118th Baltonsborough Show
Bank Holiday Monday, August 31st starts midday, closes 5pm
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We will start this year as usual with a Quiz in the Village Hall on Saturday 29th August at 7pm. You will need to book in advance for this. Last year we only had just enough chairs and tables! Tickets cover both entry and a superb ploughman’s supper. Maximum of 6 per team.
Entry forms for the Flower and Produce Show need to be delivered to the Village Shop by midday on Saturday 29rd and then the exhibits themselves taken to the marquee by 10am on Show day. That’s when the judging starts. Very few small village shows have managed to keep the big marquee and the excitement of local competition over a wide range of different classes – fruit & vegetables, flowers, handicrafts, floral art, photography, preserves, homecrafts and loads of opportunities for children in different age groups. Please look through the schedule and have a go! Sometimes there’s only one entry in a class and then you’re bound to win. And just in case you are a bit shy, entries are all anonymous. Nobody will know that that ridiculously small marrow is yours!
At 11am, the Road Run starts outside the Village Hall. It’s actually three different runs covering different ages and abilities: a 5 mile road run and a 1 1⁄2 mile course for the fun run and junior run. Later in the afternoon, don’t miss the popular children’s rainbow run which starts at 4pm.
The Show officially opens at midday and hopefully the field will be packed shortly afterwards. There will certainly be plenty to see and enjoy.
A farming area at the top of the field will be displaying vintage farm machinery.
Next comes the Classic Vehicle display. The nice thing is that the people showing their vehicles are always happy to talk about them and often about the long restoration project.
This year Sharon will have been running the dog show for 40 years, her first show was in 1985 when she was 15 years old. Her children still help her on the day and it has grown into one of the largest companion dog shows in the South West. They pride themselves on being a friendly fun day out, whether you own a show dog or family pet, all are welcome and they always attract a good turnout from their loyal supporters. Classes for all dogs pedigree, crossbreed and fun classes with “have a go rings” So come and see us on the field. Entries from 12 pm, judging at 1 pm.
We usually find space for about 40 stalls selling everything from cakes to jewellery to plants to bric-a brac. Many of the stalls are charitable organisations and village committees. Skittles and the coconut shy are run by the village Royal British Legion members. One of those charities is Cobra Carnival Club who have supported us for many years. They provide the car parking team as well as the bouncy castle.
We are delighted that Storm in a Teacup, Circus Entertainment will be returning to perform stilt walking, bubble displays and much more. We are also very pleased to welcome Cirque de Silk and Wild Moon Morris this year.
Don’t have any lunch! There are plenty of great local catering stalls. Paolo will be there with his ice cream van. The Ditch Diggers Diner will be providing the highest quality locally sourced burgers and sausages served in perfect buns from local baker Burns the Bread. There will also be a vegetarian option in the guise of Halloumi Burgers with chilli salsa and also the ever popular waffles, if you have a sweet tooth. A selection of wonderful sandwiches, baked potatoes, delicious cakes and afternoon tea with scones and cream will be served in the village hall. That’s cream teas! Please form an orderly queue!
After a successful year in 2025 the bar will be managed professionally but we still aim to keep our prices low for this and future years, while still producing a healthy surplus to be distributed, as always, to good causes in the village and the local area.
The show would not be possible if it were not for the show committee members and the commitment of numerous village volunteers who turn up every year to make the day a success whatever the weather. There is so much that goes on behind the scenes from the start of the quiz night preparing the questions and hosting the night to the phenomenal task of catering, making sandwiches, cakes and cooking on the day. Marking out the field for the dog show and stalls, erecting marquees, the bar, and the main stage all takes a considerable amount of work. Organising the entertainment and booking live music, plus stocking and manning the bar has required even extra effort from volunteers in recent years.
The dog show is one of the best of the year and takes such a lot of planning but is lots of fun. While the road run, rainbow run and classic vehicle display also require months of groundwork to guarantee their smooth and safe operation.
The preparation for the flower show, organising the schedule, contacting the judges, getting the cups back from previous winners all takes commitment. It takes 3 days to get the field ready for the day and the committee work all year round to organise their various responsibilities. On the day we are blessed with such committed people who are happy to give their valuable time helping with all aspects of the show, making it a memorable day for all who attend.
Please come along and join in the fun!