WITH foot and mouth just two miles away from her family farm, Sally Clive, president of this year's Herefordshire-hosted Three Counties Show, knows how vital the event will be in boosting battered morale.
Having seen and shared the strain felt by so many, Sally says the show must go on -- as a one-off 'survival' special, writes Bill Tanner.
Leading from the front, Sally of Perrystone Court, near Ross-on-Wye, is spearheading the Stress in the Countryside Appeal, an intensive fund-raising campaign, launched in association with Newsquest newspapers, that ends with the all-new Three Counties Summer Show over August 17-19.
The original occasion would have been held a month earlier but for foot and mouth. Chris Milne, chief executive to the Three Counties Agricultural Society (TCAS), confirmed that, with the countryside in crisis, traditional dates would 'not be appropriate'.
Past TCAS presidents are backing the bid, and for Sally this alternative is a 'survival showcase', rallying the reeling rural economy and providing a much-needed shop window for those facing financial loss. Aimed at all ages, families in particular, the Summer Show inherits many familiar features such as showjumping, forestry, farriery and foods alongside new attractions. Before the big day, though, there's serious business. Stress in the Countryside is aimed at assisting individuals and businesses, with donations distributed via the free and confidential Rural Stress Support Network which can be contacted on 0870 7074445.
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