It was wet, windy and colder than I would have liked for a May Bank Holiday, but it didn't stop us having a great time at the Leicestershire County Show at Melton Mowbray today.
The show, on a former airfield just outside the town, brings the best bits from the countryside together in one place and for a family like mine it's a great day out.
We've got two young children, aged two and three, so there's nothing quite like ta
king them to a place where you can let them run wild – which is what they did.
Despite the damp and at times a bit dreary conditions, there was plenty to see and do.
There were several rings packed with competitions for cattle, sheep, pigs, horse and ponies, dogs, pigeons and poultry. There were also showjumping and horseriding competitions.
I'm no expert on things like these but they are great to watch – especially with the kids. And because the animals are all on site in massive marquees the children can get up close and see them – which for our two is brilliant.
We had a great time looking at the goats, sheep, horses and cattle, sorry moo-cows.
A clear winner with my two-year-old son Zak was the vintage tractor display.
Thehere were marquees filled with stalls, a country market and farmers' market and they were a great place to take shelter from the rain.
For keen gardners there was the chance to quiz the experts at ITV's Gardening Question Time and the show also welcomed Jimmy's Farm, from the hit TV programme.
We were quite happy wandering around looking at animals, watching the youngsters compete in the Pony Club Mounted Games and looking at the trade stands and markets.
We took a picnic but there was no need thanks to the food bandstand and there were plenty of stands selling mouthwatering food, sweet and savoury.
After a couple of hours in the rain we took the opportunity to warm up in the farriers' marquee.
And it was as the farriers bashed away at the red hot metal horseshoes, the warmth and fresh air took its toll on Zak.
He virtually climbed into my arms and fell asleep instantly, despite all the noise from hammers colliding with anvils. It seemed like the perfect time to make tracks.
We'd had a great morning out. We'd had plenty of fresh air and the kids had had plenty to keep them amused and interested.
It's the second time I've been to the county show and what I really enjoy is the atmosphere. It's very friendly, simplistic in a way and basically a great escape from the warp-speed way of life so many of us seem to lead these days.
Here's looking forward to more in the future.
Mike Roberts