The Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate is hosting the UK’s biggest holiday home show for the first time today.

More than 220 holiday homes and 140 motorhomes and caravans will be on display at The Great Holiday Home Show.

The three-day show, formerly known as The Lawns, has never before been held in Harrogate in its more than 40-year history.

TV presenters Christine Talbot and Matt Baker will host chat shows, while YouTube motorhome family the Roaming Radfords and The Yorkshire Vet’s Peter Wright will also be in attendance.

The Great British Bake Off’s Karen Wright and chef Steph Moon will hold live cookery demonstrations over the weekend too.

Live music, children’s entertainment and food stands will also be on offer.

Sunrise at the showground.

Visitors can try their hands at paddle-boarding and e-biking, as well as towing tuition for upcoming caravan holidays.

As well as the chance to shop for outdoor holiday homes, accessories and motorhome technology will be available to purchase at the show.

Tickets are available online or on the door and cost £12.50 per person. Under 16s go free with a paying adult.

Parking is free and dogs on leads are welcome.

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A new charity shop will open tomorrow on Harrogate’s Oxford Street as part of ambitious expansion plans.

Yorkshire Cancer Research will open the shop in the former Porters clothing shop, after the business moved to James Street two years ago.

Tomorrow’s official opening will be conducted by TV presenter and journalist Christine Talbot, with the Mayor of the Borough of Harrogate, Cllr Victoria Oldham, also attending.

The Harrogate-based charity already has five shops and plans to open a further 15 in the next five years, saying it plans to open units on every high street in Yorkshire.

Each shop is expected to raise £100,000 a year for the charity, which funds research into cancer. YCR is the largest regional cancer charity, funding 62 research programmes and allowing 250,000 people to participate in pioneering research and treatment.

The former Porters shop on Oxford Street.

A spokesperson for YCR said:

“As well as raising funds to help prevent, diagnose and treat cancer, the shops are the ‘greenest on the high street’, allowing people to recycle pre-loved items and buy sustainably sourced products.

“They also provide opportunities for people to learn new skills, meet new people and play a role in helping those with cancer in Yorkshire through volunteering.”

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The Mayor of Harrogate borough and former presenters from ITV Calendar took part in jurassic golf in Harrogate town centre last weekend.

Duncan Wood and Christine Talbot joined Cllr Victoria Oldham to take on the nine-hole course.

The course has been set up outside the Victoria Shopping Centre until Saturday, August 28.

Alongside the course, a Dino Trail has been set up in the town centre.

As people complete the trail, they will also be collecting letters that form a simple, themed anagram. Users can then submit the anagram/answer via the LoyalFree app for an additional chance to win a prize draw.

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Matthew Chapman, manager of Harrogate Business Improvement District, which has led on the initiative, said:

“In addition to coming into town to shop, eat and drink, visitors can now add mini-crazy golf to the list. The crazy golf in the Valley Gardens is incredibly popular, and we are confident our jurassic golf will be a roaring success.

“And once you have completed the challenging nine-hole course, there’s a dinosaur-themed themed trail to follow around town. A great way to spend an hour or two before or after visiting Harrogate’s great shops, bars and restaurants.”

Those wishing to play a round of golf can turn up on the day or book on the jurassic golf website here.

The cost is adults £3, children £2.50, family of four (two adults and two children) £10 and one adult and one child £5.

Around 140,000 visitors are set to descend on Harrogate next week for the Great Yorkshire Show.

The county’s showpiece agricultural event will take place over four days from Tuesday to Friday at the Great Yorkshire Showground.

There is always so much to see and do. So, as lifestyle editor, I’ve delved into what is on offer when it comes to family entertainment, food and drink and famous faces.

Family

There is plenty of free entertainment at the Discovery Zone.

When I visited the show last year with my three-year-old, we absolutely loved the Discovery Zone.

Slightly off the beaten track, it’s definitely worth adding to your itinerary if you’re taking the kids.

The area is described as “offering both fun and learning opportunities for all the family to find out more about food, farming and the countryside”.

This year the Discovery Zone will be showcasing regenerative agriculture, to tell the story of environmental practices that are shaping modern farming.

A wildflower meadow has been created for visitors to enjoy and picnic alongside, and interpretation boards will explain how farmers and landowners carefully manage the land to harness nature and wildlife.

Expect a full array of completely free and interactive activities, workshops and demonstrations for families and young people, from wand and felt making, to meeting reptiles and milking a demonstration dairy cow.

This year there will be a new careers hotdesk, organised by the Yorkshire Agricultural Society and supported by agricultural colleges and vets. There will be an opportunity to ask the hosts about routes into agricultural careers and free goodie bags.

Food and drink

Shaun Rankin, of Grantley Hall.

If you’re into your food and drink, our county undoubtedly has some of the best in the world.

This year foodies are in for treat when the winner of MasterChef 2022, Eddie Scott, and Yorkshire Shepherdess Amanda Owen line up with a host of well-known regional chefs to cook up some of the region’s finest produce.

The Great Yorkshire Food Theatre will feature more than 20 chefs, including Callum Bowmer of Horto at Rudding Park, Harrogate, Dragon’s Den contestant Will Chew of Mak Tok, in Sheffield, Michelin-starred Shaun Rankin of Grantley Hall, near Ripon, and Nathan Richardson-Kelly of Castle Howard, York.

Dishes being demonstrated range from steamed rhubarb muthiya to halibut and from chicken pancakes to slow roasted beef.

MasterChef winner Eddie appears on Tuesday at 2pm. While shepherdess Amanda shares some of her favourite family recipes from her bestselling book ‘Celebrating the Seasons’ on the Friday at 2.30pm.

Great Yorkshire Food Theatre host Sue Nelson said:

“We’re thrilled to be hosting some great names who between them exude incredible talent showcasing the best of Yorkshire’s culinary scene.

“It’s a great coup to have got Eddie to appear on his home turf so soon after his MasterChef win and he joins a brilliant gourmet line-up oozing passion and skill.”

The Game Cookery Theatre makes the most of Yorkshire game, including venison, pigeon, grouse and rabbit. The game theatre also features a number of chefs, with host Steph Moon joining forces with grouse expert John Cavana to create grouse nuggets and grouse with black pudding.

New for 2022 is an appearance by Year 8 students from Harrogate’s St Aidan’s High School. They have won the opportunity to cook at the show, with two different forms producing their own game pizzas.

Game Cookery Theatre host Steph Moon said:

“It is fantastic to have a full programme at the show again. We have some new chefs and some young chefs and as always we will be showcasing the very best Yorkshire produce in both theatres.”

Famous faces

Matt Baker.

For many years the Fashion Show brought a touch of glamour to the Great Yorkshire Show.

This year, organisers are trying something different, with a new celebrity chat show being held in its place.

TV presenter Christine Talbot will host the show on the new GYS Stage, which will be staged in the former fashion show building next to grey gate.

Farming celebrities will be interviewed and will then have a chat with fans afterwards in a meet and greet zone.

This will include Countryfile presenter Adam Henson on Tuesday, JLS popstar-turned farmer JB Gill on Wednesday, TV host Matt Baker MBE on Thursday and the Yorkshire Shepherdess Amanda Owen on Friday.

The Yorkshire Vet Peter Wright will take to the stage each day of the show.

Mr Wright said:

“We always love coming to the Great Yorkshire Show and have been coming for years, with my family as well as filming. I’m delighted to be taking part in the brand new GYS Stage which will be an exciting new addition to the show.”

In 2021, organisers capped the number of visitors at 104,000 and made the show a four-day event to spread out the number of visitors due to covid.

This year, the show is back to full strength and the last few tickets are available for Friday. Tickets are available here and won’t be sold at the gates.