure, The Cooking Cowboy gave a brilliant demonstration of how to make a smoked salmon souffle (his magic tip to keep them risen was corn flour). His stage and oven were on a slant, they only built the kitchen and tent that morning due to the previous night’s weather and he could only start when the electricity came on – yet he delivered an entertaining, informative and mouth-watering demonstration.
The Folk Roots Festival tent in the centre of the local food producers stalls was a great location to enjoy a spicy mutton burger from a local producer – it was so good, and so tasty to see mutton on the menu. There were so many excellent local farmers and food producers at the show it was hard to make a final decision on what to have for lunch.
The craft tents were a little boggy but were worth trecking through to see some excellent examples of local skills and products.
We caught sight of the carriage driving, however, a number of the equine competitions had been moved to another location this year, due to the weather.
The fishing village was open next to the swollen, fast-moving river giving a dramatic backdrop to the main arena. And in others parts of the show, there was goose rounding with sheepdogs and next to that the ‘Sheep Show’.
All country life and pursuits are catered for here, and it gives a great insight into rural life today in Britain.
It is so true, there is no such thing as bad weather just the wrong clothes!
- Due to the continued rain overnight, Lowther Show was cancelled for Sunday. We now loo forward to Lowther Show 2020 and hope for better weather next year
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