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Southern
Counties plans for new showground
At
the Annual General Meeting of the Association, Chairman David
Cavill announced several new initiatives for the 2003 show that
is to be held this year on Friday 30th May (Gundogs and Utility),
Saturday 30th May (Toys, Terriers and Hounds) and Sunday 1st June
(Pastoral and Working).
He said that most exhibitors already realised that the show was
to be held at Newbury Agricultural Society’s 146 acre showground
adjacent to the M4/A34 interchange north of Newbury and at the
centre of the conurbations of Reading, Basingstoke, Swindon and
Oxford. The A34 can be congested during weekdays so exhibitors
of Gundogs and Utility breeds should ensure that they leave plenty
of time for the final mile or so but in 2004 the much needed road
improvements to the junction will have been completed and this
will make access much easier.
The Newbury showground will enable the association to provide
a much better service for exhibitors. There is an excellent caravan
site that will open from Tuesday 27th May at 10 am with permanent
toilets, and separate car parks are being arranged for exhibitors,
those that are disabled, spectators, members and officials. Tarmac
roads run through the site and there is easy roadway access for
trade stands.
Delighted
Entries
may be made ‘on line’ through www.dog.biz The site
has a personal database facility so that all exhibitors’
dogs can be listed just once and all the details picked up using
a couple of mouse clicks when entries are being made. An immediate
e-mail receipt is issued so there is no need for the old ‘proof
of posting’ either. Credit card payments will be accepted
as usual although, with the advent of entries over the internet,
faxed entries will not be possible this year.
The association is delighted to be hosting the KC Good Citizen
Dog Scheme on all three days. The Young Kennel Club and UK Handlers
will also be present with their own activity area that will
have a separate entrance and car parking facility.
‘This is an exciting challenge for the association,' he
said, speaking to members during his chairman's report, 'But
all those involved are committed to ensuring a smooth transition
from Crawley to Newbury’. ‘Our biggest problem is
likely to be stewards’, he continued. ‘Many of our
loyal team from Sussex will find it too difficult to travel
each day, so I do hope that exhibitors in the Newbury area will
come forward to steward on those days that they are not showing.’
Chief Steward, Marjorie Cleaver, will be delighted to hear from
anyone willing to steward. Her address is 75, Northease Drive,
Hangleton, Hove, BN3 8PP and her telephone number is 01273-439135.
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