Having never been to a game fair we were unsure what to expect…
Ragley Hall was an impressive 1600’s country manor with rolling parkland synonymous to a capability brown landscape. A beautiful venue to visit and enjoy.
We arrived on the Sunday about 8.30, the road signage was very good and we were directed to the car parking area very easily. We already had tickets but they could be bought on the day. For those camping, there was free transport from campsite to venue throughout the day. You were able to get re-admission also which was a blessing as we did plenty of shopping and needed to unload at the car!
The fair was well set out – there was a large variety of guns and knives stands in, with an area for you to have a go at clay shooting. There were various activities including a Bear Grylls Survival Trial for both young and old. The fishing section was located near the lake where there were numerous demonstrations on fly fishing, with a large area for the public to try their hand at fly fishing. There was to our disappointment only a handful of fishing stands, having said that we manage to purchase a healthy amount of items.
In keeping with the theme, a local hunt had brought a selection of foxhounds, bassets and harriers with a demonstration and talk about their role within the hunt. On show were all sorts of terriers from the British Isles, some of whom are on the endangered list, it was most interesting talking to the owners and learning about the dogs characters.
For the horse enthusiast, there was show jumping throughout the day and demonstrations with French heavy horses which are used for pulling logs, an ergonomic way of forestry. We watched a Shetland derby, highly entertaining!
Throughout the grounds there was a plethora of food outlets, ice cream vans and coffee/tea stalls albeit on the pricy side as you would expect, however you are more than welcome to bring your own and there are picnic areas. At one site we were entertained by a trio who sang throughout the day a selection of old sea shanties and whaling songs, who were excellent.
Finally there was a fun fair area for children with a variety of rides and activities to keep the little ones busy while we shopped!
An excellent first experience, hopefully see you there next year!
Our guest blogger, Caroline Hutchinson, relays her first experience of The Game Fair.