A couple of weeks ago I
enjoyed myself at the Royal Melbourne Show, but couldn't help feeling
that although it had lots of colour, movement and noise it lacked the
certain Something one finds at the Hobart Show. So I went to the
Hobart Show on Peoples' Day.
Usually I go on Friday in hope of
smaller crowds, but decided to brave it this year in the interests of
Comparison.
Weather wasn't quite as miserable as it traditionally is,
but there didn't seem to be many people there and everything was
pretty much as I expected, only better.
For example, there was plenty of
parking space. (There's my car, the blue one off in the distance).
I watched the traditional country pastime - woodchopping, a sport said to have been invented in Tasmania. Occasional falls of snow on the Mountain during the day are not quite so traditional.
Taking refuge from temporarily inclement weather in the Produce Hall I discovered the sort of Fruit display one used to see in the past, but which has been absent in more recent years. Nice to see it return.
The produce hall was infested by a fearsome horde of
scarecrows created by different groups of school children.
Fortunately, there were plenty of police officers about to protect
everyone.
Of course, there were farm animals; after all, that's what The Show is all about, isn't it?
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| The sheep, goats and cows are here - but where are the people? |
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| ponies waiting for their turn in the ring |
Grand Parade
In the main arena there were equestrian events, and the Grand Parade.
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| geniune London Black Cab, I believe |
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| serious Heavy Metal |
Vintage Machinery
The Old Bits and Pieces
Club of Tasmania Inc kept me fascinated for quite a while.
I love machinery and
this dedicated band of enthusiasts have rescued and restored some
amazing – well – bits and pieces.
This was my favourite:
It's a 780E 4
horsepower screen-cooled engine made in the USA by International Famous in
1917. A pretty primitive cooling system, but it obviously works!
And what about this
two-cylinder gem, also seen above with its attentive owner ?
Sideshows
While on the subject of
Old Things - these laughing clowns date from the early days of the
last century – before the Great War. Their owner, now in her
seventies, has been taking them round the shows for fifty years.
They're made of plaster, and she's just given them yet another coat
of paint. I probably popped ping pong balls in their mouths when I
was brought to the Show as a small child – and my father reckons he
probably did, too.
These are some of their younger brothers - probably from the 1940s
The modern fibreglass versions don't seem to have nearly so much character, somehow.
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| Sideshow Alley |
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| Are the rides getting more startling - or am I just getting old? |
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| something more my speed |
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| alas, for show only, not for us plebs to ride in |
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| visitors had to content themselves with Dodgem Cars |
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| or rolling around in huge bubbles |
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| or bouncing on a Jurassic Castle |
Jurassic Castle? Surely you jest!
Dinosaurs
Now, here's something you really don't expect to see at The Show - real, life-size dinosaurs!
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| Show visitor startled by a giant prehistoric dragonfly - yes, they really were this size! |
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Two friendly Leaellynasaura
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terrorised by a runaway –
puppet?
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Erth Visual & Physical Inc. create some truly awesome spectacles; the Dinosaurs are only a small part of their output. Their website is absolutely worth a visit:
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