Portraits at the Stroud Country Show

It is the anniversary of four years of my Blipping. I haven't added any back blips, but there have been many gaps and it is nearer five years since my first offering.  I have followed Helena's (aka Woodpeckers) advice and am just offering a picture that happened in my day for this blipversary.

We went to the annual Stroud Country Show held in Stratford Park, which is the town's big park and where the leisure centre is sited.  Helena tells me that the Show used to be much grander many years ago and there were processions on floats through the town.  Now it is quite small and subdued, but I'm glad that it still has the feeling of an old-fashioned agricultural show, reflecting the agricultural roots of our area which nowadays probably passes most people by.

We went straight to the area where the animal pens were and looked at the various types of sheep and cows and just caught the judging of the best Bull, whose attributes were suitably significant.  A little later, whilst Helena did a recce of all the stalls, I returned to the sheep and watched the judge examine one particular class of big sheep.  I have added some 'Extra photos' and included one of the judge with these sheep and their owners.  After the results were announced the owners returned their animals to the pens and I then stopped this woman, as I'd liked the long hair on her sheep's head, having noted to myself how similar her own was.  I asked if I could take their photo and she was very happy to oblige. Sadly she didn't win one of the three prizes. At the time I hadn't anticipated getting another spread of hair from the beard of the man in the background.  I hadn't asked his permission.

Other pictures from the day included the old tractors all in a row, with a small child looking at them and being attracted to the oldest and simplest one. I suspect it demonstrated a form more comfortable to the human perception, much as did the Reverend Awdrey's pictures of Thomas the Tank Engine.  (He was a local resident from the other side of this valley). I've also featured some flowers in the produce tent which did look lovely. and some cows in the show ring.


I'm not sure now where Blipfoto is going and I do feel annoyed at the way the former owners and operators have avoided passing on any information. I understand there may be technical / legal reasons for this, but I suspect they could have passed a message to us all. Some blippers knew them quite well.

I somehow doubt that we will be here for much longer and I still haven't saved all my data.  I will be sad if it does go, because I think it has been a very special forum for people who don't readily want to follow the online flock.  I would still like to thank Joe for starting it, and I hope he has survived intact from the aftermath or any fall-out, and particularly any financial losses.

I am adding an email address to my personal information and hope that the few who don't already know me might keep in contact if it all goes belly-up.  I really miss some of those who have left already: some blippers have died (I miss Amalarian, aka Molly, most all), others seemed to have just given up when they felt the game had changed after Polaroid became involved.

But most of my thanks goes to Woodpeckers, who does blip every single day, and who still keeps me on the straight and narrow.  Also I am glad that DailyKeith, who introduced me to this place, has started to blip again after being away for a very long time.  Welcome back!  And here are my good wishes to the few blippers who pop by occasionally, and know I am not one of the regular conversers.  I wish all blippers well, and do hope that we have a forum here for many moons to come.