Tag Archives: events

Wensleydale Show 2011

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Image by RayMorris1 via Flickr

The best country show in Yorkshire!

One of the events I always look forward to is the Wensleydale Show which takes place just outside of Leyburn, North Yorkshireon the Saturday of the August Bank Holiday weekend.

Country Life

For anyone interested in rural life, farming and the countryside there can be no better show to visit. A walk round the numerous stalls, exhibitions and displays is not only interesting but also highly educational.

Vintage Machinery

I am always fascinated by the wonderful displays of vintage farm machinery, tractors, vehicles, tools and particularly the old steam engines. The latter have all been carefully restored and maintained so that they are in full working order.

Food and Drink

For those who enjoy eating there is endless variety. There are lots of quality fast food vans offering burgers, hot dog, chips, tea and coffee.  There are also many stalls selling home-made food, cakes, pies, preserves for those wishing to purchase a treat to take home with them.

Arena Entertainment

There is an ongoing programme of entertainment in the main arena throughout the day. This year featured all the regulars such as the vintage cars, fox hounds from the Bedale Hunt, dog agility, sheep dog displays etc. The main arena is a great place to sit and relax and watch the various acts and displays.

Children’s Entertainment

As usual there was plenty to keep the little ones entertained. There were bouncy castles, a massive inflatable slide, go karts, trampolines, kiddies rides and of course Punch and Judy.

The weather was kind for most of the day although we did get wet later in the afternoon. The photos below give an idea of the many different things to see and do. A great day out, can’t wait for next year.

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Time Planning Tips

Time Management

We all lead very busy lives these days and so it’s important to be organised. For most of us the one commodity we never have enough of is time. Remember the old adage ” Time and tide waits for no man ” I have worked in the event business for seventeen years or more and I am well experienced at working against the clock. As an event organiser or event supplier there are no second chances. You simply have to be ready on time. Having a Time Plan is essential.

You might be a busy mum organising a Birthday Party, a volunteer organising a Race Night, a member of a committee organising an Outdoor EventFun Day, Fete or Gala or a someone responsible for setting up a Store Promotion or Grand Opening.  In every case you have a lot do do and the clock is ticking.

Time Planning Tips

Be organised

First you need to set out your aim. Write down what you intend to do and by when.

Next consider your options. There’s always going to be more than one way to do something. Lets call these ” Courses Open ”

Each course of action will be affected by various factors. Some will be advantageous, others will have a negative effect.

On a sheet of paper jot down your several possible ” Courses Open ” and under each one have two columns. One column for advantages, the other for disadvantages ( or call them plus and minus )

Finally review each one in turn weighing up the advantages and disadvantages of each and from this evaluation decide which will be your best course.

The course you choose becomes your Plan.

Make a To Do List

Now you have a Plan you need to create a To Do List.

Write down everything you can think of that needs to be done. Don’t leave anything out no matter how insignificant.

Go through the list and next to each item jot down how long it will take to complete.

When you have finished your ” To Do List ” you will know the total time needed to get everything done.

Organise your team

Allocate specific tasks to your team.

Prioritise

Put your ” To Do list ” into order with the most important tasks at the top and the least important at the bottom.

Make a Time Plan

On a clean sheet of paper write down the event ” Start Time ” at the top left.

Give yourself a buffer to allow for delays and write down a ” Set By ” time. This is the time that everyone in the team should be working towards. If everything is ready at the ” Set By ” time then there will be a chance for a breather before the event begins.

Works backwards from the ” Start Time ” and ” Set By ” time using your priority list and you will be able to work out the actual time that each task is to be carried out by.

When you have finished you will have a detailed ” Time Plan ” which shows all of the jobs that need to be done, who is going to do them and by when.

Brief your team

Give every member of the team a copy of the plan or brief them and make sure they know what they have to do and how long they’ve got to do it and when to start each task.

Be flexible

Your carefully worked out Time Plan puts you fully in control and hopefully avoids the chaos and frustration that can ocurr in the run up to an event. Remember that the unexpected can happen and so you need to be flexible. Try and stick to the plan but be prepared to make changes and adjust if necessary.

Good Luck!


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CRB Checks, What Are The Rules?

There continues to be confusion over when a Criminal Records Bureau check is required. The CRB checking procedure was introduced to help protect children and vulnerable adults. These measures are important and justified. Unfortunately there is confusion about when such checks are required. This statement by Offsted should help to clarify the position.

Offsted Official Guidance to Schools

Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) checks are not required for visitors. Visitors do not have unsupervised access to children. The normal risk assessment that applies to all visitors should be quite sufficient. However, schools and colleges have been advised by CRB that a robust risk assessment should take place first. Schools and colleges should be able to provide such risk assessments and be able to explain the rationale for those who have been checked and those who have not. The key test is ‘frequent’ or ‘intensive’ contact with learners.”

This guidance can also apply to events. People who do not have unsupervised access to children don’t need a check. Only those who are working with children on their own or who are being left in charge of children ie in a creche need a CRB check.

The responsibility lies with event organisers to include in their risk assessment for the event a section for child safety. Clearly children with their parents or with a responsible adult are not at risk.