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13
Jul 2021
Glorious sunshine greets day one of Great Yorkshire Show
Catch up on all the colour and excitement of day one of the Great Yorkshire Show in Harrogate, which attracted a sell-out crowd of 26,000.
The Stray Ferret is running a live blog of the Great Yorkshire Show brought to you by Lister Haigh. We will keep updating this page with stories from the showground throughout the event.
Day one of the Great Yorkshire Show has opened to fabulous weather and a sell-out crowd.
This year's show run for an extended period from today until Friday. It will mean that the maximum capacity of 26,000 a day can spread out for social distancing.
Visitors are encouraged to take a lateral flow test before they arrive to prevent the spread of the virus.
Are you a local stall holder? Send an email by clicking or tapping here.
4pm - Harrogate farrier competes on world stage at Great Yorkshire Show
Harrogate’s Toby Pedley has been making horse shoes alongside the best in the world at the Great Yorkshire Show.
The local farrier competed at the forge today near the white gate and will be there for the rest of the week.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDNNSd1YQQI&feature=youtu.be
2.30pm - 'World first' virtual skydive raises funds for Yorkshire Cancer Research
Bethany from the Stray Ferret tried out Yorkshire Cancer Research's 'world first' virtual sky dive at the Great Yorkshire Show today.
The charity has a stall in the Welcome to Yorkshire section of the show. People can donate £10 to try out the virtual experience over Whitby Abbey.
Dr Kathryn Scott, chief executive of Harrogate-based Yorkshire Cancer Research, told the Stray Ferret:
"It's great to be out here fundraising again. We are really proud to be here and it is amazing to be able to see people again.
"Even the sun has come out, we are very pleased. Cancer research is not cheap. Something key for us is that we help people get their cancer diagnosis early.
"We also need to treat cancer better but it is all expensive and that is why fundraising events like this are so important for us."
1pm - Meet the Great Yorkshire Show coronavirus marshals
If you have been at the Great Yorkshire Show today then you may have seen the coronavirus marshals, who are new this year.
Coronavirus restrictions are in place as the show dates falle just ahead of the expected lifting of all lockdown measures next week.
Marshals Nirmala D'Cunha and Peter Butler told us about their role:
"Well it's mostly going to areas where people are crowding together, just to remind them. People have been absolutely great.
"We are carrying around masks as well in case people need them. People should be able to enjoy the show but also be safe.
"It is still an infectious disease and we need to be careful. The restrictions may be going next week but we still need to be sensible from then."
12pm - A photo gallery from the first morning back at the show
We have been taking some pictures around the Great Yorkshire Show this morning. Can you spot yourself in our gallery?
10.35am - Have you seen the dancing sheep Nobby, Dougal and Susie?
Did you catch the dancing sheep? Our reporter is down at the show today speaking to visitors as the first day of the Great Yorkshire Show gets underway.
10.20am - Everything you need to know about the Show's covid restrictions
For the first time the Show will be held over four days and have a limit of 26,000 visitors each day.
Other covid-safe measures include:
- Adapting the Show to use as much outdoor space as possible
- Multiple sanitiser points and changing layouts to avoid pinch points
- Track and Trace will be at the hospitality points
- Reducing the Grandstand capacity to 25% – 30% with tickets purchased in advance
- Extra security to disperse any crowding
- One way system around the Food Hall
- Hall 2 closed to public although the entrance will be a celebrity meet & greet
- Face coverings to be worn in all indoor areas, including toilets and the Grandstand, and encouraged when in queues
- Table service only at bar areas
8.40am - Gates open to first visitors
Visitors keen to get into the Great Yorkshire Show arrived early this morning as soon as the gates opened.
We spoke to one of the first people through the doors. Gillian is a dedicated visitor of the show and told the Stray Ferret:
"I am excited to be back. This is my 50th visit to the show. I have been every year since I was 12-years-old apart from the two that didn't happen.
"Every year I go to about 22 different shows but there is only this one in Harrogate and another in Driffield going ahead this year.
"I am from Hovingham near Malton so I set off at 6.30am, I thought I would be at the front row of the car park but I am on the fifth.
"It seems everyone is excited to be back to do something normal again."
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