The main part the Norfolk Show has played in my life is introducing me to the delights of coke. That's coke as in coca cola and not as in the drug.
I'm sure I had my first ever bottle of coke at the Royal Norfolk Show. I only remember going once as a boy and I believe it was with my cousin. Our school didn't have days off to attend the show.
I do remember that there was a distinct difference to the two days. The Wednesday was for toffs and the country set. The Thursday was more for schools and the general public. Now there's no difference between the two days, apart from a lot of very tired people who start to shut up stalls earlier on the second day.
I know they are very tired because I used to be one of them. For many years, when I worked in pr for the police, organising a presence for the police at the show was one of my jobs.
That's not presence as in operational policing but presence as in promoting the police. It was primarily giving out crime prevention advice for adults and pencils, stickers and other stuff to children. Water bottles always went down well. Youngsters used to go home laden with freebies which was always the attraction of going. Now there are less freebies.
One year I was dressed as Safety Sam the Police badger (don't ask). Another year my boys enjoyed sitting on a police motorbike and going down a collision contraption to simulate a road traffic crash. Little did I think that many years later my youngest son would be a traffic cop himself.
I always had mixed feelings about working at the Norfolk Show. It was a week long job with two days to get the marquee ready, followed by two show days and then a day dismantling it all. It was hard work and it's tough smiling all day.
After I left the police, I was involved for a couple of years with schools and in particular with the school of which I was chair of governors. One year I even had to walk round the main ring after somebody nominated me as a Champion of Norfolk. The other threequarters was similarly honoured despite coming from Yorkshire.
Which reminds me on a wall in Sheringham is a blue plaque telling everyone that the quintessential Norfolk man Alan Smethurst, the Singing Postman, lived in Sheringham. He may have been the quintessential Norfolk man but he was actually born in Lancashire, which is definitely not in Norfolk.
He did move to Sheringham when he was two and his mother came from Stiffkey in North Norfolk. He was never a postman in Norfolk but was one in Grimsby. How's that for exploding some myths?
Anyway there wasn't an auspicious start to our day at the show. We like to get there nice and early to avoid the heavy traffic. We are lucky in being able to get there on country roads and it only takes about 20 minutes.
Woke up to heavy rain but we nevertheless set off before 8 am with the intention of sitting in the car until the worst of the rain moved away which we were told it would do. I'm not sure which is worse rain or blistering heat which we had one year.
The rain took some time to stop so we hid inside the Norwich School marquee and had coffee and bacon butties. Eventually we did brave the weather and as anticipated the sun came out and everything dried up.
We watched some dog agility and Prince William giving away some cups for cattle. What I mean is he presented some trophies to the owners and not that he swapped some Royal tea sets in exchange for some cows to take home. Quite a few people followed him around.
"That's Prince William," some of them were heard to say as if he's not the most recognisable man in the country if you discount Andy Murray.
My favourite offer was the raffle on the Specsavers hearing aid stall. First prize was a pair of hearing aids (pardon what's that you said). Second prize was a golden ticket but it didn't say what that actually was and third prize was a free ear wax removal session.
"Hey mum and dad I won a prize in a raffle at the show."
"Did you dear. That's nice."
"Mum what's ear wax?"
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Somebody posted a series of lovely historic photographs of Norfolk on Facebook taken by an early days photographer by the name of Peter Emerson. Most of these were of Great Yarmouth.
It made me want to see more of his photos and I will be searching for them.
My regular reader Alan B responded to my comment about only having Earl Grey tea in Eastbourne by referring to a cartoon by Bateman. I have scoured the internet but can't find it. If anyone knows where I can get hold of a copy or view it online I would be most grateful.
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She comes up with the morning sun
And tells me life has just begun
Oh what it is to be young.
Thought I would end today with a song lyric. Anyone know what the song is? No using the Internet.