Bright skies ahead for Thame Show

WONDERFUL skies and bright sunshine arrived just in time last Thursday (17/09), after the previous day’s down pours which threatened to turn Thame Show ground into a muddy mess. As it turned out, the few muddy patches were easily avoided and most people had come suitably shod ready to enjoy themselves whatever the conditions.

Chris Parker, the Show Director of the Thame Show, said: “We are really pleased with the way the show went this year. We’ve had some great feedback about what people were able to see and do, and we expect the visitor numbers to be at least as good as last year; we’ll know the final figures by Wednesday.

“It was particularly encouraging to see so many hundreds of school children enjoying themselves and learning at the same time. We went out of our way this year to provide them with their own stage for the joint singing, a proper sound system, work sheets to go with the activities, and even their own security, all of which we funded oursleves, and all the children were allowed into the show free.

“This was all part of the Thame Show putting something back into Thame which is as it should be, and we will be doing the same next year.” The school children, accompanied by teachers and helpers, were able to get involved in bread baking, watch and learn about glass blowing, and traditional hurdle-making among many activities provided especially for them.

As well as providing a great day for the farming community to meet up with friends as the busy harvest season draws to a close, local families and visitors from further afield were able to browse the many trade stands for country clothes, garden furniture, provisions for pets, or stock up with interesting oils, cheeses, sausages, foods from other lands, condiments, jewellery and more between watching cookery demonstrations, the horse events, and the entertainments in the main arena. The highlights of the day were undoubtedly for many the hilarious sheep racing and the thrilling stunt riding and chariot racing of the Devil’s Horsemen.

A spell-bound crowd gathered regularly throughout the afternoon to watch fire crews from Thame Fire Station, use specialise cutting equipment and carefully worked out procedures, to cut out a ‘casuality’ trapped in a crashed car. The horse events and dog shows were as popular as ever and an exhibit explaining the progress of the design stage for the new piece of public art that will be installed some time in the Spring, at the new employment centre currently nearing completion opposite the DAF site on the Thame by-pass.

Claude Heath, a former artist in residence at the Henry Moore Institute and a prizewinner in the John Moores Exhibition, has been selected by the developer, Stoford, to produce an eye-catching sculpture for the site, to be called Cotmore Park. The piece of sculpture will be called ‘Colour Spaces’, and will be up to three metres high. Visitor were able to meet Claude and talk to him about his ideas and play with multicoloured, cardboard cubes to explore the concept and take away a special badge to mark the unveiling of the proposal.

Many Thame and district voluntary organisations had stalls to promote their various activities, including Thame Rotary, with a tombola to raise funds for the Medical Dogs charity. Close by, the charity that provides support for bereaved children and young people, See-Saw, provided cream teas from their pop-up cafe throughout the day.

Magnificent specimens of various cattle breed, especially huge, fearsome-looking but surprisingly calm bulls attracted a lot of admiration among the livestock on show, and a display of classic cars and vintage tractors, provided interest for lovers of the combustion engine of all ages.

As always, the Domestic Tent with its rows and rows of pots of jam, cakes, biscuits, giant vegetables and flower arrangements, photography and sewing skills competition entries, all attracted great interest with proud prize winners and their families snapping their offerings on mobile phones for the family album.

Returning the show to its traditional day of the third Thursday in September, has proved popular with the farming community and the visitors, and the organising committee will no doubt be relieved that the weather was kind for what was always going to be a test of resolve, resourcefulness and organisation for the new team behind the Thame Show.