Welly Week round-up - Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution

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Around the country Weather extremes felt in south east This year has flown by, I am not sure if this is due to ever increasing age! Despite the awful summer the autumn so far has been kind. Over the next couple of months we have the usual Christmas fatstock shows and carol evenings and the calendar is already filling for 2009. Thank you ever so much to everyone who has helped and supported me over Bucks book signing As well as selling Christmas cards, the RABI stand at the Bucks County Show included a peddle tractor raffle and raised a total of £350, despite the regional officer being struck down by a virulent bug. Fortunately, as well as county committee members, regional welfare officer Sara Garner and RABI supporter Virginia Stollery, from the adjacent NFU stand, were on hand to ensure that she survived! the year, I am very lucky to have such a lovely bunch people to work with in the south east. I hope we all have a very happy and healthy 2009. Don’t forget to get your Christmas cards! Sally Field Fine weather for farm walks The farm walks at Daylands Farm, Ashurst, on two consecutive Sundays in September as part of Horsham Food Festival Week, have become annual events in aid of RABI. This year they attracted some 60 people who enjoyed an excellent farm walk, finishing with scones with cream and homemade cakes. As well as promoting RABI the event raised £250. Also present was Harry Sear, signing copies of his book Horse Tales (see page 2) together with his wife Linda. Kent harvest supper At the annual harvest supper in the Amos Hall, Ashford Market, 180 supporters and their guests were entertained by the Knatchbull Jazz Band. Organised by David Chantler, David Brummell and Caroline Fletcher, with the Kent committee, the evening included an auction, the highlight of which was a picture of a woodcock painted with its pin feather by Charles Gunther, which sold for £1,200. The total raised by the event was £6,000 plus £400 from the sale of RABI Christmas cards. Visitors of all ages took part in the farm walk Ploughing match raffle The raffle, which raised £150, was a highlight of our presence at the East Kent ploughing match at Waldereshare Park where, once again, land agents Angela Hirst, thanks to Giles Hirst and family, invited RABI to join their stand and provided the prize. Bidding underway at the harvest supper auction www.rabi.org.uk 10
Around the country Students plough funds to RABI This year the money raised from the Reading University agricultural students’ annual 48-hour charity ploughing marathon, has been donated to RABI. The marathon, which took place from the 3rd to 5th March, involved 35 students, including “male and female drivers of all abilities”, using two tractors and ploughs. In total 185 acres were ploughed on the university farm and a cheque for £2,238.56, the total sum raised, was presented to RABI by a number of the participants at the agricultural faculty in October. Sunshine on the IoW The Isle of Wight committee together with our host, NFU group secretary Matt Legge, and a sunny day ensured that we had a great day at the island’s annual ploughing match, at Brading, near Ryde. The sale of ‘Jolly Jars’ raised £100, Christmas cards sales made £400 and a welly wanging competition brought in a further £100. A big thank you to NFU’s Matt and Karen for all their Jars of everything and a raffle tickets for help and support. sale which ever way you go! Weather cancels shows Atrocious weather at the beginning of September put pay to two events in one weekend. Harvesting the Old Fashioned Way at Lavant, near Chichester, normally attended by around 1,000 people, was a particular loss as RABI receives half of the gate takings, which last year amounted to £4,000. The Alresford Show in Hampshire had to be called off on the morning of the show and the RABI stand, which had been erected with the help of Norma Morris and Denys Ryder the day before, had to be rescued with the aid of Denys’s John Deere mule. Denys with the dismantled RABI stand safely back on firm ground In Brief.... Durham debut The first event organised by the County Durham RABI committee was a stand at Eggleston Show. The RABI marquee attracted a lot of interest and they raised £175.00 - not bad at all for a first effort. Regional officer in the sheep ring RABI’s presence at the annual Masham Sheep Fair extended into the show ring when the north east regional officer, Sally Conner, donned a white coat to show sheep. She described the occasion as “a brilliant weekend, wonderful weather and loads of sheep!” Dolls House Fair A dolls house fair held at Bedale School, the brainchild of North Yorkshire RABI committee chairman David Burke, attracted more than 200 people and made over £1,000. It was so successful that it looks likely to become an annual event. Cards sell well at Loseley The RABI presence at the Loseley County Fair and annual ploughing match was thanks to the organisers, Surrey Agricultural Society – who were very supportive of RABI during last year’s foot and mouth outbreak, and to the Countryside Alliance, who shared our stand space. Christmas cards sold well during the day, raising £340. Ploughmen’s lunch The West Sussex committee, ably assisted by Sally Field, once again provided the refreshments at the Petworth & District Agricultural Society’s annual ploughing match. Held at Manor Farm, Heyshott, thanks to Richard and Sue Comber, the event attracted over 500 people and the RABI stand raised £150. Lunch in Cheshire This year’s annual Cheshire Sunday lunch was well attended, in lovely surroundings, with guests enjoying an excellent beef roast and pleasant company. Our thanks to the hosts, Mr and Mrs J Roberts. Lancashire thank you The farming community in East Lancashire organised a hugely successful hog roast and band night in Burnley, as a thank you for the help RABI had given to a family in the area and to raise awareness locally. Our thanks to the very hard working supporters who put on a fantastic night and raised £1,800. Lancashire harvest praise Songs of Praise service and NFU harvest service, plus a ‘Trouble at the Mill’ comedy night, in Lancashire raised £400. Regional officer Georgina Lamb expressed her many thanks to the ‘wonderful’ committee for all the apple pies they cooked. Northants harvest party The Northants committee’s annual harvest party had a new venue this year, at Deene Park. Following the reinstatement of the organ at Deene harvest festival, a reception was held in the grand surroundings of Deene Park where over 100 guests enjoyed an Indian buffet and a glass of wine. Forde Abbey update The final accounts for the Forde Abbey Summer Fair (reported in the autumn issue of R.A.B.I. News) reveal that, despite the adverse weather conditions, a total of £12,450 was raised - slightly more than two years ago, the previous occasion when it was in aid of RABI - when the sun shone! 11 www.rabi.org.uk
Page 1 and 2: Winter 2008 The newsletter from the
Page 3 and 4: Introduction Cause for concern Roya
Page 5 and 6: Welfare Beneficiary Holiday Beaufor
Page 7 and 8: Around the country Hard work and co
Page 9: Around the country Much planned for
Page 13 and 14: Welly Week round Up Lake winners La
Page 15 and 16: Welly Week round Up Welly dating Ca

Welly Week round-up - Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution

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