PRESS RELEASE

Final countdown to Royal County of Berkshire 2008 begins

The countdown to the Royal County of Berkshire Show (20-21 September) is well and truly on with work underway to set up the vast tented village created for the show each year at its home - a 150 acre site at Chieveley, off junction 13 of the M4.

With just five weeks to go [THIS WEEKEND], the first marker post has been put in place and a small army of helpers has been drafted in to create the infrastructure needed to create the show arenas, show gardens and cookery theatre and accommodate the display teams, exhibitors and trade stands together with nearly 70,000 visitors over the two-day show.

Up to 12 volunteers are currently giving up their weekends to help and many more come on board as the show gets closer.

After the position of the marquees, stables and other large infrastructure has been mapped out, contractors will arrive to erect the show’s tally of 15 massive marquees, the largest of which is the food fare at more than 2000m2, closely followed by the cattle tents. With the return of livestock to the show this year, these will be the homes for two days for a vast array of livestock from cattle to sheep and pigs.

Show manager Catherine Bates says: “We try to be as organised as we possibly can, getting most of the groundwork done during the quieter winter months, but there are many tasks that cannot be done until the last minute . 

“The months immediately before the show are always challenging but we all get a great sense of achievement seeing it all come together at the end.

“Our great team of volunteers really pull out all the stops and without them the show just couldn’t happen!”

-ENDS-