Christmas Bells

Christmas Bells
Christmas Bells - Blandfordia nobilis

Thursday, March 09, 2006

The Robbo Show!

Well, it has arrived. The Robertson Show starts officially on Friday, 10 March (tomorrow).



I spent the morning helping set up the display of cut flowers in the Pavilion, with Mrs Caz Norman. Trish Pemberton had the whole Pavilion humming with busy worker "bees", setting out the wonderful display of vegetables, the amazing Dahlias, and the ambiguously named "decorative" category, which seemed to included flowers, vegetables and found objects. It looked very attractive indeed.



And while we were busy with the flowers and produce, others were tasting jams and preserves. And they looked happy in their work! The really prestigious awards are for the cakes, and sweet pies (apple pies, etc.). People compete over years, indeed lifetimes, with their "rivals", to win a particular category. Ah, it is the stuff of dreams for a country town. Of course, the rivals are often close friends and relations, but rivalry will show its true colours at show time! No love is lost when it comes to who will win this year's award for the Best Apple Pie!



Outside the Pavilion, the rest of the show will be in top gear tomorrow, with the horses, the cattle, alpacas, and this year, for the first time in 40 years, poultry. And then there will be the ring events, too numerous to mention. And the famous Potato Race.



We are all hoping for the traditional Robbo Show Thunderstorm to occur. It always adds spice to the Potato Race. Last year the fog was so thick, no-one could see what was going on over the other side of the paddock. Rumours persist about competitors being "nobbled", but I would not like to spread those rumours. Read more about the true events of the 2003 Robbo Show Potato Race at the CTC website Arts Page. The CTC has a display of Marjo Halliwells superb photographs from that race.



As a Robbo Show special promotion, the CTC is offering free coffees or free Internet access for selected winners and also CTC Volunteers will be handing out coupons at the Show. The CTC will be open on Saturday from 11:30 am to 3:30 pm, just to support the Robbo Show.



You cannot help feeling part of it all, at Robbo Show time. It is great to live in a small town, like Robertson.

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