North Show bar manager Tony Yates yesterday. (Pictures by Tom Tardif, 0627380)

THE beer sold out and car parks overflowed during a packed Battle of Flowers day.
Drinkers at the North Show got through more than 1,700 pints of draught lager and 700 of draught cider over the two days before the pumps ran dry.
Bar manager Tony Yates said people had waited for up to 25 minutes to be served as bar staff worked flat out.
‘It was completely manic,’ he said. ‘We had 12 people working on Thursday evening and you just couldn’t fit anyone else behind the bar.
‘By about 9.30pm, we had no draught lager or cider left.’
The Rockmount Hotel came to the rescue by loaning two barrels of lager and canned beer was borrowed from the committee tent to help cope with demand. Alcopops and Coca-Cola also sold out.
The clean-up operation began yesterday, with the aim of restoring the park to normality by teatime today.
Volunteers donned plastic gloves and carried black sacks in their efforts to clear the large amount of litter.
They included Du Putron Fund Management’s general manager of investments Sophie Knight, whose company sponsored the fireworks and entertainment.
‘I didn’t realise they needed so much help until Nick Dorey [show president] made his speech at Wednesday’s lunch,’ she said.
‘I came down as a volunteer just to help keep the show going.’
Christopher Hudson thought the same and he just turned up and got to work.
North Show treasurer  Stuart Wilson said the ground had escaped the damage of previous years.
‘When it rained, it was at the right time,’ he said.
He said he was grateful to Bailiff Geoffrey Rowland for his comments in support of the show and its financial position.
‘He likes local tradition and he doesn’t want to see it die away,’ said Mr Wilson.
‘On paper, the show is no longer cost effective to put on and it’s a massive amount of money for a two-day event.’
Early indications were that attendance for both show days was up on last year.
Mr Dorey said he had been glad to see so many people turn out. When Home Farm car park was full, cars were diverted to Haye du Puits and that too filled up.
‘It was very much a successful show,’ he said.
‘It might have been hectic, but it is very rewarding to see so many people when others have put so much effort in to make it happen.’