'Everyone loves it' - community saves historic Winslow livestock market

Future

Once permissions had been obtained from the town council, the organising committee approached the team at Newark livestock auction.

Pauline says: “We said we wanted them to work on our behalf and we thought they would support us, and they absolutely have.

“It is a lovely range of people from young to old. We work really well as a team.”

Most of the producers bringing livestock are from Buckinghamshire, but it also attracts people from nearby Northamptonshire and Bedfordshire.

John and Pauline often have to sell deadweight at Rugby or Newark, but that is not their ‘preferred way to do it’ and they ‘want to sell at livestock markets’.

The event will never be a huge event, due to the size of the market square, she adds. But they can have a total of 105 pens of lambs and about 25 cattle.

The support of the town council and Aylesbury Vale council was vital in getting the show back in the market square, says committee vice-chairman Richard Haynes.

He says: “We started with nothing in the market square, but with the committee being so enthusiastic, we designed the rostrum in the first year and, in the second year, we put a roof on it. Then in the third year we made our arch.”

With this year being the 150th year, the committee decided to give all exhibitors a commemorative whisky tumbler. All sheep hurdles and other equipment have been purchased by the show through sponsorship and fundraising.

“It is wonderful how much support we get,” says Richard.

The show has great support from local businesses as well, says Pauline.

Sue North, of the Farm Deli, just off the market square, says the market helps connect local people with food production.

She says: “It connects people to the whole process of producing food, caring for animals and how it gets to their plate.

Obviously from a high street retail perspective, it is something unique and different and it brings people to Winslow.

“When the market was behind the hotel, it brought a different community into town and, since it left, we have lost that.

It is wonderful to have it back, even if it is just once-a-year.”

Judge Chris Bustance, Lincolnshire, chose a Limousin cross heifer from Littlewood Blues and Commercials as his champion, and later was the highest bidder for the heifer, which sold for £4,200.

The 680kg heifer was shown by 16-year-old Josh Geary. She was purchased at the J36 North West auction earlier this year. Bred by A.R. and B.J. Thompson, the heifer was purchased on behalf of Josh and his family by Paul Gentry.

In reserve was a home-bred Limousin cross heifer from Frank Page.

The lamb championship was won by John and Pauline Claridge, with a pen of four Texel cross lambs. These later sold for £260 to Mark Parrott of Whitchurch-based Parrott Bros butchers.

The Winslow show and sale is ‘the start of Christmas’, says John Gent, of Newark Livestock Market.

He says: “It is very important to keep small markets going. It keeps the community together. There is always a really good atmosphere here.”

Setting up is a joint effort with the committee, Newark staff and even local businesses getting involved.

John Gent says: “We get our electricity supply from an estate agent on the square, but by 6pm it will all be gone, and the town is back to normal and you would never know it was here.”

So, for another year, the town is back to normal business, but the team behind the primestock show remains determined the event will live on for the benefit of their businesses and the community for many years to come.