Guernsey’s South Show kicked off yesterday, (Friday 8 August), offering a variety of the south parishes best produce, home grown and home made, and looks to continue in style today, (Saturday 9 August).
Islanders were treated to bottle and book stalls, a raffle, and locally grown vegetables, as well as the café,
John Ogier is the President of the South Show, he was brimming with pride after a successful start on Friday, with a great influx of 1,000 entries exhibiting in this year’s displays.
He said the start of 2025’s show has been a success: “I think it’s gone really well. We’ve got near on 1,000 exhibits across all the different classes, and everyone’s come together as a team, and it’s a great community parish event.”
The show continues today, (Saturday 9 August), from 11.00 to 17.00, with a packed schedule, and showing aan evolution from previous years, with a further adoption of some sights and spectacles.
Amidst the hall full of the South’s Best, the President of the show highlighted some of the high quality horticultural entries, noting the winning fruit basket with its tremendous, and even some Mediterranean fruits grown locally due to Guernsey’s changing climate.
He also mentioned some of the fantastic crafts on display, and was particularly moved by a poem written by a child about the 80th anniversary of Guernsey’s Liberation, which connects the present with the past through a conversation with a grandparent.
Saturday highlights include live music from the Guernsey Jazz Orchestra and accordionist Michael Kinnersly, along with a performance by the Guernsey Majorettes.
Mr Ogier has been involved with the South Show for a number of years, and grew up in St Martins.
He says the show’s still got it’s roots, but has had to evolve: “Still remember when it was a big show and it was all about cows and people with hundreds of feet of glass houses and big trays of tomatoes and things like that, and that was great, and we want to keep that connection with plants and that, but we’ve got to change it as well.
The origins of the event are still at the shows heart though, with a keen focus on promoting healthy eating, cooking and crafting: “We’ve had to change with the way, but it’s also still about having people grow their own food, and about that actually being good for your well being, and for community and for children. I think it’s got a real future as well.”
For families, there’s a lot to do, with appearances from Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel, and Spider-Man.
The GSPCA is running a dog show, and there will be a Petite Funfair, free face painting, and a willow craft workshop, and of course the café, stalls, and raffle will be available again today.
Mr Ogier lastly sent a big shout out to the South’s community, and doing parishes proud: “I’d like to send a big message of Thank you, and let’s keep, let’s keep creating, and let’s keep, keep doing this for our parishes, our island and our community.”