Balmoral show

[farmer Les]

Evening, off over to the show this week, staying in centre of belfast, how is easiest to get there? walk, taxi, bus? ta

 

[Tha Ulsterscot]

Would be a bit far to walk, but if you look on the show website you will find info there.

 

[Hayboy]

There are free buses running from the show grounds to Lisburn city centre, im not sure but imagine there must be one to belfast too. Unfortunately this is the first year of the show at its new venue, the former maze prison site. The old one was easy to get to on the train and had a cracking pub directly opposite!

 

[multi power]

There are free buses running from the show grounds to Lisburn city centre, im not sure but imagine there must be one to belfast too. Unfortunately this is the first year of the show at its new venue, the former maze prison site. The old one was easy to get to on the train and had a cracking pub directly opposite!

why has the show moved ?

 

[Tha Ulsterscot]

More room, bigger site, easier parking and access, starting on a blank page, so to speak and away from all the towny toffs in the Balmoral area.

 

[MrA.G.]

Evening, off over to the show this week, staying in centre of belfast, how is easiest to get there? walk, taxi, bus? ta

http://www.translink.co.uk/Special-Offers/Balmoral-Show-2013/

See the above link, Your best bet may be to get a train from Europa Train & Bus station to Lisburn train station where shuttle buses will operate to the show grounds.

Bring appropriate footwear as we have had a fair bit of rain over here the past few days and with it only been constructed recently there may be a few less than ideal walkways.

 

[farmer Les]

Thanks guys, gives us something to go on!

 

[cowboysupper]

http://www.translink.co.uk/Special-Offers/Balmoral-Show-2013/

See the above link, Your best bet may be to get a train from Europa Train & Bus station to Lisburn train station where shuttle buses will operate to the show grounds.

Bring appropriate footwear as we have had a fair bit of rain over here the past few days and with it only been constructed recently there may be a few less than ideal walkways.

Plus one on getting the train from Europa to Lisburn (15 mins max if express) then hop on the free bus to the showgrounds.

Was on the site last week, bar the show rings (which of course are grass) it is 100% a free draining surface. The entire site was dug up and all the old tarmac recycled with a new drainage system laid underneath. They looked at what happened Yorkshire and Edinburgh last year and planned for that never to happen at the Maze....too much money at stake for that to happen.

I'd bring plenty of layers because it is open and if the weathers not so hot it will be absolutely baltic.

No matter what the weathers like, Im really looking forward to it. The site has huge potential.

 

[Razor8]

from a keen sheep farmer's perspective, which day is best to go and have a look around with the family??

 

[cowboysupper]

from a keen sheep farmer's perspective, which day is best to go and have a look around with the family??

Would depend what your into. The sheep are there all three days for the first time in a big marquee they have set up. The interbreed will be on the Friday I think. I shall hopefully make the Texel judging on Wednesday.

 

[Andyrob]

Always found that the thursday was best as first day everyone was settled into it.

Didnt realise there was so many from Northern Ireland here!!

 

[Razor8]

going to go for thursday, must buy a big umbrella on the way up!

 

[Tha Ulsterscot]

Just back from the show, and had a good day, BUT they definately need to sit down and have a good think once they get this one done and dusted. There were terrific crowds there today, and the avenues/roadways in the showground are woefully inadequate. They would need to be twice the width, to cope with the footfall.
Another thing they did today, which totally ballsed up the whole thing was to put a barrier walkway from the cattle arena to the horse arena. This cut the whole showground in half! and only one path which went right round the top end of the arena became the only through route, again woefully narrow and almost impossible to get through.
There is great potential on the site, and by using Tents, they can re-jig things to get them right, but hte roadways need to be wider, it's hard to enjoy something if you are constantly battling through crowds.

 

[Baker9]

Just back from the show, and had a good day, BUT they definately need to sit down and have a good think once they get this one done and dusted. There were terrific crowds there today, and the avenues/roadways in the showground are woefully inadequate. They would need to be twice the width, to cope with the footfall.
Another thing they did today, which totally ballsed up the whole thing was to put a barrier walkway from the cattle arena to the horse arena. This cut the whole showground in half! and only one path which went right round the top end of the arena became the only through route, again woefully narrow and almost impossible to get through.
There is great potential on the site, and by using Tents, they can re-jig things to get them right, but hte roadways need to be wider, it's hard to enjoy something if you are constantly battling through crowds.

I was at the show on Friday and I agree with the post above, the only other major complaint that I have is that I was not able to get anywhere near the cattle, I got up the corridor at the side once but you cannot see cattle from 60 feet away. I know there are safety issues with letting the public close to cattle but.... I do not like being stopped at the door by some security guy who knows F~~##all about what he is talking.
It is supposed to be a showcase for the breeders but if you cannot get close to the cattle and the owners then what is the purpose. Looking at them on the cattle lawn from a distance does not do it for me.
Also sheep good access to the pens etc. but where were the owners for fs, are they not interested in dealing with the visitors or is that beneath them, should they not by trying to promote their stock to other farmers or are they just competing to compete to win prizes for the sake of winning and messing up the attributes of the breed in the process?

 

[JP1]

Good aerial shot on Robert Smith's FB site here:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...25364046139.2082333.1597674539&type=1&theater

 

[Razor8]

We had a great day too, but on the way out we were in a queue of approximately 50 cars for over an hour, when we were about 5 cars from the exit a steward came along and blocked the exit with cones and tape.............. How he wasn’t killed I don’t know, there was a mob after him and the cones and tape were kindly removed for him and placed neatly in the hedge

The traffic management was really really poor. On entering the car park we were greeted by multiple luminous jackets and a hand out for £5 and told where to park exactly and directed. On way out there didn’t seem to be half these people

 

[Tha Ulsterscot]

As I understand it, on the first day they streamed the cars into two lines and collected the money out of the cars. This is not long in causing tail backs, even at smaller events. After this they started to lift the money after they had them parked, which worked much better. On friday we got in without hardly a stop, guy took our fiver and on to the next in line. I suppose they never had to cope with the public parking before, but you soon learn.
Hopefully lessons will have been learned and improvements made for next year. It was a very big move, so we'd better give a bit of leeway.

 

[cowboysupper]

The traffic was chaotic on friday evening. I went out the gate about 6 took a look and went back into the show ground. Was after 7.30 before the traffic really seemed to move.

Eventsec have a lot of thinking to do if they want that contract again next year. Perhaps a trip to the Ploughing Championships down south would enlighten them. Being able to purchase parking tics online might also be an idea. Ultimately getting connected up to the M1 you would like to hope will solve a lot of the problems.

Apart from that I was there all three days and it was excellent. Two minor things they could correct as well would perhaps be to widen the pathways a bit and they might also want some sort of pathway around the back of the cattle shed. During the grand parade on friday the only way round to the other side of the show ground was to go out round the back of the horse arena and the pathway was absolutely jammed with prams and people.

But I guess this is one of the good things about not having permanent structures up yet. They can keep improving and making adjustments until they know they have it right.

 

[Baling Hay]

The traffic was chaotic on friday evening. I went out the gate about 6 took a look and went back into the show ground. Was after 7.30 before the traffic really seemed to move.

Eventsec have a lot of thinking to do if they want that contract again next year. Perhaps a trip to the Ploughing Championships down south would enlighten them. Being able to purchase parking tics online might also be an idea. Ultimately getting connected up to the M1 you would like to hope will solve a lot of the problems.

Apart from that I was there all three days and it was excellent. Two minor things they could correct as well would perhaps be to widen the pathways a bit and they might also want some sort of pathway around the back of the cattle shed. During the grand parade on friday the only way round to the other side of the show ground was to go out round the back of the horse arena and the pathway was absolutely jammed with prams and people.

But I guess this is one of the good things about not having permanent structures up yet. They can keep improving and making adjustments until they know they have it right.

They aren't putting permanent structures up for it!

 

[Baling Hay]

I was at the show on Friday and I agree with the post above, the only other major complaint that I have is that I was not able to get anywhere near the cattle, I got up the corridor at the side once but you cannot see cattle from 60 feet away. I know there are safety issues with letting the public close to cattle but.... I do not like being stopped at the door by some security guy who knows F~~##all about what he is talking.
It is supposed to be a showcase for the breeders but if you cannot get close to the cattle and the owners then what is the purpose. Looking at them on the cattle lawn from a distance does not do it for me.
Also sheep good access to the pens etc. but where were the owners for fs, are they not interested in dealing with the visitors or is that beneath them, should they not by trying to promote their stock to other farmers or are they just competing to compete to win prizes for the sake of winning and messing up the attributes of the breed in the process?

What? You couldn't get into the cattle marquee?