It's a Pig's World!
Uploaded November 2009

This exhibition, which featured 16 Pedigree breeds of pigs, together with a lighthearted informative poster display by Fred Pilbrow, was conceived well before the announcement of the cancellation of future Royal Shows. lt had been planned in order to as shorten S the pig classes from 4 days to 3, so that the pig exhibitors could leave a day earlier than the other livestock. We, the BPA, felt this would encourage more entries in the Pig Section where support had declined over recent years. To make this happen a number of people not only provided the Exhibition pigs which had to be there for the full 4 days, but stayed on to help with a hands on demonstration for selected schools on the last day.

Members of our full team included Tracey & Grace Bretherton, whose patient Middle White sow(Breed Champion earlier in the year at Newark & Notts and Cheshire) plodded endlessly round the ring with a number of different children at the helm, and their 10 week old Berkshire weaners certainly gave many children a truly "hands on" experience.

Other participants included our great Commentator, Nick Hunkin, who kept things moving throughout the 3 demos if on the Friday. Key players on the Tamworth front were Bill Howes, who with Shirley, also provided pigs for the Exhibition and Keith Hall & Kieron who encouraged the school children, and some of their teachers to have a go at showing pigs. Malcolm Hicks and 2 of his children with their Gloucestershire Old Spot boar, demonstrated the correct way of showing a boar, and the Hicks children were also good at encouraging the visiting children to have a go with their GCS gilt. Christine Coe and her Welsh gilt were very much part of the action with even Lord Davies, Defra spokesman in the House of Lords having a go at showing under her guidance. Melany & Sarah Kiddy showed an admiring audience how to wash a pig with their 6 years old Large white sow Sally (RASE 09 Breed Champion) patiently undergoing this more than once. Alan Rose's large Duroc sow was also roped in to let some newcomers show her. Meanwhile in an adjoining ring Martin Snell, having encouraged a whole extra primary school party to climb the fence and join him, was successfully getting children to get his Large Black gilts to roll over. John Herbert Frank Miller and Claire Haverly were also very much involved in what was a lively, somewhat unstructured half hour, which we and the visiting children and their teachers very much enjoyed. FACE (Farming and Countryside Eductaion) with whom I had worked from the outset pronounced themselves well pleased with the whole event and have provided a number of good photos as a record, one or two of which appear with this. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the people who helped make lt's a Pigs' World possible and hope we might well do something on these lines again sometime.

Viki Mills
vikimilIs@googlemail