Organisers of vintage farm show reap barley for August’s event

After the success of the first two shows in 2018 and 2019, the 22-23 August event will again be held at Les Paysans in St Peter’s, where the West Show was staged until 1984.

The show has been dubbed ‘a step back in time to the 1950s’, with many attractions on offer including tractor displays, military vehicles, sheep racing, stalls, horse classes, a beer tent, meat draw, animal tent, rabbit and cavy show and evening entertainment from the likes of local bands Clameur de Haro and The Silverados.

Getting ready for the fun, the show’s organisers, including Ron Le Cras and Lloyd Robilliard, were reaping barley on the site.

Another co-organiser, Jim Jamouneau, said it would take around three hours.

‘It’s a winter barley, we sowed last October time,’ he said.

‘So now we’ve got eight vergees to cut especially for the show and this vintage reaper binder, which will help us to do it, has been sent over from Jersey by its owners, which was really kind of them.

‘They couldn’t come over themselves with it, so had to send it over on the ferry for us to pick up.

‘Now we’ve got to cut all day.’

The machine, which another co-organiser, Rodney Dyke, said he had not seen used on the land for around 60 years prior to 2018, works by cutting barley and knotting it into bundles which are thrown out of the other side of the machine.

These bundles are then collected for threshing at the show using traditional methods.

‘We’ve been looking at the weather because we need to cut the barley when it’s hard to ensure we can thresh it,’ said Mr Dyke.

‘Although we’ve only got one threshing machine this year when we usually have two, people will get to see the barley threshed at the show to separate the grain from the straw.

‘The grain will then be put into sacks for chicken or cattle feed and the straw into bales for, say, cows to sleep on.’

The reaped barley could produce four-and-a-half to five tons of grain.

The organisers are now looking forward to sharing a bit of old Guernsey at the show with those who come.

‘It’s been so popular over the last few years,’ said Mr Dyke.

‘There’ll be lots to see and hopefully with everything that’s been going on with the coronavirus, people will be able to come out and enjoy themselves again.’

. The show will be open on Saturday 22 August from 10am-11pm and on Sunday 23 August from 10am-7pm.

Ticket details

Tickets can be purchased from R. H. Gaudion & Sons Ltd, the Feed Store at Camp du Roi, Charlie’s Family Butchers on the Bridge, Magnifique Hair Salon and Venture Petrol & Pet Food.

Early bird admission for both days is £10 for adults and OAPs, £5 for children and free for under 5s. Normal prices are £7 per day for adults and OAPs and £3 per day for children. Parking is free.