WEST SHOW organisers were yesterday praising unexpected good weather. Predicted showers did not materialise and as a result gate takings were better than expected.

Show president Don Ashplant was happy with the attendance.

‘We were well supported on Wednesday. We’ve been very lucky today [Thursday] with the weather. We thought we might get thunder.’

Show commentator Peter Brehaut was also happy with the attendance.

‘I think it’s been on a par with last year. Yesterday was good, but today’s been better and the wind has kept people off the beach.’

Pam Bartlett and Christine Gibbs, part of the group that has manned the gate for the last 10 years, both commented that, although the weather was bad on the Wednesday, attendance seemed to be good.

Yesterday, people and cars poured into the showground all afternoon to see the displays and the highlight of the last day of the show, the Grand Pageant.

Mr Ashplant was disappointed at the lack of dairy-cattle entries.

‘The farmers say they don’t have the time.

‘But we did have the beef cattle and 20 goats.’

Entries in the arts and crafts and floral and vegetable sections of the show were a little down on the previous year but there were still about 1,600 exhibits.

First-time visitors to Guernsey Juliette and Charles Jones were impressed with both the show and the island.

‘It’s fantastic. It’s great for families,’ said Mrs Jones.

‘We’ve been very lucky today with the weather.

‘We thought we might get thunder,’ said her husband

Son Joshua, eight, who had just been tossed by a bucking bronco, said that he was having a great time.