It was a great honour to be able to present Devon County Show’s former Crafts and Gardens Steward, Joan Mitchell, with a bouquet of flowers to mark her 90th birthday last Sunday 6th September.
Joan, whose history with the Show dates back decades, used to live in Ottery St Mary in Devon before relocating to Taunton in 1994.
Whilst living in Ottery, Joan was an active and committed participant in Devon County Show, stewarding at the show for 36 years when the Show was at Whipton in what was then the floral crafts tent.
The Devon County Agricultural Association staged its first ever Devon County Show in May in 1872 at Victoria Park, Exeter. Despite a torrential downpour, which almost washed the President’s luncheon guests out of his marquee, that first show was a great success. Over 25,000 people attended to admire the 500 livestock on show, and marvel at more than 800 machinery exhibits. Over the years, the show has moved from venue to venue, changed dates and duration and grown to a size almost beyond recognition. But one thing that has always remained a constant is the Show’s enduring commitment to...
The Devon County Show 2020 marks the 125th in the Show’s history.
To celebrate this milestone, as well as the Women’s Institute’s 100th anniversary and the Exeter Knutty Knitters 10th anniversary, the Show organisers are planning an ambitious Guinness World Record attempt - to beat the Longest Knitted Bunting World Record.
Deborah Custance Baker, Chief Steward of Crafts & Gardens at the Devon County Show, the Show Committee member behind the challenge, is confident of achieving the target of 31,200 flags, the amount required to smash the existing record and giving the...
This year local charity Hospiscare has been chosen as Devon County Show ’s Charity of the Year (16-18 May). If you’re visiting the show, pop along to Avenue F to have a chat with the experts about the questions that really matter to you.
Hospiscare want to open up the conversation about death. You only die once, so how do you do that well? If you start having conversations early on about what matters to you, then the chances are you probably can.
Talking about death does not tempt fate. It won’t make it happen sooner. You may be comfortable with the subject or you might...
Visitors to Devon County Show will be able to admire rare breed Mangalitza pig for the first time in the Show’s history.
Mango, a Mangalitza and her litter of nine piglets, will be located in the outdoor pig feature next to the pig showing rings for the duration of the show which takes place from 16-18 May.
Mango’s owners, Amelia and Jason, who run an organic farm in Broadclyst with four Manga Sows and one Boar, are delighted to be attending. Amelia said: ‘These are lovely pigs, highly social, docile and with strong maternal instincts. They are fantastic for the organic...
Some visitors of Devon County Show may be arriving by tractor, horse or traction engine over the next few days, but could soon be driving around in a brand new sporty Kia car. Local charity Living Options Devon has teamed up with Marsh Kia to give people the chance to win a brand new Kia Stonic. The Kia Stonic will be on site every day at the Kia stand at Devon County Show, everyone who purchases a £2 raffle ticket will be entered into the draw.
The Kia car raffle is all part of a seven month programme of events which Living Options...
Devon’s Queen of Craft Kirstie Allsopp is looking forward to a showstopping craft line-up at Devon County Show at Westpoint next week.
Kirstie - presenter of the series Kirstie’s Homemade Home, which tracked the restoration of her home in north Devon - is to visit the show on Saturday 18th where she’ll be joining visitors in a cornucopia of crafting activities including making birdboxes and fashioning woodland animals from leaves.
County Show Manager, Sam Mackenzie-Green said: ‘Kirstie has long been a champion of Devon’s rich crafting history and has visited the show...
A musical score, written by Baron Andrew Lloyd Webber, is to make its debut at this year’s Devon County Show (16-18 May), in celebration of the Pony Club’s 90th year.
Over 60 Pony Club jockeys and their four-legged friends will take part in a Pageant in the main arena at 4.15pm on Saturday 18th May, the final day of the Devon County Show. It will conclude with a spectacular ride to this piece of music composed exclusively in celebration of the Pony Club’s milestone anniversary by the musical legend himself.
The Pony Club celebrates its 90th year in 2019 and the Pageant at...
The Devon County Show is one of the biggest events in the county calendar and is the perfect place to enjoy a relaxing day out sampling the many wonders of the local countryside.
From fabulous livestock and fine local food, magnificent flowers and gardens, to rural skills and country pursuits and practically non-stop activity in six rings, there’s something for everyone who loves the Devon way of life.
Come and be part of it, enjoy a breath of fresh air and spoil yourself - why not?!
Full details and tickets: www.devoncountyshow.co.uk
A greenhouse made entirely from re-used plastic bottles and a garden built out of recycled materials will be the centre-piece of the Craft and Garden Pavilion at Devon County Show this May.
The 6ft by 8ft greenhouse, which comprises used plastic bottles (otherwise destined for land fill) threaded onto a frame of bamboo canes, and the garden with numerous re-used ideas, including a swing made from an old car tyre and painted to look like a giant bee, have been made by Devon County Show committee member and Crafts and Gardens Chief Steward and creative genius, Deborah Custance Baker...
