Friday Fun Day - It's Show Time!

After having to cancel the 2020 event due to our friend COVID-19, it was wonderful for the Royal Bathurst Show to be held from Friday until today.  The organisers would have been so happy to have perfect weather for the event.  Just what was needed.

We went down on Friday, taking my Mum along with us.  She has always enjoyed the show. The first thing that she wanted to see was the needlework.  Mum has entered items over many years, and was often a judge, while she taught dressmaking and handicrafts at Tech.  Even now, when she lives in aged care, she had entered a couple of items.  The ladies that run the craft activities at the nursing home like to have a few of the ladies enter some of their work in the section for frail aged.  They did OK too, with three ladies winning a prize.

Mum was one of those ladies.  She spends much of her time crocheting the tops of kitchen towels and her entry came first.  She was tickled pink.  That's hers with the vegetables.

Mum always encouraged me to enter items as well, although I had let this lapse for many years.  Her reasoning is that, as a judge, it is so disappointing if there is very little there to judge.

With that reasoning, I had a look at the Show Schedule to see what I could enter, and in the end entered eight items.  I was also tickled pink when I saw how they went.

I entered Block Heads 3 and Trail Mix in the section "Machine Pieced Quilt - Commercially Quilted".  Block Heads came first and Trail Mix second.

The other prizes I won were second for a "Tote Bag" with my little Sewing Bag from one of the Nundle retreats, that I finally finished last year (in the centre of the photo above), second with my "Crochet - Shawl or Stole" (the blue ombre triangular one to the left of the photo) and first with "Any Article Not Previously Mentioned - eg a cushion or table runner".  It was for my twister table runner, to the left of photo.  I had also entered a second tote bag, a second table runner and a small wall hanging that were unsuccessful.  You can see Mum's hand towel much clearer in this photo, too.

I was rather gob smacked to see that I had received two Champion ribbons, one for a "Quilt Patchwork, Applique and Quilting" and one for "Other Article of Patchwork, Applique and Quilting".

I'm not trying to put myself down, but it would have been nice to see more entries.  Most sections only had a couple of entries.  Hopefully, there will be more in the future.  Having said that, there truly was some beautiful work on show, in particular a couple of crocheted rugs.  One lady, who won the "Most Successful Exhibitor", had entries in nearly every section.  Her work was of an excellent quality in all the different skills.

After a bit more of a look around and leisurely lunch it was time to have a look at the animal nursery.

By early afternoon Mum was getting a bit weary, so we took her home, before heading back in to have a bit more of a look around ourselves.

We always have to venture through sideshow alley after dark.  LED lights have added a whole new level of colour to everything.

We had noticed what appeared to be a new Ferris Wheel, so went to have a look.  Wow!  It is a bit more upmarket than the one we used to go on as kids.

Apparently, it is the tallest Ferris Wheel in Australia.

I can list all the different rides that, as a teenager, I went on and then promptly threw up.  They really didn't do it for me.  However, the Ferris Wheel is my all time favourite.  Of course we had to go for a ride.

The gondalas are fully enclosed and we were impressed to see that they were wheel chair friendly, as was demonstrated when a lady took advantage of that feature.  The fellows were so good with her. 

The view of the showground with its rides, ring and historic pavilions is spectacular from so high.  

Once back on the ground we continued our wander.  I don't find clowns creepy as a rule, but I didn't really like these ones.

These ones were much nicer and more like we are used to at the show.

And to finish, one more picture of the Ferris Wheel.  It was so colourful, but it doesn't really show up well in the photos.

We had seen just about all there was to see during the day, so headed home and watched the fireworks from our verandah.  No photos, but they were pretty good.

I hope that overall the show was well attended, to help make up for last year.  We certainly enjoyed ourselves and there was lots to see.  Now to wait for next year......and get stitching so that I have something to enter.