Behind the Scenes at the Great Yorkshire Show

In July we enjoyed a big treat: a behind-the-scenes visit to the Great Yorkshire Show, arranged by the Yorkshire Agricultural Society marketing department and hosted by Charles Mills.

Charles, the Show’s director for the last seven years, started with a short introduction followed by a tour. It did not take us long to appreciate just what a big deal the Great Yorkshire Show is.

When not otherwise engaged, Charles runs an arable and sheep farm at Appleton Roebuck and was possibly the only one of us oblivious to the heat on a meltingly hot Sunday afternoon. A charming and extremely knowledgeable host, his fund of amusing anecdotes brought the whole experience to life with highlights almost too numerous to mention. We enjoyed a visit to the President’s Balcony (see the photo), to the sheds where the largest bulls sheltered, and outside where, almost to our envy, other cattle were being hosed down against the heat. After that, it was off to the parlour where £175,000 of kit not only milked a cow with eye-watering efficiency but also tested it for ailments such as mastitis. Even so, my favourite moment had to be in the main ring when I was allowed to sit on the cushion laid out for use by Princess Anne later in the week!

Then it was back to where we started for a life-saving drink, a piece of cake and a lot of jollity before we departed with huge thanks to our new-found friends at the Yorkshire Agricultural Society.

Nigel McClea Aug 2022