A bumper crop of attractions at very Royal show

Published on Tuesday 23 June 2009 09:14

'THE most common thing people say to me when they see my homegrown veg is that they could never do it in their garden because they 'don't know how to grow things'," beams homegrown hero Tom McGravie as he displays his potatoes, leeks and beets.

"Vegetables have been around a lot longer than people and one thing that they know how to do themselves is grow."

Tom's compact vegetable patch is a testament to what can be done in a small urban space.

He is one of an increasing number of people who are turning urban gardens into productive spaces and it is a tradition that is set to be celebrated at this year's Royal Highland Show as part of its new Garden Kitchen section, which aims to show urbanites everywhere how to grow their own.

Tom, a 65-year-old former joiner and shopfitter, is happy to share his veg, and does regular swaps with next-door neighbours Bob and Eileen Love, whose own garden is a horticulturalist's dream.

Bob, 71, said: "We grow our own apples, plums and gooseberries and some lovely flowers. We generally trade them for Tom's veg and he's usually more than happy to pass over whatever he's got."

The neighbours' gardens – which are actually joined by a "secret passageway" through the hedges – have been put forward as a shining example of the community spirit the Garden Kitchen hopes to revive.

This year's Royal Highland Show will be giving over significant space to the homegrown ideal, with experts showing visitors how to feed their families from pots or small gardens – the perfect way to help stretch a tight budget in the credit-crunch.

Some city dwellers have even been known to go as far as keeping backyard fowl.

Royal Highland Show manager David Dunsmuir said: "The Garden Kitchen initiative grew out of the stall that the National Agricultural Society do each year in which they exhibit their show vegetables.

"They usually show off these nine-foot carrots and huge unblemished tomatoes, but this year they have decided to showcase ordinary vegetables that people can aspire to."

Among the Garden Kitchen events, Craigie Farm will show people how to grow fruit such as berries and apples and veg such as peas, carrots, turnips and broad-beans, and celebrity chef Nick Nairn will have a garden veg barbecue to show people how easy it is to cook the veg they've grown.

"Courgettes, for example, are very easy to grow and Nick will show you how easy they are to cook with just a couple of minutes of heat and bit of butter," said Mr Dunsmuir.

"With the huge upsurge in interest in allotments people are really keen to get back to healthy food, and we'd like to show how healthy home grown food can be.

"Shoppers can spend ages in the supermarket checking labels for pesticides and preservatives to make sure the food is healthy, but when you grow your own you just take it out of the ground, give it a wash and eat it."

The Royal Highland Show, run by the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of the Scotland (RHASS), is regarded as one of the UK's top agricultural events.

The society was created in 1784 to promote the regeneration of rural Scotland. The first Highland Show was held in 1822 on the site now occupied by the Scottish Parliament.

This year the event will be visited by the Queen, along with the Princess Royal, on Friday. "As our patron, she was here for the RHASS's 200th anniversary in 1984 and will be here again for our 225th," said Mr Dunsmuir.

"We're also one of the biggest events in the Homecoming Scotland celebrations this year. Where would Scotland be on the international stage without our agriculture?

"Many of the families running our stalls have relatives in America, Canada, Australia and in other parts of the world and they've invited them all along, and we've told each of our 14,000 members to tell their families to come along too."

Mr Dunsmuir. said the Royal Highland Show would be "unashamedly banging the drum for Scotland" in its Homecoming entertainment, with music from the Alexander Brothers, the Buchaneers Jazz Band, Carmichaels Ceilidh, Clackmannan Brass, Clandonia, Dumbardonshire Concert Band, Glasgow Gospel Choir, Kantarro, Lathallan School Pipes and Drums, Lothian Gaelic Choir and the Ythan Fiddlers.

Visitors will be able to marvel at the equestrian showjumpers – the show having become an important event on the calendar for the leading exponents of the sport.

The Rural Marquee will bring to life traditional crafts, while the Countryside Arena will feature displays of terrier racing, gun dog training, fly casting and falconry.

Organisers say the show will also be a veritable playground for children, offering them a seat on a gigantic tractor, or the chance to get up close to cows, sheep and ponies.

The Beano's Dennis the Menace will also be on hand at the Discovery Centre, and kids will be able to meet the talent behind the famous comic and have the chance to create their own comic strip.

The Highland Show is also a catwalk for shopping, crafts and fashion with a selection of top brand outdoor clothing as well as specialist clothing and equipment for country pursuits.

The Shopping Arcade and Marquee will sell artwork, gifts, homeware, accessories and clothing. The Lifestyle Village has the latest in spa baths, gardening items, swimming pools and conservatories, while the Crafts Zone will feature an array of unique and often handmade gifts. The Equestrian Village will feature every possible item associated with horses, while the Lowland Hall will present the finest Scottish food and drink.

Amid all the entertainment, it's easy to forget that The Royal Highland Show is a place of business.

The Show contributes 80 million to the Scottish economy each year, with thousands of pounds worth of transactions taking place for agricultural machinery, livestock and services.

A Royal Highland Award is a stamp of excellence, which can bring huge financial benefits to winning farms and producers. Winning animals can be seen at daily animal parades throughout the weekend.

The show also features The Innovation Awards to support creativity and design. Many winners have gone on to achieve commercial success with their inventions.

As well as being a draw for people from all over world, the show's proximity to Edinburgh means that city dwellers can go along to learn about the countryside.

"My three-year-old granddaughter is absolutely fearless when it comes to nature," says Tom. "Her mum is scared of spiders and she used to be as well, but she's become so accustomed to being close to nature when she's following me around the garden that nothing fazes her now.

"We took her to the zoo and she was walking around with tarantulas, millipedes and snakes in her hands.

"I think a lot of the taste for outdoor living is in the genes but a lot of it is down to education and conditioning. The garden is nothing to be afraid of and if you venture out there you really can get a taste of the good life."

SHOWING THE WAY TO WALK ON WATER

AS well as showcasing the best of Scotland's agriculture the Royal Highland Show is also offering people the chance to literally walk on water.

One of the star attractions is a buoyant man-size bubble that zips-up the side to allow a person to enter it, which is then pushed on to the waterway running through the site.

The weekend also features entertainment by the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, who will be performing songs featured on their recent Classical Brit Award winning album, as well as a set by Scottish favourites The Alexander Brothers.

Royal Mile weavers Geoffrey (Tailor) Kiltmaker will be holding a tartan showcase.

There will also be stalls from the Scottish Whisky Centre and the Scottish Family Centre.

The Outdoor Living & Countryside Area brings together the best of lifestyle pursuits, gardening and handcrafts inspired by Scotland's natural resources.

Local experts offer training on the art of fly-fishing, gun dog training and falconry, as well as displays by Lothian and Borders Police sniffer dogs and racing terriers.

This year's Royal Highland Show runs from 25 to 28 June.