Vintage agricultural show gives taste of years gone by
A GLIMPSE of a bygone era was enjoyed by hundreds of islanders at the weekend, when the first Vintage Agricultural Show took place.
Held in the grounds of La Haye Du Puits in the Castel, the show featured live demonstrations of farming practices that were common in the 1950s, but which died out after the rise of tractors and mechanisation.
The show was the idea of Ron Le Cras, Rodney Dyke and Jim Jamouneau.
They pulled together an array of vintage equipment, including old tractors, a threshing machine, baler and binders.
A field of barley was sown in April, and visitors to the show were able to watch it being reaped, threshed and baled by a team of ‘farmers’ in period costume.
But perhaps the stars of the show were the two teams of ploughing horses which came over from the UK.
The Clydesdale, Shire and Dutch draft animals were owned by champion ploughmen Nick Puxty, from Somerset and Kim Williams, who hails from Gloucestershire.
Mr Williams offered volunteers the chance to try their hand at the old practice of ploughing, and several took up the challenge, including Denise Carling.
‘That was great fun,’ she said after ploughing a couple of furrows. ‘It makes you realise what hard work it was. The furrow I made going out wasn’t too clever, but the second one was all right.’
As well as the farming demonstrations, there was a display of classic cars on an upper field, which also gave visitors the chance to walk through the private gardens of La Haye Du Puits.
Mr Le Cras said that the organisers were very grateful to the owners, Mr and Mrs Barton-Wright, for allowing them to use the land.
In return, the organisers intended to plant the ploughed field with wild flowers.
Mr Le Cras said that a decision on whether or not to stage the event again will be taken after the organisers have assessed the success of this one.
Four-page special on the show with tomorrow's Guernsey Press
