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Daily Record
4 days ago
- Business
- Daily Record
Airshow benefits 'outweigh costs' insist new South Ayrshire Council leaders amidst funding concerns
Brian Connolly and Alec Clark agreed that officers should have budgeted for an increase in airshow costs, but remain firmly behind the event. Council Leader Brian Connolly has agreed that officers should have been more upfront about the budget for September's International Ayr Show. But Cllr Connolly and his independent depute Cllr Alec Clark are adamant that the benefits would still outweigh the costs. Officials had significantly underbudgeted for this year's event despite clear signs that the allocation they had agreed would not cover the cost of running the event. That led to councillors being asked to set aside up to £590k to meet any financial shortfall. Cllr Clark said: 'You heard a bit of turbulence at the last meeting about the air show. 'The International Ayr Show last year had about 250,000 visitors. That is absolutely huge. 'I was listening to the television this morning about the Great Yorkshire Show. They said they were going to have 36,000 visitors over a period of time.' Cllr Clark said that the numbers and prominence had highlighted the potential of a career in the aerospace industry to young people attending the event, with education and training a major part of the show. Cllr Clark added that the increased profile was already having an effect. He said: 'Look at what it has done for the Prestwick apron. There's the Red Arrows going to get work done on their new aeroplane at Prestwick. 'There is tie-in between that and the airshow and what is happening at the Prestwick apron is generating a host of new jobs.' He pointed to the impact of partners Skylab, who run a series of educational activities alongside the airshow, with a focus on Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths and the highly skilled jobs these subjects open the door to. Cllr Clark said: 'If you were to go to the Marquee, where the STEM exhibition is taking place, you would see it was absolutely full and all of the kids were getting involved, hands on. They were absolutely loving it, as were the dads and mums. 'That is steering them towards a career in engineering or in aeronautics. That is great for South Ayrshire. ' The council leader cited another sign of the impact of that educational slant, from the businesses operating in Prestwick. He said: 'The level and quality of the applicants has gone through the roof, and the STEM is raising the profile of technology, maths and science.' Cllr Connolly also said that he had attended an education careers event at Ayr Racecourse this year. He said: 'The actual aeronautics 'corner' was absolutely mobbed. You could walk around the rest without a problem. 'But you couldn't get into that corner and it was 16 and 17-year-olds wanting information and wanting to put their names down. 'These are incredible careers to get into. 'We are potentially looking at more than a thousand jobs. That means houses. That means great jobs. It generates for the whole of South Ayrshire. 'Some will turn their nose up at it, but there is no question that the airshow has lifted the profile of that aeronautical environment. Absolutely no question. '
Times
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
The Great Yorkshire Show looks blissful — but the farmers are furious
I t's a perfect summer's day in Harrogate and 35,000 farming folk have gathered for England's largest celebration of all things agricultural. Every one of them seems to agree on two things: first, that the Great Yorkshire Show is a splendid day out; and second, that everything else is absolutely awful, and it's mostly Rachel Reeves's fault. 'I've never been so miserable, so demoralised,' says one. 'Farmers have been absolutely screwed,' says another. 'The government has no idea how farming works,' says a third. Farmers have a reputation for never being happy with their lot, so it might be tempting for that government to dismiss this as standard-issue griping. But there is something deeper going on among the sellout crowd who attended the showgrounds over four days last week.
Wales Online
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
Countryfile's Matt Baker shares 'glimpse of personal life' in cute snap with wife
Countryfile's Matt Baker shares 'glimpse of personal life' in cute snap with wife Matt Baker and his wife Nicola have been married for over 20 years and share two children together, and the couple have recently been enjoying time together off-camera at the Great Yorkshire Show Matt and Nicola Baker spent a day doing something they 'love" (stock image) (Image: ITV ) Countryfile presenter Matt Baker offered fans a glimpse into his personal life with an sweet photo of himself and his wife, Nicola, enjoying a day out together. The couple has gained recognition in recent times through their popular Channel 4 series, Our Farm in The Dales, which captures the adventures of the ex-Blue Peter presenter and his partner as they manage a sheep farm nestled in the Durham hills – close to where Matt was raised. Despite their busy filming schedule, Matt and Nicola took time off for some leisure at the Great Yorkshire Show, basking in the sunshine during their day out. Held in Harrogate, the annual event stands as England's biggest agricultural show since the cessation of the Royal Agricultural Show in 2009, with the 2025 edition marking its 166th occurrence from July 8 to July 11. Amongst the crowd were Matt and Nicola, captured in a cheerful selfie amidst one of the horse displays. Matt later uploaded the sweet snap to his Instagram Story, captioning it: "We love the @greatyorkshireshow." Matt and Nicola Baker enjoyed themselves at the Great Yorkshire Show (Image: Matt Baker/Instagram ) The day saw the duo actively engaged at the show, distributing awards before Matt hosted a Meet and Greet with fans, which saw Nicola also joined him on stage. Article continues below While Matt's background is steeped in rural living and farming, Nicola has devoted a substantial part of her career to physiotherapy in addition to parenting their two children, with writing also being among her pursuits over the years. She's recently transformed her passion into a full-time job, having written three children's novels so far with more in the pipeline. Meanwhile, Matt has been busy with his television career, notably as the co-host of BBC One's Countryfile, delving into rural, agricultural and environmental issues across the UK. During a recent visit to the Lorraine show, the couple discussed their individual ventures. Matt revealed: "We're such doers in our lives, and we're so supportive of what each other wants to do, we've just found our way through." Despite their separate work schedules meaning they see less of each other, Nicola shared that it makes their time together more precious. Article continues below She said: "We make the most of the time that we have together and prioritise that and make the most of that." The pair originally met at a disco in Cleethorpes where Matt was performing, leading to their marriage in 2004. Now, after more than two decades since their nuptials, they are parents to Molly and Luke and reside together in Durham.
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Sheep farmers on why winning at the Great Yorkshire Show is 'special'
North Yorkshire farmers were celebrating after successes in the sheep rings at the Great Yorkshire Show. For Hawes father and son team Trevor and Laurie Blades, of Brown Moor Farm, a shearling ram took Overall Champion in its class. Trevor said: 'It is Laurie's third year here. I brought my shearling ram, and it won first in class, Male Champion and Overall Champion. 'It has a big head, long body and crisp hair – all signs of good quality in a Swaledale. 'It was the first time showing him, and he'll be sold in October. He should get a decent price thanks to this win at the Great Yorkshire Show. It adds prestige. 'We have 750 sheep at home, but only 100 pure Swaledale. I cross about 400 with Blue Faced Leicester to make a mule, which are good commercially." Laurie, 18, said: 'I brought my gimmer shearling and three-year-old ewe. I showed the gimmer last year and she came fifth, so she's improved this year. 'I enjoy showing. My flock isn't home bred, but I like to find good quality sheep and hope they do well." Trevor said: 'He's very keen and has a good eye. He spotted a few winners in other categories before they were presented with their prizes. It has been a good show this year, but we should have brought more with us. 'We could do with more Swaledale breeders here but the quality has been good. We're pleased with our result and we'll be back next year to try again.' Scorton farmer Andrew Barker took Female Champion and Overall Champion for his Jacob ewe shearling, which had also picked up breed champion at the Otley Show and Great Harwood Show. "Her sire was Male Champion; we brought seven sheep with us and six picked up a rosette. "I couldn't be happier. The Great Yorkshire Show is one of the best in the country, and I've been coming all my life. My grandad and dad used to show cattle. My grandad has been coming since 1967 and he was here to see me win this week, so it has been very special." He said Jacobs were known for their markings, and what made his sheep stand out were the quality of markings, no white on its ears, no black on its legs; very strong and stylish. He added: "It's horns go straight back as they are supposed to, and she has a lot of character which I think winners need to have." Andrew, who farms at Tancred Grange Farm in Scorton, near Richmond, has 40 in his Jacob flock, as well as commercial shorthorn and Hebridean sheep – about 100 commercial sheep altogether. He added: "We used to have cattle too but have moved away from that now. I started with the Jacobs three years ago because I wanted a sheep to show. They are easy to look after and are a good-looking breed."
Scotsman
10-07-2025
- General
- Scotsman
Why government must act to protect Scotland's wonderful agricultural Shows
Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Whether you are a dyed-in-the-tweed countryside dweller or not, there are very few of us who have not gone to one of the myriad agricultural Shows (with a capital S) that are a mainstay of any respectable Scottish summer. It is an experience we are all familiar with, even if it has changed somewhat over the years. With both of my sons having left home, County Show Day in Orkney has a very different rhythm than it used to. It is amazing how much ground you can cover and how many people you can talk to when you do not have to navigate the fairground rides or avoid getting caught in your tenth bottle stall in a row. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The tradition of the agriculture Show is much-beloved but it is more fragile than we might like to think. If we are going to pass the tradition on to future generations, then our governments are going to have to step up and support rural communities better. A vet inspects the mouth of a cow to check for signs of bluetongue disease (Picture: Nicolas Maeterlinck) | BELGA MAG/AFP via Getty Images Farmers forced to diversify These shows say a lot about where our communities are now and where they are going in the future. When I go to the major events in the isles and across the country, the quality amongst the livestock champions and other competitors is always strong but you also get a sense of the changes coming through rural businesses. I am not sure that even a few years ago anyone could have imagined that Orkney farmers would have successful side-lines selling both wind turbines and hot tubs, but you will find both on the showground in Kirkwall. These changes appear in part because of local ingenuity but also because making a proper living through farming alone has become more difficult and more vulnerable to disruption. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Some of that disruption is hard to avoid. I spent Wednesday meeting farmers and other participants at the Great Yorkshire Show (for we are not alone in these traditions), where the usual Scottish competitors were sadly notable for their absence. Restrictions on livestock movements to reduce the spread of the bluetongue virus meant that very few folk from north of the Border were in attendance this year, save those acting as judges. Fragility of rural businesses Tempting though it might be to claim these restrictions as a conspiracy to stop the Scottish farmers from sweeping every competition category in Harrogate, bluetongue is no joke. Farmers have long memories when it comes to animal diseases and know that prevention is better – and less expensive – than what comes after it. Our governments have a role to play in helping to mitigate this sort of disruption, but they also have a duty to avoid piling on more trouble for our communities – whether that is through unhelpful tax hikes or short-sighted changes in regulation. Rural businesses are part of what defines our country but they are fragile – and if they are knocked down, the effects ripple across the whole community. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad It is in everyone's interest to keep our agricultural economy going strong, local food producers doing what they do best, and Show season running every year – bottle stalls and all. Whether you live in the countryside or in a city, that ought to be something on which we can all agree.
