Sunday, March 11, 2007
The Helensville A&P Show
Well folks, I'm back!
I finally moved into my extended/rebuilt office last week, so things are almost back to normal, and hopefully I'll have more time for this blogging business...
I DID managed to find time to go the the A&P Show the other weekend (actually I'm a steward, so there's no getting out of it!).
As is often the case, it was a fantastic day - perfect weather, big, friendly crowd and lots happening.
This year's show had one noteable difference to previous years - no large carnival rides. Gone were the Ferris Wheel, Super Trooper et al.
What do you think of that?
I don't think they were missed by many people. The show did perhaps lack a little "street presence" for people driving past without the big rides sprouting above the fence, but not many of those on the grounds seemed to care.
In fact many people seemed pleased, as it meant the kids' money went a bit further, spending smaller amounts on lots of different things, rather than a lot on just a couple of rides. If anything, it made the event seem even more of a family affair.
And it's not like the kids were missing out - the "big rides" were replaced by a number of new attractions, mostly grouped together in a new "Adventure Paradise" area (which was perhaps a little removed from the rest of the action).
The A&P Show is the largest one-day event on Helensville's calendar. This year's was the 105th show - it's a real testiment to a relatively small group of people who put in a lot of generally unsung time and effort to keep it going.
My bet is that 99% of the people who turn up on the day, year in and year out, never even give a thought to just how the show actually happens - perhaps if some of you are reading this, you could put your hands up to help next year!
I finally moved into my extended/rebuilt office last week, so things are almost back to normal, and hopefully I'll have more time for this blogging business...
I DID managed to find time to go the the A&P Show the other weekend (actually I'm a steward, so there's no getting out of it!).
As is often the case, it was a fantastic day - perfect weather, big, friendly crowd and lots happening.
This year's show had one noteable difference to previous years - no large carnival rides. Gone were the Ferris Wheel, Super Trooper et al.
What do you think of that?
I don't think they were missed by many people. The show did perhaps lack a little "street presence" for people driving past without the big rides sprouting above the fence, but not many of those on the grounds seemed to care.
In fact many people seemed pleased, as it meant the kids' money went a bit further, spending smaller amounts on lots of different things, rather than a lot on just a couple of rides. If anything, it made the event seem even more of a family affair.
And it's not like the kids were missing out - the "big rides" were replaced by a number of new attractions, mostly grouped together in a new "Adventure Paradise" area (which was perhaps a little removed from the rest of the action).
The A&P Show is the largest one-day event on Helensville's calendar. This year's was the 105th show - it's a real testiment to a relatively small group of people who put in a lot of generally unsung time and effort to keep it going.
My bet is that 99% of the people who turn up on the day, year in and year out, never even give a thought to just how the show actually happens - perhaps if some of you are reading this, you could put your hands up to help next year!
