TURNING HEADS IN READINESS FOR THE GREAT YORKSHIRE SHOW

With the Great Yorkshire Show less than a month away, a new bridge was craned into position yesterday (Weds) as part of a £500,000 improvement plan for the showground in readiness for the three day rural showcase.

A 15m long and 5m wide metal bridge was placed on its footings across the Crimple Beck at the south side of the site in Harrogate to provide a link between new car parking areas and the existing showground. The work is part of an extensive programme of works which is aimed at ensuring England’s premier agricultural show is as “weatherproof” as possible. Dates are Tuesday 9 – Thursday 11 July when some 130,000 visitors from across the UK and beyond are expected. Last year, the final two days had to be cancelled after wet weather resulted in the car parks being unusable.

The bridge will be in place for the next 12 weeks and Nigel Pulling, Chief Executive, was on hand to see it being put into position. He explained: “Following last year’s unprecedented rainfall, our aim is to weather proof the show as far as we can, and the bridge is part of the plan. We recently acquired additional land which increases the car parking we have available by around 20 percent. It is not that we are expecting more cars, but this gives us greater flexibility of land we can use. We have also created more internal roads within the parking areas and substantially extended and improved the drainage.”

Visitors can either walk or use a free tractor and trailer shuttle service to get from the new car parks, over the bridge to the show entrances. Around 45,000 cars are parked at the event over the three days.

It costs around £3m each year to stage the farming showcase which celebrates the best of British farming and provides an insight into rural life. This year one of the highlights will be a mock battle staged by The Yorkshire Regiment each day in the Main Ring and there will be displays by The White Helmets, The Royal Signals’ Motor Cycle Display Team. Around 5,000 animals will compete for the championship prizes, and top class show jumping will again be on the agenda, with the prestigious Ripon Select Foods Cock o’the North Trophy as the culmination of the three days of the show jumping competitions. There is also an extensive food hall, around 1,200 stands selling everything from combine harvesters to designer clothes and demonstrations of country skills.

Tickets are available either on line - www.greatyorkshireshow.co.uk or call 01423 541222 or in person from the Show’s office at the Great Yorkshire Showground, Harrogate.

Tickets bought in advance                          Tickets bought on the gate

Adult:               £21                                          Adult                £24

Concession:     £20                                          Concession:    £23                             

Children:          £9                                           Children:          £11

Family:            £54                                          Family:            £62

Parking is free and extensive. Free buses will run from Harrogate Railway Station.

Please be aware, dogs, other than assistance dogs, are not allowed on the showground.

Tickets are available in advance or at the gates. See www.greatyorkshireshow.co.uk for more information.

Showground Improvements Fast facts:

• Total length of new temporary road installed: 5,482m
• Total Square meters of new temporary roads installed:  27,410m2
• Total amount of stone used 12,854 tonnes
• Total length of new drainage installed 5,571m
• Total amount of stone used for the drainage 2,500 tonnes
• Length of new bridge – 15m. Width 5m. Weight 44 tonnes.

ENDS

12 June 2013

Judy Thompson, PR Manager, Yorkshire Agricultural Society – 01423 546215 or judyt@yas.co.uk

If you wish to apply for press passes to the Great Yorkshire Show, please complete the online application form on our website, by 3rdJuly 2013 - http://greatyorkshireshow.co.uk/media/press-passes

YORKSHIRE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY: 

The Yorkshire Agricultural Society was formed in 1837 and is a charity dedicated to supporting the farming industry and rural life. This ranges from educational initiatives to the Society’s Nuffield Scholarships to hosting the Yorkshire Rural Support Network. The Society is based at the Regional Agricultural Centre, Harrogate; the RAC includes Fodder, the Society’s award winning regional food shop and café which opened in June 2009.

The Society is the organiser of the annual farming and country showcase, the Great Yorkshire Show and its sister event, Countryside Live. Both take place at the Great Yorkshire Showground, Harrogate, North Yorkshire and are flagship events for agriculture and rural life. Dates for the 2013 Great Yorkshire Show are Tuesday 9 – Thursday 11 July, and Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 October are the dates for Countryside Live. See also www.yas.co.uk and www.greatyorkshireshow.co.uk

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