THE pop-up-fairground, the bagpipes and the car-boot buffets . . . the 2014 Poverty Bay A&P; Show was once again a festive mix of attractions from the familiar to the new. http://www.gisborneherald.co.nz https://www.facebook.com/gisborneherald https://www.youtube.com/gisborneherald “It was epic,” says Show association manager Derek Allan. “We had the regular displays and events and a range of new attractions such as the House and Garden expo. “The expo proved very popular and bodes well for the future.” Attendance numbers were up on last year’s 19,027 and overall the Show went very well. Among the perennial events were the pet lamb, goat and calf parade. Dressed lambs featured a pirate lamb, two bat-lambs, an armed and dangerous lamb, and several princesses. The Gisborne Herald Farmyard was as popular as ever and featured exotics such as an aquarium of red-eared turtles who stared at their neighbours — a clutch of fluffy turkey chicks. In a carpeted cage, a pile of polydactal (multi-toed) Maine coon kittens snoozed in one corner while across the way, a pen of otherwise excitable children were calmed by rabbits. Stu Potter, author of Gisborne-based children’s book The Fish Story, and illustrator Miri Britain ran a stall in the house and garden section. There was a lot of interest in the book, said Ms Britain. “Many people knew about it before the Show. We had good feedback and sold a few copies.” The blacksmith’s red-brick veneered caravan was parked in its usual place nearby while further up the track the ground thudded with restored pumps and British-made work-horses such as Taranaki man Alf Christian’s one-third scale traction engine. Marc Bolland, originally from Warwickshire, England, recalled using two similar stationary engines to draw a plough up by rope up and down the field. The avenues of displays in the trade park were particularly busy. The Tourism Eastland tent saw a steady stream of visitors all day, said sales and marketing assistant Nicole Breingan. “A lot of people are coming in to vote for the Out East photo competition. They are loving it, and we are launching our new visitor guide here. We have had plenty of takers. More people have come through than last year.” New events in the main arena included a dramatised rescue of car-crash victims. “I got a request from SADD — Students Against Dangerous Driving — to see if there was something if they could do,” says Mr Allan. “As soon as they got involved, all the emergency services were behind it.” In the dramatisation, a scythe-wielding Grim Reaper was thwarted as St John’s medics resuscitated one crash victim while firemen used the Jaws of Life to cut open the crushed car and remove another victim. The ECT rescue helicopter swooped in to take the stabilised patients to hospital. Meanwhile, police dog-handlers set an enthusiastic German Shepherd on the trail of the runaway driver. The padded driver tried to bolt but was taken down by the police dog, cuffed and led away. Other new events included bucking ram rides and a bareback donkey race. Commentator Neville Clark accompanied the chaos with non-stop comedic banter. “We are really proud to have him here,” says Mr Allan.“You could take him anywhere in New Zealand and he would be a hit.” Filmed and Edited by Ben Cowper http://www.gisborneherald.co.nz #GigaTownGisborne

• published: 22 Oct 2014
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