Three Counties Show
Today we paid a rather impromptu visit to the Three Counties Show Ground to see the rural and countryside show. It was a super day out and one that I'm so pleased to have done today rather than at the weekend when the temperature is set to sore. We also benefited yet agin from a quieter day without all the crowds of families.
The highlight by far was seeing Jenson scuba dive for the very first time. Not what you'd expect to do at a rural show I know but at the cost of just £5, I watched my shy little boy be led willingly into an unfamiliar environment by a complete stranger. He was more than OK!
I was thrilled to see him overcome his anxieties and although nervous at first about being separated from me, he managed to work through things and tentatively climbed into the pool.
The instructors were incredibly friendly and really made him feel comfortable. They helped load him up with all the gear...
...before explaining how to use the breathing apparatus.
They then gently asked him to submerge his head under the water and within just a few minutes he was off. We couldn't stop him!
Because the stand was so quiet, he got a good amount of time in the water. As well as swimming he also played frisbee with two of the instructors and another lad. He was eventually hauled out with a massive smile on his face! He absolutely loved the experience.
After Jenson's sensational scuba diving experience everything else seemed a bit tame! Even a galloping acrobatics demonstration failed to match the excitement we had all felt despite the girls and horses pulling off some truly amazing stunts!
These hounds were pretty cute too and we learned that the pups are nearly always given names starting with the first and second letters of the parent's names. On one particular occasion the owners were faced with a tricky task of finding puppy names starting with DR!
There was plenty to see and do, including wood turning and go karting...
...and farriers hard at work. The alpacas were gorgeous!
Coming only second to scuba diving, Jenson also loved the Medieval Village. This was mainly because he was allowed to play with a rather dangerous looking pair of gloves and weald daggers around! He has since requested I buy him his own pair. You can imagine my response, although you can buy them on eBay for £55.00. Yes, I checked!
All jokes aside, it was lovely for him to be able to try on pieces of armour. We've read about chain mail and gauntlets in books but I don't suppose any of it makes as much sense as seeing it in real life. Just being able to pick up these items and feel how heavy they are gives him far more insight into the life of a Medieval knight than any book could.
Wren on the other hand cannot help but look anything other than cute, even with a dagger.
As well as armoury there were plenty of other things to learn about including what sort of food Medieval people might have eaten. Apparently meat was off the menu unless you were very wealthy or could bargain with a one of your prize chickens at the market!
They had a go at playing some Medieval games too and again, because the stand was so quiet they were able to spend some quality time listening to what the lady was saying and learning a fair bit too.
The pair of them also had a go on a sailing boat, which was terrific fun! Jenson was particularly keen and the lady showed him how to steer and use the ropes to move the sail.
From scuba diving to sailing to rock climbing, Jenson was loving the extreme sports! Here he is taking on the climbing wall. What this picture doesn't show is that he is only a few feet off the ground!
Although we were at the show ground for over five hours, we barely got half way round, such was there so much to see. By 3pm we were all exhausted and very hot so made a slow walk back to the car. The fun didn't stop there though, when we got home this evening Jenson had some of his school friends round to play and I their Mum's. There was plenty of fun, (and wine) drunk!