Waverley A&P Show ticks boxes

Sacha Turnball, eight and from Oeo, shows pedigree Jersey calf Caramel. PHOTO/ BEVAN CONLEY t

From the slabs of fruitcake in the home industries shed to the children proudly leading dairy calves - Waverley's A & P Show keeps valued traditions alive.

It's always windy at the show. The wind was extra strong overnight, and blew some tents and marquees over. On the day there was light rain in the morning as well.

The show is seldom cancelled for bad weather. It's been taking place after the Whanganui A & P Show and before the Hawera and Stratford shows for 95 years.

Waverley Primary School is still open on the day, but children can choose to go to the show instead. Quite a few were there, trying to stay atop the mechanical surfboard and buying hot dogs and chips.

Food was also provided by Silver Fern Farms in a barbecue, and, for the third year, in the community centre by staff from Martha Neil's Waverley Diner.

There were 130 lambs there to be judged, with prizes for the top four in each category. Farmers gifted about 20 lambs to the show, raising about $2000 to pay its expenses.

In the home industries shed entries for roses and cut flowers were good, steward Nancye Smith said. Cooking was holding its own but entries for floral art, arts and crafts and produce were looking a bit thin.

There were 34 dogs entered in the dog trials. Record keeper Diane Hewton watched from her car because the dog trial tent had blown over during the night.

"It was flattened," she said.

Moving to Waverley from the Whanganui A & P Show, Mahon's Amusements had set up five games and two rides for the day. Among the stallkeepers were British pair Alan Woodcock and Rachel Jenkyns.

They are in New Zealand on working holiday visas. They looked for work on the backpackerboard website, and found jobs travelling with Mahon's Amusements.

They have been paid wages and have slept in their own vehicle for the last six weeks. They will be able to carry on their independent travels after finishing up in two weeks' time.