East Anglian Game and Country Fair

This was our third year at this show and Little Rovers were as popular as ever. We were positioned well, with a good sized pitch. We arrived there on Friday afternoon with enough time to get set up for a 9am start the next morning. Pete made a good course which drove well, so we didn't have to walk round with all the kids, just saw a lot of them over the see-saw the first time round. There were a few little ones who needed steering round, but lots of the tinies were brilliant drivers.

Saturday was a beautiful day, but Sunday started over-cast, then started to rain, but still the kids kept coming. I had, stupidly, not packed my silly hat on Friday (believed the weather man that it was going to be a lovely weekend!), so the rain was dripping off my hair - yuk! Thankfully by lunch time it had cleared up, the sun came out and it got hot.

We saw lots of people we knew - friends, families we've done parties for and traders we've met at other shows. Pete went and was given a drive round the adult off road course in a Disco 4 by JFS - hope that's right! Lots of beautiful dogs came past us - lots of black Labs and Spaniels and a Wolfhound. I saw two Newfoundlands (one black, the other brown) harnessed up and pulling carts, also a young Bernese pulling a smaller cart. A wheel came off her cart just by us, it was recovered but not the pin for it, so Pete got his bits and pieces out and went to the rescue. The dogs (and their handlers) were collecting for a rescue home.

We were almost packed away on Sunday evening when the heavens opened - the cars were on the trailer, but the tent was still up. It had to be packed away wet, but it'll be up again on Thursday - off to Peterborough Truckfest for the weekend.

Thriplow Daffodil Weekend

We arrived at the School Lane meadow in plenty of time to set up for 11 o'clock. The moles had, as usual, been busy, so it looked as if we were going to have a 'real' off-road course - lots of bumps. Saturday was a fairly quiet day, I think the weather forecast put a lot of people off, although thankfully we didn't get more than a few spots of rain, so the silly hat didn't have to go on! Lucy was wearing her strawberry smelly wellies - see photo.

Sunday was an entirely different day - sun shone and all the people came out - shame the daffs didn't, but I'm sure every one had a wonderful time regardless. We were busy all day, we saw lots of children who had driven at previous shows and school fetes. Pete worked his usual magic and the course drove really well, although quite early on Sunday a young lady managed to drive over one of the big orange cones, which got stuck underneath the yellow car and broke the front axle. Needs fixing for a party on Sunday, so Pete will be busy Saturday night.

Apart from us, there was lots to see and do - Morris dancers, cart rides with the beautifully turned out dray horses, working smithy, sheepdog demonstrations, craft stalls, etc. If you couldn't make it this time, try next year - it's a week later, so there may even be daffodils!

Shugborough Show

Arrived at the Shugborough estate about 8pm Friday, after a tedious drive up the A14 and M6. We'd had some snow on the way, there was a bit on the ground when we arrived and it was well below freezing. We were offered two pitches, one on a hard-standing, which would have been difficult to fence, the other on grass. As they didn't mind if we cut the ground up, we opted for the grass. Quickly put Wallace's roof tent up and the new tent (really is easy!), had something to eat and went to bed, knowing we had an early start to be ready for 9am.

Got up at 6am, got the fencing done and the course ready - almost on time, only 9.30! The sun started to shine and it was a beautiful day. Lots of people came, although not too many kids, but I think most of them had at least one go on the cars, nearly all of them were good drivers. I enjoyed watching all the different dogs, Pete was chatting to the Bushcraft man who was next to us. Berkley Owls, who we have met previously at a few shows, were across the walkway from us, also a few other people we had met before, so we were in a nice friendly spot.Most people had left by about 5pm, so packed up and had some food.

Yesterday morning got up to snow laying on the ground, which was a surprise. Had a bit more snow, then it was sunny off and on all day, freezing again by 4.30 when we started to pack up. It got so muddy that all the cones need washing again before the next party, cars will also need a clean. Most traders (and quite a few visitors) needed a tow on the roadway, but Wallace got off the grass all by herself!

A nice friendly show, would definitely do it again next year.

General rumblings

Pete collected the new easy-up tent on Sunday - hope it really is easy to put up! Should do away with having to hang on to the party tent so it didn't blow away when being put up - difficult if there were only two of us. Lucy's just got the hang of putting that one up, too. Never mind, I'm sure she'll be pleased.

Wallace is on the mend, I'm assured she's almost ready to test drive, which is good as we've got a party on Thursday, then off to Stafford on Friday for a weekend game fair. Just hope the weather improves for both.

I'm busy washing cones, they got rather muddy at Seth's party on Saturday. Cars are next for a clean.

Seth's party

We were actually ready to leave on time this morning, started up and disaster - Wallace (our Landy) couldn't pull the trailer! Pete tinkered with the engine, I went into my usual 'we're going to be late' clock watching panic, then phoned friends - yes, we could borrow their 110 Landy if needed. 10 am (an hour late) and the decision was made - we needed to borrow it. Phoned Seth's mum to let her know the situation, then quickly swapped vehicles and got going. As we were in a hurry, every thing that could delay us did - the 110 needed more diesel which meant a stop at the garage, a van ahead of us thought 30mph was fast enough on Soham by-pass, we had to wait for two trains before we could cross the railtracks at Ely and then, as soon as we arrived at Seth's party venue, it started snowing! We set up the course in the snowstorm, thankfully it stopped as we were ready to start the party and the sun even managed to come out eventually.

Seth and his friends were all good drivers, no-one crashed on the see-saw and I don't think any-one had their toes run over. I hope they all enjoyed the party - I think they did.