Wales Feed

The hottest day of the year so far?

2014-07-23T12:25:43+00:00

It's a big day at the Royal Welsh Show today. It's Welsh Cobs day, which always draws a big crowd.

A sheet of cloud moved over the showground yesterday afternoon but the sun is back out in force today and the temperature is soaring, reaching at least 26°C in Llanelwedd. A bit too hot for the animals and some visitors to the show but thankfully there is a pleasant breeze from the east.

Derek with Behnaz Akhgar at the Royal Welsh Show yesterday

Across the rest of Wales it's a similar story; fine with plenty of sunshine this afternoon and a few clouds. It's also likely to be the hottest day of the year so far with temperatures reaching 28°C in places such as Porthmadog in Gwynedd with a breeze off the land.

This evening one or two heavy showers are possible in the south and west, otherwise it will be dry. Overnight it will stay dry and mostly clear with lowest temperatures between 14 and 17°C.

Tomorrow will bring more dry weather and plenty of sunshine and it will turn out to be very warm or hot again. Temperatures will rise to between 23 and 28°C with an east or north-easterly breeze.

Weather chart for 24 July 2014

Friday will be another dry, very warm and sunny day. However, a few subtle changes are expected over the weekend. More cloud is likely but apart from a shower in places it will remain dry.

Temperatures will drop by a few degrees but it will stay on the warm side, especially on Saturday. The south will be sunniest over the weekend with highest temperatures up to 25°C.

The outlook from the Royal Welsh Show

2014-07-21T11:21:52+00:00

I've been travelling the length and breadth of the country recently filming for the new series of Weatherman Walking. So far I've been to Newport, Pontypridd, Bala and Prestatyn where Mike Peters from the band The Alarm showed me around his local area.

Last week I was in St Dogmaels and Crickhowell where I had a go at walking barefoot with Lynne Allbutt on Table Mountain. The new series will be transmitted in early 2015 on ��̳ Wales.

This week I am at the Royal Welsh Show and thankfully the weather is looking good. It will be very warm with temperatures rising into the mid twenties celsius so don't forget a hat and suncream and drink plenty of water.

Later in the week a few showers will break out, especially in the south - and these may be heavy and thundery. However, the showers will be hit and miss which means some places will remain dry.

Derek

Wetsuit-wearing and Tamworth-taming: Rhys Jones at the Royal Welsh Show

2014-07-18T07:13:07+00:00

It's hard to believe that a whole year has passed by, but here we are gearing up to present another Royal Welsh Show.

I always enjoy catching up with fellow presenters Rachael Garside and Sara Edwards and we genuinely have a great time making the programme.

Rhys Jones with Sara Edwards and Rachael Garside

That's not to say it's an easy ride - far from it! It's a highly demanding programme to make requiring day and night commitment from the team for a whole week. However, if we didn't all think it was worth it then I guess we wouldn’t all return year after year.

I always enjoy arriving to the show ground each morning, the sounds of neighing horses, bleating sheep, the smell of cattle and the bustling crowds of people all eager to be part of Europe's biggest agricultural show.

Giant farm vehicles guard the entrance to a busy market place of stalls full of clothes, food, and all things country. The stalls are eventually joined by the animals - from fur and feathers to pigs, goats, cattle and horses - the Royal Welsh really does have it all. Then it's that short climb up the slope to the ��̳ tower and you know that's your signal to switch on and prepare for a packed day of filming.

Rhys Jones behind the scenes at the Royal Welsh Show

Now, the ��̳ are always looking into new and innovative ways to 'trip me up' during the filming process. This can be in the form of taking responsibility for the presentation of a champion cow or entering me in to the ring to show a Balwen sheep. But this year they have really excelled themselves. If you're going to trip somebody up then you could just use a foot, so why on earth would you feel it necessary to use a 150kg Tamworth pig!

Yes, this year the ��̳ has insisted that I'll be showing a Tamworth pig in the ring. Don't worry though; I have a small wispy stick to help control her. My prediction - it's going to be carnage! I've already been introduced to 'Badger' the Tamworth on a pre-shoot for the Royal Welsh earlier this month. On introduction, Badger decided to pick up the gate on her steel-fenced pen, throw it, and proceeded to run free into the surrounding countryside. I did manage to get her back into her pen on that occasion, but I could well be the first person to ever single-handedly be held responsible for the evacuation of the Royal Welsh showground.

And just when I thought that it couldn't get any worse the ��̳ enquired about my measurements for a wetsuit. A wetsuit! At the Royal Welsh? Your guess is as good as mine, but it can only mean more trouble for yours truly.

Rhys Jones at the Royal Welsh Show

It sounds as if I'm going to have an action-packed Royal Welsh show this year and I hope you can tune in and join me. But if you do, please keep your fingers crossed – it sounds as if I’ll be needing all the luck I can get this year!

Coverage of the Royal Welsh Show starts this Monday, ��̳ Two Wales, 7.30pm.

Royal Welsh Show 2013: day three

2013-07-31T11:01:40+00:00

I started the day bright and early meeting up with 14-year-old Daniel Copley, who was entering the Horse Young Handler competitor for the very first time.

I also met Katrina Poole, who at 19 was competing for the very last time due to the age restrictions of the competition. It was fantastic watching these very confident young people ready their horses for competition, painting socks white with chalk and hooves bright with oil.

In contrast to Daniel, Katrina had won champion the previous year and there must have been a great deal of pressure on her to perform well again this time.

Heartbreakingly, despite a great effort, Katrina didn't make it through to the final with her horse Gems the Rustler this year. It was better news for Daniel, though, as despite only meeting Ben, the horse he was handling, the day before the competition he pulled off an incredible feat and was carded in the Junior Horse Young handler competition.

As he was in the top four finalists it now meant that Daniel would be pitted against the senior Young handlers with the top four competitors from each competition going head to head on Thursday for the overall supreme Horse Young Handler Champion.

Sometimes if we are ahead of the schedule I have an opportunity spend a little more time with a contributor. This was just the case with the Sir Bryner Jones Award winner Ieuan Edwards. We grabbed a cup of coffee and while the crew were setting up I could really get an insight into what winning the award meant and why Ieuan had been chosen. Ieuan had started as an apprentice butcher at the age of 16 and was running his own business at 20.

Ieuan said winning the Sir Bryner Jones Award had great kudos and meaning within the industry, and on three levels: it personally meant a great deal to him; for his hard working team back at Edwards of Conway; and he also thought that the society itself deserved a pat on the back for recognising the quality of the butchers we have working here in Wales.

He explained that Welsh food and drink is very much in vogue at the moment and for all the right reasons and that this great show of ours is a wonderful platform to showcase the wonderful goodness and value of our great Welsh food.

The wonderful runners who look after me during filming of the Royal Welsh Show

I'm always at odds how to reply to the very good meaning people who invite us to pop along and say hello when we have five minutes. The truth is we don't get any spare time at all during the week's filming. An average day involves getting up around 5.30am, shower, quick read over the day's schedule and then Sara Edwards and I are off in the taxi to the show ground.

We didn't stop once for a lunch break this year; we grabbed food and drink on the run and if we were lucky after a solid day's filming we may have got back to our hotel for around 8pm. Then it's food, a read over of the script for the next day (normally multitasking from a bath!) and trying to grab a few hours' sleep before we start all over again.

Two weeks before the show was due to air I had just flown back from lecturing in Kenya, nursing a broken wrist and ankle. The ��̳ then informed me I'd be training with the young farmers and learning how to pull in the tug of war competition.

How hard could it be? I met up with Sioned Owens, a competitor on the girls team to tell me how it all works. She explained that the teams met up three times a week and train long hours. It was quite obvious that this competition required a great deal of commitment from the competitors.

The first thing I noted was that it was pretty hot to be training but the girls and boys were soon up and running a warm-up lap of the field prior to getting their hands dirty. A Manitou was driven into the field sporting a large concrete block from its folks. To my disbelief, the girls then strapped a rope to this huge block and started hoisting it some 10 metres into the air!

I started wondering if I should enquire if there was a junior team I could train with instead. Their focus, coordination, determination and sheer brute strength was admirable and after watching the girls I really didn't want to jump on the boys' team, but as no junior team seemed to have turned up I was left with little choice.

Team leader Aled Roberts brought me over a set of boots that Neil Armstrong would have been proud of. With their solid metal plated soles they certainly seemed heavy enough to walk on the moon! In my naivety I assumed special treads would be used to achieve as much grip as possible but Aled informed me that the boots had no grip at all, just a bladed plate that you slammed into the ground.

He then ran through some of the techniques of pulling and the strategies used to win. I had no idea how technical the tug of war was and had just assumed two teams just pulled as hard as they could until somebody fell over, but there was far more to it than that!

I dug my feet in the ground and pulled. I doubt if the boys even noticed that I was included in the pull; their strength and skill didn't require any help from me. However, I was flabbergasted just how hard the tug of war was when undertaken properly. The body was held at a 45 degree angle, the legs pumped and straight and your forearms felt like they would explode.

We hoisted the concrete weight to its highest point, a feat in itself, and then were instructed to hold our position, hold....hold...and hold. I swear I saw the sun lower in the sky before I let go of that rope again. My forearms pumped as the blood ripped back to them and after a single pull I was spent.

To my amazement both the boys and girls teams continued on through the evening. The sport of tug of war and the young farmers competitors had just gained a mighty slice of respect from me!

Back at the Royal Welsh I caught up with both the boys and girls teams for the tug of war competition, at the height of the hottest part of the day as we sought shelter from the glare of the sun under their team gazebos.

I enquired of Sioned how the training had been going. She seemed pleased and confident but the competition looked fierce and the sun even fiercer. I reminded the boys that there would be hell to pay if the girls won and they didn't make it, they laughed and replied that they were feeling confident too.

After what seemed like endless rounds of pulling there was heartbreak for the boys. There was a three way tie to go through to the final and the judges had put the other two teams ahead of Montgomeryshire. Despite making the weight to compete they were still the heaviest team to qualify and this was the deciding factor in stopping them progressing further in the competition.

It was a cruel way to drop out and in my own opinion not the fairest way to have done so. They put on a fine display on the day and should be rightly proud. The girls continued to fight on and achieved and incredible third position. Quite rightly they were over the moon and continued to fly the flag for Montgomeryshire for another year.

After all that excitement it was a run down to the Fur and Feather pavilion where I met Rebekah Couch from Skewen, to hear a truly heartbreaking tale. We had filmed with Rebekah and her prize-winning rabbits back in 2010, but since then tragedy had stuck. Rebekah's livestock had contracted Viral Hemorrhagic disease (VHD) with the family losing 25 rabbits in all.

VHD is a very serious infectious disease where unfortunately once a rabbit is infected there is no cure. Rebekah was unable to show at the Royal Welsh for a year but was back this year with three rabbits including a stunning looking three year old Rex called Buster.

Judging rabbits takes a very long time and is done behind closed doors. We returned with our cameras later in the day to find an overwhelmed Rebekah clutching a hand full of cards. She had achieved all firsts and one best of breed. How's that for fronting up to adversity and winning? Rebekah was back, and the Fur and Feathers was a better place for it. It was a lovely happy ending to a hot and hard day.

I'd promised to pop along to the ��̳ compound for an hour Wednesday teatime to support ��̳ Summer of Wildlife. As I arrived I ran into Derek Brockway, who was busy making sure he was forearmed with all the weather data before giving you the forecast.

With Derek Brockway

I enjoyed talking to the South East Wales River Project about how clean the River Taff has become while examining some of its wildlife, talking about the need to know the difference between bees and wasps, and extracted some pineapple DNA with colleges of mine from Cardiff University.

After a few photo opportunities it was off to the Young Farmers Federation pavilion to undertake one more interview that would be pre-recorded for Thursday's Royal Welsh Show.

I'm a big rugby fan so to interview referee Nigel Owens was a great privilege. Nigel is the President of the Young Farmers Federation here in Wales, a 6,000 strong member organisation that adds more than a little colour and competition to the show.

Interviewing Nigel Owens

Nigel and I met up a few minutes before the interview and it was great to catch up and talk about what the Young Farmers had been up to this week.

I myself had been closely involved in tug of war completion but Nigel went on to explain he had been refereeing the rugby and watching many performances from the main stage at the Young Farmers pavilion.

Nigel and Rhys after the interview

It's always nice to catch someone off guard and he looked genuinely surprised and pleased when I had congratulated him on becoming Wales' most capped rugby referee ever.

Looking to the floor he replied that he had mixed feelings as although it was a great honour it did mean that his best refereeing days were now behind him. I think it's safe to say that Wales best and most capped referee still has quite a few years left in him left yet though!

Royal Welsh Show 2013: day two

2013-07-30T14:53:31+00:00

On Tuesday morning I was back up bright and early for another packed day at the show.

Definitely my highlight of the day and perhaps the week was a trip down to the sports section to meet up with Richard Jones and young Lucy. Richard runs a very successful judo club in Builth Wells and had kindly agreed to discuss the clubs achievements during a public demonstration of his art.

On meeting up it was obvious that Richard was a very colourful character and passionate for his sport. I knew he'd be fine with me asking him to show me a few moves.

What my crew didn't know was that I used to be a Welsh Bujinkan Nimpo Taijutsu instructor, in short meaning that if I was thrown to the ground I could land pretty effectively and safely.

I decided to conceal this fact from them, and the audience, explaining that I would do the initial piece to camera and then as I approached Richard he would gently pick me up and lower me to the ground in a mock throw.

A few words in Richard's ear and he was in on the act. As I walked towards the camera talking about red rosettes and yellow ribbons Richard grabbed me and thrusting a foot into my abdomen performed a huge Tomoe nage throw which ended with me making a thunderous break fall to the crash mat and then pretending I'd been knocked out.

There were audible gasps from both the crew and especially the ever growing public audience surrounding the exhibition matting. After a couple of seconds I opened my eyes and raising my head gave a knowing wink to the director.

Everyone, now in on the joke, burst out laughing and then ran to the pole camera to see if they had caught the throw. They got their revenge, though, when they sent in the big guns in the form of young Lucy to make sure that, if I was that comfortable on the crash mat, I'd be hitting it a few more times before completing the article.

Little Lucy the judo practitioner (with Mum)

Lucy was truly ruthless and I'm only too glad to have sparred with her now to avoid any further injury at a later date! In all seriousness though, I truly enjoyed the time I shared with the members of Irfon Judo club, a great bunch of people.

Next it was down to the sheep lines, an area where I still have many friends from previous interviews and competing in past programmes. Today I was meeting up with the new sheep section poster girl Angharad Williams.

She was showing arguably the prettiest of all sheep breeds, the Teddy bears of the sheep lines, the Ryelands. I asked her why she had chosen to show Ryelands. Angharad explained that she grew up on a family farm with 2,000 sheep, including Ryeland, but now wanted to leave her own stamp on the farm.

Judging of the Ryeland sheep

She went on to explain that the breed was completely different from others on the farm, non commercial, and although it always attracted a strong class at the Royal Welsh she was determined to have her day and was confident that she would be able to reach the top of that class.

Despite not looking out of place competing for the next Miss Wales title, Angharad didn't let her looks stand in the way of her passion. This was a real farmer's daughter, no gimmicks, no favours, the real deal.

When questioned how important her looks were compared to the looks of the animal when showing, she explained that although it's always important for her to look clean and tidy during the competition, you should be an understatement next to the sheep.

She then went on to explain that you want the sheep to be judged on its merits and not the looks of the handler. "We are not judged as a pair; you're judging the animal." I was impressed with Angharad and wished her all the best for the pending competition.

During the competition I could see that Anghard had been brought forward and ran around for a quick interview to see how she had got on. I was delighted to find out that not only was she carded, a Fifth, but it was the first time she had ever been placed at the Royal Welsh!

She was over the moon and extremely happy that her first triumph had filmed by the ��̳ documenting a treasured memory for all time.

Royal Welsh Show 2013: day one

2013-07-29T14:02:41+00:00

It's been another incredible Royal Welsh Show adventure for me this year and once again I find myself in the privileged position of having access to some of the great competitors that make the show a world class event.

Arriving at the Royal Welsh in the morning

Monday was the hottest and by far the most exhausting day to film the show this year. Although a light dusting of cloud helped to ease the full glare of the sun, a light rain the night before had raised the humidity level to unbearable.

The horticultural show was an especially challenging area to film in but the heat and humidity was soon all forgotten when I meet up with competitor and Judge Delyth Price. She had created an amazing pink, ivory and purple floral dress themed exhibit with a Welsh twist. It was an incredible spectacle to witness up close and great to hear how much Delyth enjoys the Royal Welsh atmosphere and competing at the show.

As the sun climbed the temperature got incredibly hot and many of the contributors were feeling the strain. While filming in the pig section I had to run in with a bottle of water to aid a female competitor who was on the verge of collapse, I really felt for her.

I was in a T-shirt standing in the shade and she had been in direct sunlight dressed in a white coat shirt and tie. I'm glad to report that after a sit down and a long drink she made a complete recovery but it's fair to say you had to be made of stern stuff to compete on Monday!

While in the pig section I interviewed Stevie Wake and Brian Evans competing with their Welsh breed of pig. Brian, Stevie's uncle, had encouraged her to work with the pigs on his farm and eventually to follow in his footsteps and show at the Royal Welsh.

I asked them why they had both chosen to show the Welsh breed. Brian replied: "Because they're a good mother, have a cool, calm behaviour and are everything you would want in a pig, its important I keep the tradition going." Now you can't argue with that!

Judging the Welsh breed of pig

From the pig section to a place I'd not ventured before, the horse lines. I love horses and used to ride quite often, although I should add that at my ability I don't think any of the competitors at the Royal Welsh should be worrying too much yet!

I met up with John James from Llandovery to find out how to prepare a horse before entering the main ring at the showground. Again, although the temperatures were soaring the horse lines where a hive of activity with people busily preparing equestrian works of art for the public's pleasure and the chance of winning that coveted red card.

John explained that the preparation didn't start here at the horse lines but months before the competition through correct feeding and riding to gain the correct muscular tone. Today really was all about the finishing touches.

He further explained that the judging of his Welsh cob would be undertaken by not one but two judges, one looking at conformation and the other riding the animal. To quote John: "It's no good having a Ferrari if you don't have an engine."

John's daughter Philippa was showing the gelding in the main ring so it was an anxious time for dad. It was a particularly easy interview to undertake for not only was the content interesting but John was very well spoken and a genuinely nice person. I was therefore very happy to see him collect a very well deserved card in reward for all his and Philippa's hard work.

Meeting the Welsh Harlequin duck

My day at the show ended at the Fur and Feathers pavilion by filming a special article with Rhys Llewellyn on Welsh Harlequin ducks, the only true Welsh breed of duck, for the highlights programme.

On my return to the hotel that night I think I must have singlehandedly cleared their stock of fruit juice and water, and wondered if I would ever rehydrate again! The night brought no respite. I've had cooler nights sleeping on the Kenyan coastline.

Dr Rhys Jones at Royal Welsh Show 2012 - Day four

2012-07-27T08:27:58+00:00

Dr Rhys Jones, co-presenter of Royal Welsh Show highlights on ��̳ Two Wales, blogs specially for ��̳ Wales Nature this week.

Well that's it for another year! We just got the nod to say filming for the Royal Welsh Show 2012 is complete. Sara and I are catching a taxi as I type!

Rachael Garside, Rhys Jones and Sara Edwards

We've had a marvellous time but happy to be on the way for dinner as once again we didn't have time to stop for lunch! Many thanks for tuning on and don't forget the highlights programme on Monday night. It's goodbye for another year from Sara, Rachael and me.

Looking back over the week it's hard to pinpoint single highlights as the whole show has been the most amazing experience. For me the kindness of the Davies family allowing me to help prepare their champion dairy cows during an incredibly stressful time must top my highlight of my show.

I am just about to record the end link with Sara and Rachel, and we will then be ready to step down from presenter duty for the Royal Welsh show 2012. We have all had an amazing time and I hope you have enjoyed watching.

Dr Rhys Jones at Royal Welsh Show 2012 - Day three

2012-07-26T09:44:25+00:00

Dr Rhys Jones, co-presenter of Royal Welsh Show highlights on ��̳ Two Wales, blogs specially for ��̳ Wales Nature this week.

It's simply been the hottest Royal Welsh Show I can ever remember! Standing up to two hours at a time in a show ring can really take its toll on your energy.

Main show ring at the Royal Welsh Show

It's an early start for all of us, most of us starting out at 6am or even before and some days we recorded late into the night.

It's all been worth it, though, with some really lovely stories and fantastic contributors making the Royal Welsh Show what it is.

Rhys talks to a handler

I got the chance to work alongside the young handlers today: utterly amazing. They didn't complain once as the heat of the midday sun beat down relentlessly on the field of competitors.

I showed a Balwen lamb in the sheep ring last year and it's not as easy as it looks, yet these young handlers worked their sheep like pros. Hats off boys and girls, I was mightily impressed. Another fantastic day spent with talented people and stunning animals!

Why would you want to be anywhere else?

Dr Rhys Jones at Royal Welsh Show 2012

2012-07-25T09:26:21+00:00

Dr Rhys Jones, co-presenter of Royal Welsh Show highlights on ��̳ Two Wales, blogs specially for ��̳ Wales Nature this week.

I am having an amazing time at the Royal Welsh Show show this year. I have to give a massive shout out to the Davies family from Whitland for allowing me to help prepare their champion dairy cows for competition; what an honour!

Rhys and the crew

I've also been having a great time with the James family from just outside Builth Wells as they also saw red cards aplenty with their Blue faced Leicester ewes:

Members of the James family with their champion sheep

I was really moved watching the Spitfire take to the air over the show ground. There is just something about the sound of the aircraft as it ripped overhead that seemed to leave the crowd spellbound and feel really privileged to have witnessed the display.

Just how much longer will we be able to witness a sight like that in our skies? Today is going to be another big day at the show but I cannot wait!

The latest from Llanelwedd

2012-07-24T15:20:09+00:00

It's a glorious day at the Royal Welsh Show with hardly a cloud in the sky and unbroken sunshine.

Temperatures this afternoon soared to 26 Celsius, 79 Fahrenheit in the shade, making it the hottest day at the show since July 2008 - and the hottest day of the summer so far!

The sun is very strong so people are advised to wear a hat, use a high factor sun cream and drink plenty of water.

Tomorrow and Thursday will be cloudier than today in Llanelwedd but it will remain dry, bright and warm with temperatures rising into the low 20s (Celsius). It will also feel humid with not much wind to speak of.

If you're in Cardiff tomorrow to watch the Olympic women's football at the Millennium Stadium it will be hot and should be sunny with a top temperature of 26 Celsius, 79 Fahrenheit.

On Friday, cooler weather will spread from the north-west with showers in places. The weekend will be cooler and fresher everywhere with a mixture of bright or sunny spells, showers and some dry weather too.

In London temperatures may soar to 31 Celsius, 88 Fahrenheit tomorrow - making it the hottest day of the year so far. The last time the Olympics were held in London in 1948 the games started with a heat wave but then it cooled down with a few heavy downpours.

This time round, it will be warm and humid for the opening ceremony on Friday evening but with a risk of heavy and possibly thundery showers.

After that it looks like turning cooler and fresher with sunny spells and showers.

So the weather may not be on top form for the first week of the Olympics, however the very wet conditions we had earlier in the summer are not expected to return. Overall, the weather will be typically British: changeable and mixed - much like it was in 1948!

Saving the best till last at the Royal Welsh Show

2011-07-21T15:42:36+00:00

They save the best/craziest until last here at the Royal Welsh Show. The main ring is filled to bursting with prize winning horses, ponies, cattle, sheep, pigs and goats, each cajoled into behaving itself by some brave soul armed with nothing more than willpower and a short stick to tonk the beast on the nose.

Winners in the ring

Some of them are very male, perhaps disposed to friskiness by the amount of pheromones that must be permeating the air. (Not at all similar to the beer tent, then.)

Stallion

Even the young 'uns get in on the act, with this foal causing his handler some grief:

Frisky foal

The sheer number and variety of animals in the ring is astonishing, and it's a spectacular way in which to effectively close the show. It's the culmination of four days for me of exhausting but highly entertaining work, talking to some fascinating people and seeing some crazy sights.

There's a competition in which statuesque young men hack angles out of poles with an axe, into which they insert a specially-designed plank. They then stand on that plank for the next rung and work their way up. That is almost as puzzlingly entertaining as the sheep shearing.

In the main ring finale, this cow is modelling a great look:

Champion cow with rain protection

That my brain and legs are now shutting down in protest I shall take as a good sign. Sent as a fish out of water, I've grown vestigial lungs. It's been highly educational and largely a very enjoyable week. Of course there are some troubling elements, but those are for others to debate.

Around me ��̳ staff are dismantling the 'photograph your child as Doctor Who' room, so it's time to sign off. I feel like a less-qualified Alistair Cooke with Letter From Builth Wells. So noswydd da, good evening.

Time to load up the livestock

2011-07-21T15:20:05+00:00

It's the fourth and final day of the show so I'm running low on energy and my feet are aching, but as the show draws to a close, there's a chance to look back and think about this year's highlights.

When I headed back to the shearing centre yesterday afternoon, there was a real treat in store. I arrived just in time to watch the Test Match between Wales and New Zealand.

Those men in vests definitely know how to put on a show and even before the competition started, the Kiwi team came on stage to perform the Haka and Wales replied with a rousing rendition of our national anthem and there was hardly a dry eye in the house!

Gareth Daniels was named this year's Champion Shearer of Wales - a 'lean mean shearing machine' as the commentators described him. He wins a return ticket to New Zealand and a chance to represent Wales in the world championships next year.

Today, all eyes turned to the future, with the Young Handlers competition in the cattle ring and an impressive 58 entries.

I met Ifan Phillips from Newcastle Emlyn who was competing in the Beef Young Handlers. His heifer looked great but proved a little temperamental on the day but on his way out of the showring, Ifan told me that it'd been an amazing experience. That's what this show is all about - young and old alike, working and playing hard all week.

It wasn't all work for me either. This year, strictly in the name of duty - I sampled some of the show's nightlife at the National Sheep Association, where the workers were wearing t-shirts saying 'Star Baff' just to confuse the innocent!

Also, there was a good atmosphere at the Welsh Pony and Cob Society building, packed to the rafters with revellers. I was also invited to a Toga Party and for a singalong in the cattle lines - too many events, too little time.

Another new competition to involve the younger generation was the Schools Garden Competition over in the Horticultural Tent where giant cabbages and enormous onions reign supreme. Again, an incredible 50 entries, but it was Y Bont Faen Primary in Cowbridge that impressed the judges most.

It's not all about big bulls, bulky rams and mighty stallions at the show though - there's even a section to decide the best household pets.

This year a rabbit called Miley (named after Miley Cyrus) beat cats, guinea pigs and even a tortoise to become the champion pet. Her owner Megan, competing for the first time at the Royal Welsh was delighted with the red rosette.

We're almost homeward bound and tonight's programme is almost finished. The trailers are coming back on site to load up the livestock, the trade stands are packing up and in the Food Hall there's a last chance to grab a few bargains as the exhibitors sell off their stock.

I've also had the annual last minute dash to buy presents to take home for my boys as a few hints were dropped when I spoke to them last night...

I've had a brilliant week at the show - caught up with lots of old friends and been a part of what has to be the best show in Wales!

It's time to go home now and catch up with what's been happening in the rest of the world (as I've been in the Builth Wells bubble for too long) but I wouldn't have missed it for anything.

The online team have taken some stunning photos this year which you can see in our picture galleries including today's final showground parade, so take a look when you get time.

Retail therapy at the Royal Welsh Show

2011-07-21T14:03:02+00:00

Trust me to go for a lengthy walk a short while ago during the heaviest shower we've yet had at the Royal Welsh. Oh tell a lie, now is the heaviest shower and thank goodness I'm back in the palatial ��̳ building. Next door the Village SOS room is full to bursting all of a sudden. They must be fascinated by the displays.

I take a walk down to the enormous (must think of a few new adjectives for this place) retail area, with craft and food stalls huddled together with charities, clothing emporia and all manner of things you never knew you needed, or even knew existed.

There are some wonderful example of greengrocers' grammar and spelling, with this one catching my eye especially:

Even God gets in on the action, with a large tent exclaiming 'Dying for Jesus' and featuring some sort of puppet show. It's busy, and it's not even raining.

I stop by the Greyhound Rescue Wales stand where a little cross-breed takes a liking to my beard, while at the Dogs Trust they appear to have found the cutest dog available to draw the donations.

Various craftsmen and women shine, whittle, fletch, chisel and whet their wares next to people coating hot dogs in sauce or strawberries in chocolate. And here I am, full of sandwich and already having my full complement of novelty shoehorns. Shame.

Walking around between the stands and marquees I see a disparity between the people at either end of the site. I get the impression that some of the crowd here must simply be here for some retail therapy, while others at the top end of the site may never venture beyond the show rings. Each to their own, and it's part of what the last four days has shown me: the Royal Welsh Show is as disparate as its 226,407-strong audience.

Derek Brockway has just shown me his radar. It's like someone's sneezed all over Wales. My drive back this evening over the Brecon Beacons should be fun.

Lucky Llanelwedd

2011-07-21T11:54:44+00:00

I can't believe today is the last day of the Royal Welsh Show. The week has flown by and it's fair to say we've been very lucky with the weather this year. There was a little rain on Monday and Tuesday was dry. Most of Wednesday was dry as well apart from one or two light showers. Hopefully it will stay dry today too. I woudn't rule out a shower this afternoon/evening which could be heavy but given their random nature they may miss the show ground.

Sunshine has been in short supply this week, with plenty of cloud, so sun stroke hasn't been a problem. It has also been on the cool side but that's good news for the animals with no chance of them suffering from heat stress. And provided you've brought a jacket, temperatures have been ideal for walking around the show with light winds.

Looking ahead, tomorrow will bring a mixture of cloud, sunshine and scattered heavy showers but the weekend looks more promising. Generally dry, sunnier and a little warmer with light to moderate winds and sea breezes.

Next week, we could be in for a spell of more summery weather (at long last) with high pressure bringing a good deal of dry weather and warming up too. Obviously things could change but keep your fingers and toes crossed!

Well this is my last blog from Llanelwedd. I will be back in the big city tomorrow!

Sheep love at the Royal Welsh Show

2011-07-21T11:22:21+00:00

I like sheep. Despite apparently being knocked over by a ram, aged two, on Dartmoor, I admire their stolid disposition, their comparatively diminutive size and the fact that they have brains the size of a brontosaurus'.

Staring competition with a sheep

I decide to see what's happening at the sheep ring as they're meant to be crowning the top specimens of their classes and breeds, then the 'champion of champions'. It's really difficult for anyone not a bona fide sheep-fancier to tell what's what, let alone for me, who normally sees muddy brown sheep, covered in barbed wire and faeces on some windswept upland.

So forgive my lack of clarity; the elderly couple next to me "love sheep" but they can't help me out either. We chat instead about the "lovely coloured legs" of the stonking beast next to us, a class winner:

A class-winning sheep

Compared to the comparatively well-behaved horses (who only kicked a few people a few times), the sheep are a bit chaotic. The handlers are required to do a bit of ovine wrangling:

Wrestling a ram

Whipping out my macro long lens, I take this shot of a sheep's beady eye:

Sheep's eye

I'm really looking forward to the sheepdog trials starting in 30 minutes in the main ring. One Man And His Dog Redux, but without Phil Drabble.