West Yorkshire

[Lamplighter]

Well done, Sundae. Pic's are great and I really enjoy your commentaries.
... "(early-crack-house)" is my favorite today

[BigV]

Foxhounds you say? They look like straw dogs to me.

Thanks for today's tour Sundae!

[Sundae]

Nah, straw dogs are Cornwall, not Yorkshire

Okay, I was going to move onto the pigs next. But I've promised Carruthers the horses/ ponies since Wednesday and he's been very patient.

Somehow, I found myself wandering into the stable block, which is not open to members of the public. As I went in, I heard someone else told this, and asked to see her pass, so as she fumbled in her bag I kept on walking. Well I figured I'd play the dumb tourist if someone caught up with me, and there's a lot to be said for walking with confidence and looking as if you belong.

Also, I knew I had nothing more nefarious planned than taking some photos. Except patting a horse's neck later, but that was innocuous enough - especially as the sign warned he might bite - AND with his owner's permission.

[Sundae]

Jester from a previous photo, but without me standing in front of him this time.

[Sundae]

Heavy horses, with polished wagons

These did display on the main Showground, but I'd left it a bit late to head over there, and one of the horsey-girls I spoke to said I'd get much closer to them if I stood on the approach, rather than heading for the seating.

As I was walking about photographing, she worked out my needs quite accurately.
It was really quite moving to see them go by in all their glory. I've never seen so many in one place (I've cut this down to the best quality photos).

[Sundae]

Our man from The Islands.


Is everyone on Bute this happy, Limey?


Now when I wandered into the stableblocks, I did actually do it by accident. It was just that I didn't turn round again once I knew I was trespassing.

However this chap, I actually sweet-talked into letting me go into the Hospitality Area in order to use the Ladies. I was entitled to go into one of the marquees, but it certainly wasn't this one, which was a permanent structure and very posh.


I did only use the loo though, it's not like I went in there, shook my boobies at the rich old men and danced on the tables in my knickers singing "Happy Days are Here Again!" No, that's not me protesting too much. I actually didn't.

I did use liberal amounts of their very nice handwash and hand lotion though. So there.

[BigV]

Jethro Tull – Heavy Horses Lyrics

Iron-clad feather-feet pounding the dust,
An October's day, towards evening,
Sweat embossed veins standing proud to the plough,
Salt on a deep chest seasoning.
Last of the line at an honest day's toil,
Turning the deep sod under,
Flint at the fetlock, chasing the bone,
Flies at the nostrils plunder.
The Suffolk, the Clydesdale, the Percheron vie
With the Shire on his feathers floating.
Hauling soft timber into the dusk
To bed on a warm straw coating.

Heavy Horses, move the land under me.
Behind the plough gliding slipping and sliding free.
Now you're down to the few
And there's no work to do:
The tractor's on its way".
Let me find you a filly for your proud stallion seed
To keep the old line going.
And we'll stand you abreast at the back of the wood
Behind the young trees growing.
To hide you from eyes that mock at your girth,
And your eighteen hands at the shoulder.
And one day when the oil barons have all dripped dry
And the nights are seen to draw colder
They'll beg for your strength, your gentle power
Your noble grace and your bearing.
And you'll strain once again to the sound of the gulls
In the wake of the deep plough, sharing.

Standing like tanks on the brow of the hill
Up into the cold wind facing
In stiff battle harness, chained to the world
Against the low sun racing.
Bring me a wheel of oaken wood
A rein of polished leather
A Heavy Horse and a tumbling sky
Brewing heavy weather.

Bring a song for the evening
Clean brass to flash the dawn
Across these acres glistening
Like dew on a carpet lawn.
In these dark towns folk lie sleeping
As the heavy horses thunder by
To wake the dying city
With the living horseman's cry.
At once the old hands quicken,
Bring pick and wisp and curry comb,
Thrill to the sound of all
The heavy horses coming home.

[xoxoxoBruce]

The draught horse teams are magnificent.

[Sundae]

So, having wordlessly convinced a horse owner that I can handle bitey horses, talked a poor young man into letting me trespass, I was now fearless.

I helped to corral a run-away pig.

To be fair, I have actually been around pigs, as I've known a few owners, and used to feed them on a farm sometimes. And luckily, being a show-pig it is used to being around random people and assuming they have food. But I was pleased when it came to me. I mean, I had food in my bag, so it was cupboard love. But I didn't squeal and whip my bag away, I just rubbed its ears patted it and said softly, "Soooeeee, pig-pig-pig" which is what we used to say to Joanne's pigs back in the day.

The story goes... There was a BBC crew filming a section with a pig. Owner/ handler standing by, but when they go for a second take, off trots the pig, tired off this filming lark. So handler shoos it back.


The crew decide they can work that in, they like it (it's for a children's programme - Blue Peter). So they set up again, with the presenter saying, "So the good thing is with pigs, they'll come to you if they like you" or something along those lines, and off-mike, off-camera, the handler rattles the food bowl and the pig runs off on cue. Hahaha.

Except piggy knew what was in food bowl this time. Boring old pig food. So she went for the sound-man's bag. Much more amusing for those of us watching, sadly can't be used for the show, as the pig is out of shot.


That's when it heads for my bag, which I put down to take photos and enjoy the scene.
I then become Assistant Pig Keeper.

Okay, not really. But in my own mind I saved the bacon by keeping the pig there until it could be properly taken back back again.

However I thought it best to leave before I started to get over-confident and ask for my name to be included in the show credits.

Better behaved pigs.[ATTACH][/ATTACH]

[xoxoxoBruce]

it's for a children's programme - Blue Peter

Blue Peter sounds like part of the Westminster Pedophile Ring.

[Carruthers]

For me the heavy horse classes are always the best part of any agricultural or horse show, so thanks for picturing the 'big lads', Sundae.

And all the others, of course!

[Sundae]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

Blue Peter sounds like part of the Westminster Pedophile Ring.

The dead one?

I won't bore you with the real meaning as I know you were joking. It is naval though, so although there is no sexual deviance in the programme, there is a tenuous connection with the name (via rum, sodomy and the lash etc)
Biddy Baxter would be turning in her grave. If she was dead.

Another Citroen van.
I swear there must have been a Yorkshire Regiment in WWII "liberating" them.



A wonderful four-piece band. Comedy songs ala Flanders & Swann. Wish I'd got their name. I only caught about seven minutes of their set - they looked like the sort of chaps who had the repertoire to play all afternoon.


Reynard. Not sure if he was for sale. And if so, was he a topiary base, or supposed to stay basket weave?
Such are the mysteries of the Great North Show. We need DI Banks up here.

[Sundae]

Sorry to any real agricultural show fans, but unless I discover some hidden ones, that's the animals done. There was just too much to see - I could only make it round a small part. So I'm sharing what I saw.

Anyway, animals are the same the world over.
This is Harrogate.
Dear.

Gravdigr, this also looks like something the cat sicked up.
Although I didn't tell it to the young dark-haired Yorkshire beauty who came and sat at my table to eat it.
Couldn't help pulling an involuntary face though: Banoffee Waffle. What a way to waste a waffle.


I don't know who Ella is, but apparently when we get together we do BLUE.
The clothes were gorgeous.
I couldn't afford them even if I didn't eat or pay any of my bills this month.


I took a close-up of these birds because they were so lifelike. The whole stall was full of similarly well-rendered (not literally) animals. But I grinned really wide, because they were so beautiful, and split my coldsore. So I had to make a sharp exit.
Do not bleed on the precious things of the shop, Sundae.


Awwwww.
She knows who this is for. And it wasn't the only thing there I could (would I mean) have bought for Dwellars. Stunning.

[BigV]

Ha!

or should I say hi hi hi!?

[fargon]

Blue Peter https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/blue_peter