News Archive
The Living Land 2010
Whilst the whole Country will be visiting Polling Stations, 3,000 Kent school children will be at the Kent Showground, Detling. The Living Land has been run in May since 2003 and this year 58 Kent Primary Schools will attend on Thursday 6thMay (election day).
The Living Land is a free, one-day event aimed at educating Years 3 and 4 in farming, agriculture, horticulture and the countryside. The event is strictly for schools and is not open to the general public.
The day centres around learning, and has been developed as part of a Key Stage 2 curriculum. Children aged between 7 and 9 spend the day at their very own mini Kent County Show and are able to engage in a unique experience which allows them to interact with food, farming, the countryside and animals.
To ensure that the children have the best possible learning experience, the Kent County Agricultural Society organisers of the event, have over 100 stewards on hand to guide the children and their support staff through the days program. The stewards are actively engaged in the Kent County Show in July but give their time to the children who benefit greatly from their knowledge.
The program of activities includes a demonstration by The Hawking Centre, where some of the centre’s 60 birds of prey covering an amazing 33 different species, delight the children with their aerial displays.
One of the most popular shows for the children is ‘The Sheep Show’. The team from New Zealand present a fun and educational live show of sheep breeds and shearing. “Nobby the Norfolk Horn” stands centre stage while other sheep are introduced to their podiums. They learn about each breed’s attributes and how wool from the sheep’s back becomes a jumper to wear. The highlight of the show is the “The sheep show Hustle” with Dancing sheep
The Forestry area in Murrain Wood showcases traditional craft demonstrations, including Charcoal making, Spoon carving and Rope Making. Plus there is Working Horses that demonstrate the role heavy horses play in management and conservation of our environment.
Not to be missed is the Machinery section, situated adjacent to the Forestry area with displays of magnificent vintage farming machinery and steam engines.
Inside the large Kent Pavilion is a whole range of interactive displays and demonstrations help learn about food, farming and the environment, as well as many opportunity’s to taste different types of food and drink. This area includes:
Agricultural Museum A range of historical exhibits from the museum.
Baking Through the Ages A history of wheat, leading to preparation and production of bread; the opportunity to make your own bread!
Biddenden Vineyards See and taste freshly made apple juice!
Countryside Alliance Education on activities in the countryside
Drury’s Florist A floral workshop demonstrating floral activities.
F.A.C.E (Farming and Countryside Education)
Farm to You A mobile farm with small farm animals to see and touch.
Hadlow College will demonstrate cereal production
Intercrop A selection of lettuce for children to see and taste plus a quiz
Kent & Medway Biological Record Centre Will have animal skulls and specimens to look at!
Kent Bat Group Do you know your bat facts?
The Kent Bat Group will help you sort out the facts from the fiction!
Kent Beekeepers’ Association Will have observation hives to view live bees!
Kent Guild of Spinners, Dyers and Weavers will tell “The Tale of a Woolly Jumper” by demonstrating how the fleece shorn from the sheep becomes a garment to wear.
Kent Scouts Fun crafts and activities on a countryside theme.
Kent Life Learn how to milk a cow and have a go yourself!
Kitchen Academy Two specially built ‘smoothie bikes’. Ride the stationary bike and as if by magic a fruit smoothie is made. A novel way of exercising and getting a healthy reward!
National Fruit Show The life of an apple, from blossom through to the supermarket shelf and the opportunity to taste local Kent produce.
Produced in Kent Will have fresh produce displays and tastings.
Sausage Solutions Demonstrate the art of traditional sausage making and tasting.
West Kent Badger Group Learn about badgers and how the WKBG try to help them.
WFU (Women’s Food & Farming Union) will be demonstrating and sampling apple juice.
The Kent Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs (KFYC) will be showing some of their animals including cattle, sheep, chickens and rabbits as well as;
Appledene Alpacas – Display of Alpacas
Dee Millen Rabbits – Display of Rabbits
Sussex Cattle Society – Display of animals and animal feeds including a giant bull!
To close the event and finish off the day there will be a Grand Parade of livestock in the main ring, when all the Young Farmers will have the chance to demonstrate their cattle – with commentary.
If your child has not been one of the lucky few to have attended this event then why not bring them to the Kent County Show, 16th, 17th, 18th July, and if you book in advance before 9th July, children go free, with every adult ticket purchased. Call our booking hotline on 01622 633060 or book online.
HERITAGE TRANSPORT SHOW & AUCTION SET TO BE A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE
The new Heritage Transport Show and Auction will be an event that the car enthusiast should not miss.
The event on the 10th of April, is run by a group of devoted aficionados from the Heritage Committee at the Kent County Agricultural Society who wanted to showcase Britain’s historic relationship with the moving vehicle.
In partnership with Lambert and Foster, based in Paddock Wood, the company that specialises in auctioneering, were interested in a sale of tractors, commercial vehicles, cars, steam, related equipment and memorabilia.
The two organizations decided that the County Showground at Detling would be the perfect venue. It is easily accessible and had historically hosted the Detling Steam Rally successfully for a number of years.
150 vehicles will be showcased at the event including Kenneth Jenner’s 1925 Rolls-Royce 20hp Saloon. Kenneth who lives in Marden and has owned the car for 21 years, knows a little about the history of the car and discovered that it went to the United States and later Quebec. The car which is in its original condition has visited France on several rallies.
The centre piece of the day will be a privately owned Jaguar, Long-nose D-Type. This car was one of 3 works cars produced by Jaguar in 1955 and developed for that year’s Le Mans 24 Hour Race by chief test driver, Norman Dewis. It was driven to victory in the race by Mike Hawthorn and Ivor Bueb.
Following the race, the car went back to works as it was owned by the factory. In 1956 the factory built 3 more Long-nose D-Type works cars which were entered for 24 Hour Le Mans in June of that year. This car was heavier than the ‘56’ cars, so was used as the experimental vehicle for all modifications. The car remained experimental up to 1963 when it was sold off for junk, until it was bought in 2001 by its current owner and converted back it back to a pure race car.
Admission for the event, open from 10am – 4pm, will be £5.00 and under 12’s are free. For more information please contact the Kent Showground on 01622 630975.
The Kent County Show 2010 – 16th, 17th & 18th July
Website www.kentshow.co.uk
Gill Collins
PR & Press Officer
01622 633054
LET THE SHOW BEGIN………..
Welcome to the Kent County Show, the largest 3 day event in the county with nearly 100,000 visitors each year.
This year we are pleased to announce a new and improved Show with something new for the whole family. The main emphasis will be on Farming and Agriculture and our interactive ‘Why Farming Matters’ will move opposite the Main Gate to allow visitors to ‘learn something new’ about farming, the countryside and where food comes from.
The Kent Young Farmers area will be extended for 2010 and will include a more prominently placed ring on the roadside to allow for expansion of this professional display of livestock and small animals that helps encourage young people into the farming industry. This really is worth a visit whatever age you are and we are proud of the fact that this is the largest gathering of young people and animals in Europe.
The Countryside Area will be extended and moved to allow even better viewing of interactive displays, hound pens, gundogs, birds of prey and terrier racing. The new Countryside Ring will take the place of part of the old Falmouth Ring and will benefit from a Members only grandstand.
There will be a new public lawn opposite the Show Office as well as a number of wider entrances to viewing areas around the Astor Ring. This Ring will now host all the major ring attractions including the Grand Parade of Livestock, the top show jumping classes and for 2010 a display by the White Helmets Motorcycle Display Team.
The existing Falmouth Ring has been divided in two and will host the Countryside Area and the new Village Green which will be devoted to village life past and present. It will be linked to a large traditional fairground including swing boats, chair-o-planes and steam gallopers.
There will be a new horse ring next to the existing Standen and Nesfield Rings. The new West Ring has been created to incorporate the classes moved from the Astor Ring.
The Heritage Section will relocate to the area between entrances 1 & 2. Attractions will include the Wall of Death, British Army and vintage vehicles including steam engines, commercials, tractors, cars, motorcycles and buses. Themed catering courts have been introduced to encourage a wider variety of food. These will include the International, Farm to Fork, Traditionally British and an extended and moved Produced in Kent area renamed ‘A Taste of Kent’.