Families flock to Bellingham Show

Aug 30 2010 by Tom Mullen, The Journal

RAIN showers failed to dampen spirits as families flocked to a variety of events across the North East over the Bank Holiday weekend.

From Roman warriors to scarecrows and trapeze artists to a sheep dog display, the region hosted a packed programme of shows and activities.

One of the most popular events was the famous Bellingham Show in Northumberland, one of the largest agricultural shows in the region.

The show, which attracted thousands of visitors, featured trapeze artists, circus workshops, performances from Morpeth Pipe Band and the Stuart Walton Sheep Dog Display.

Rachel Pearson, show secretary, said: “It was an absolutely brilliant day, the turnout was fantastic. The trapeze artists went down really well and I think they were a bit unusual after the sheep dog display.

“The beer tent was popular and everyone enjoyed the pipe band. There was food with local cheeses, preserves, pies and cakes too.

“The industrial tent was very strong this year. We had crafts, flowers, all that sort of thing. The whole show couldn’t have been better.”

The weekend also featured a host of activities designed to celebrate Northumberland’s heritage.

The Cavalry Fort at Chollerford, Humshaugh, and a Roman Festival at Hadrian’s Wall both highlighted the history of the county yesterday featuring costumes and activities for the kids with the revelry continuing today. Meanwhile, the picturesque village of Rennington near Alnwick, Northumberland, was invaded by scarecrows for the popular Rennington scarecrow show.

The show featured a mixture of all kinds of scarecrow styles, including some dressed as famous politicians – and hanging from a tree to represent the “hung parliament”, organiser Anne Watson explained.

She added: “It’s been great but we’ve been a bit blown away by the wind. Some of the scarecrows lost their hats. We seem to have been very busy and it’s on all day Monday too.”