\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n The county show has been a summer fixture in most Cumbrian towns and villages for over a century and has always been of vital importance to the local community. Many of the shows have managed to remain genuinely traditional Lakeland affairs. So\u00c2\u00a0I was particularly disappointed to hear that the Patterdale Dog Day<\/a>\u00c2\u00a0had been cancelled this week due to a waterlogged field. The show has kept to its original format and fiercely resisted the lure of commercialization.<\/p>\n This is in stark contrast to many of the national agricultural shows such as\u00c2\u00a0The Royal Show<\/a>\u00c2\u00a0which I attended earlier this year, where I counted an astonishing 48 corporate sponsors including HSBC, Trinity Private Wealth Management, RAC, Muller, Renotherm foam insulation, McDonalds and all the major supermarket chains who were trumpeting their support of British farmers. (Such as M&S, one of the major ‘partners’ of the show, who had a large hospitality tent for their clients).<\/span><\/p>\n \u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m planning to attend the\u00c2\u00a0Grasmere Sports And Show<\/a>\u00c2\u00a0this weekend so decided to phone the organizers to check that it would still be going ahead. The reply I got from the director of the show was definitive: \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Young man, Grasmere Sports has been running since 1852 and never been cancelled. It went ahead during both World Wars so it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s going to take a lot more than a few drops of rain to stop us this year!\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n One show that did beat the rain this week was held at\u00c2\u00a0Gosforth<\/a>\u00c2\u00a0(it\u00c2\u00a0only went ahead following an emergency committee meeting on Monday).\u00c2\u00a0It was a very understated affair with the traditional mix of\u00c2\u00a0horse and pony displays, Cumberland and Westmoreland wrestling, a local produce tent and various competitions.\u00c2\u00a0Peter Wright’s honey won the best exhibit in the section, while Gosforth WI took first prize in their category with their exhibit ‘A leisurely lunch’. In the horticulture tent, Mark Hewertson, who won in the gladioli, pansies and fuschia categories, was named the Best in Show. My favourite competition judging took place in the poultry tent where\u00c2\u00a0Robert Brown, from Uldale, took the top prize with his clay\/wheaten.\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n The\u00c2\u00a0Ennerdale and Kinniside Show<\/span>\u00c2\u00a0also went ahead despite driving rain. It took\u00c2\u00a0place at Kirkland Leaps showfield.\u00c2\u00a0The event started life in 1895 as a village flower show and \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Scholars Picnic\u00e2\u20ac\u009d with the sole purpose of raising money to send the children of Ennerdale and Kinniside school on a day trip.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/we-english.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/08\/_0019545.jpg\" "\\"_0019545\\"")
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