Suffolk Show

Phew, what a busy week we had last week! No sooner had we got back from the Caravan Club Rally than we were off again to the Suffolk Show with just one day in between to recover, reorganise and repack! So on Tuesday Rebecca, Ronan, Myself, Tinker, Tim and Alex set off up the old A14 (which the lorry can practically drive along itself by now!) to Trinity Park in Ipswich.

We were delighted to discover that the organisers had allotted us a huge space so the boys were able to have their own personal paddock whilst we set up. However, we weren't far into the set up when we realised we'd left our ladder (necessary for putting up the tent) in Leicestershire. Oh dear. We soon got around this problem by putting the wheelbarrow inside the trolley and making a kind of wheeled type library ladder - not very sturdy but very very funny! Having set up in record time we went to mark out the arena, only to discover that all our paint had run out. So we had to resort to using gold spray paint - very decadent!

It was a bit drizzly and cold on the first day, and for once we were glad to put all our layers of costumes on, even the leatherette jackets! Both the shows went really well, although we'd had to wait for over an hour before the first one due to the ring running behind time!

Thursday was much nicer weather - and it was Rebecca's birthday! We decorated the lorry with balloons, and celebrated with yummy banana cake (made by Alex) for breakfast - probably not the best idea when you have two shows to do! Both the shows went fantastically well, and were both videoed, so we'll be making that show reel very soon! The crowds were brilliant and gave us lots of encouragement throughout - we even saw people doing the greased lightning dance alongside us during the roman riding! We also introduced a new section for the show - roman riding for Thunderhoof with his two pink ladies - it has to be seen to be believed!! After each show we got absolutely mobbed by the public wanting to talk to us and say hello to the boys - Tinker and Ronan are both so good with people, they absolutely adore all the attention!

We also managed to have a look around the showground, although there is always so much there we can never fit it all in! As well as all the hundreds of shopping marquees there was a fairground, every sort of livestock class you can imagine, loads of agricultural displays, and a Dalek. Yes, a Dalek. It (he?) was even saying 'Exterminate. Exterminate.' It was in the BBC Suffolk marquee along with an Ood and the Tardis. All very strange....

There were also lots of equestrian classes, with everything from gorgeous little donkeys to immaculate teams of four in hand, and from Mountain and Moorland (lots of Ronans) to coloureds (hundreds of Tinkers) and imposing ridden Spanish horses, there really was something impressive for everyone!

We managed to take quite a few pictures, just click here to have a look at them. All in all the Suffolk Show was everything we had been looking forward to, and more. Another reason Rebecca and I enjoyed it so much was that Tim has been delegated as Head Chef (Alex is Sous Chef) and between them they cooked us some lovely food, and we felt properly spoiled. (Still not sure what to do with the butternut squash they've left us with though...!)

I hope everyone's getting the chance to enjoy the gorgeous weather, and we're just grateful we're not having to vault in it (leatherette not so good...)! Rebecca and I took our baby boys, Casper and Navvy, to a fun ride in the sunshine around Cotswold Farm Park yesterday. Tinker and Ronan did look a bit confused when we set off in the lorry without them though! It was the first time either of them have been anywhere and done anything like this, and their eyes were on stalks for a while, they didn't know where to look next! It was really good education for them and they even managed to jump (I use the word in the loosest possible form!) some little logs and tyre jumps. As well as this they both managed to concentrate enough to perform their tricks in the lorry park when we got back, despite all the distractions! We took a few photo's, click here to have a look at them. We all had a brilliant time, and really enjoyed ourselves - we hope to go to another one soon!

We're off to the Radlett Festival this weekend for a one day solo show on Sunday - easy peasy in comparison to last week! I'll fill you in when we get back.

Lots of love,

Rosie xx