Having never been to a game fair, we were unsure what to expect…
Ragley Hall was an impressive 1600s country manor with rolling parkland, synonymous with Capability Brown's landscape—a beautiful venue to visit and enjoy.
We arrived on the Sunday at about 8.30, the road signage was excellent, 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 the campsite to the venue throughout the day. You were also able to get readmission, which was a blessing, as we did plenty of shopping and needed to unload 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 numerous demonstrations on fly fishing took place, with a large area for the public to try their hand at it. To our disappointment, there were only a handful of fishing stands; that said, we managed to purchase a healthy amount of items.
In keeping with the theme, a local hunt brought a selection of foxhounds, bassets and harriers for a demonstration and talk about their roles 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 of French heavy horses used for logging, an ergonomic forestry method. We watched a Shetland derby, which was 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 a selection of old sea shanties and whaling songs throughout the day, and they 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, see you there next year!
Our guest blogger, Caroline Hutchinson, relays her first experience of The Game Fair.
