A celebrity was among the crowds overlooking the main ring on the Friday of the show. Scotland’s renowned singer and songwriter, Barbara Dickson came along to what is now her local show, as she is back living in Edinburgh for the past three years. This was the first time Barbara had been at the show and she was really enjoying looking around the livestock. She had come along with her friend George Pirie, of Pirie Antiques, who has an interest in Aberdeen-Angus so she toured the cattle with him and had a look around the sheep lines. Having attended Lincolnshire Show when she lived in the area she knew what to expect, but she says she was so pleased to be at a show full of Scottish exhibitors and livestock.

“Today I walked around the poultry tent and saw a little Buff Orpington which has adopted some ducklings, it was so lovely. And the bees, I was thrilled to see the bees. The only thing that I’m sorry isn’t here is a plants or flowers section. I love planting and gardens and I’m sure I would have been going home with bags of plants had they been here.”

At the show, Barbara was persuaded to get involved in a cooking demonstration with chef, Chris Trotter, and she was impressed by the lovely dishes that he was creating on just two little rings.

Just at that, the Heavy Horse Turnouts trotted by the members area and Barbara was taken aback by the beauty of the horses and the work involved in turning out the horses and carts to such a high standard.

Barbara is busy working on her full band tour in 2019, which begins in February with 28 dates in the diary covering the UK.

For the remainder of 2018, July sees Barbara returning to Virginia, USA, for the Big Stone Gap Festival where she will play three solo shows between July 6-8.