Clergy reach out to Nidderdale Show flock through YouTube

Clergy are going virtual to make up for the loss of a service that traditionally takes place on the eve of the Nidderdale Show.

The agricultural show, which was due to take place in Pateley Bridge tomorrow, was cancelled in June for the second year running due to covid.

An open air ecumenical service has been held at the Bewerley Park showground for many years on the Sunday before the show.

This prompted Nidderdale vicars the Rev. Alastair Ferneley and the Rev. Darryl Hall, along with Methodist minister the Rev. Mike Poole and Jean Marshall, a member of the congregation at Providence United Reformed Church in Dacre, to produce their ‘No Show Service’.

Rev Ferneley, Vicar of Dacre with Hartwith and Darley with Thornthwaite, told the Stray Ferret:

“This Sunday is when we would have held the open air service but in the absence of the show for the second year running, a number of members of The Church in the Dale decided to produce a video.

“We hope that as many people as possible will watch it.”

Photo of the Rev. Alastair Fernely

The Rev. Alastair Ferneley plays guitar and sings in the video.

The video, recorded at St Michael and All Angels in Wilsill, opens with a view of the Nidderdale countryside and the sound of a guitar being played by the Rev. Poole, who is then joined by fellow guitarist the Rev. Fernley

Rev Hall, Vicar of St Cuthbert, Pateley Bridge, which covers six parishes, said:

“Though this year we again sadly have no Show due to the pandemic, the churches of Church in the Dale are still very much praying for our local
area and farming community.”

The 15-minute ‘No Show Service’ can be seen on Youtube here.

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Launched in 2007, The Church in the Dale is an alliance of churches of different denominations across Nidderdale.

It includes the Pateley Bridge Methodist Circuit, the Anglican parish of Upper Nidderdale, the Anglican parish of  Dacre with Hartwith and Darley with Thornthwaite, Providence United Reformed Church, the Roman Catholic Church of Our Lady Immaculate, and Holy Family RC parish at RAF Menwith Hill.

 

 

 

 

Nidderdale Show in Pateley Bridge cancelled due to covid

Nidderdale Show in Pateley Bridge, the Harrogate district’s last agricultural show of the year, has been cancelled.

The event, which attracts about 15,000 people, was due to take place in Bewerley Park on September 20.

But Nidderdale Agricultural Society’s show committee announced on Saturday it had decided unanimously to cancel the event due to covid.

In a statement on its Facebook page, the committee said:

“This decision has not been taken lightly and is due to the many uncertainties and risks currently involved in the organisation of an event such as ours during the ongoing covid pandemic.

“The nature of our show and showground is such that implementing the rules and regulations involved in delivering a covid-secure event would be extremely difficult to achieve and would place a huge burden of responsibility on our members and many volunteers, as well as expose the society to unacceptable financial risks.

“Most importantly, the primary concern is the health and safety of everyone involved in organising the show, of all those who attend the show and of everyone in our local community.”

The statement added the committee intended to put on a “bigger and better show” on Monday, September 19 next year.

The announcement means the vast majority of agricultural shows, which are a major part of summer life in the Harrogate district, have been cancelled.

However, the Great Yorkshire Show and Weeton Show are due to go ahead on July 13 to 16 and July 18 respectively.

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Hope that Nidderdale Show will go ahead this year

Organisers of the Nidderdale Show are “cautiously optimistic” that the event will go ahead this year.

The show, which is held by the Nidderdale Agricultural Society, attracts crowds of 15,000 and aims to celebrate agricultural traditions.

Held in September, the event closes the traditional agricultural show season.

Last year, the show fell victim to the coronavirus pandemic and was cancelled.

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But organisers say they are now “cautiously optimistic” that it will go ahead this year on September 20.

A post on the Nidderdale Show Facebook page said:

“We are cautiously optimistic that the Nidderdale Show may be able to go ahead on Monday 20th September and plans are underway.  

“We will keep reviewing this as government guidelines change and updating with more details as they become available. Keep watching this page and our website for more announcements as we move forwards. In the meantime stay safe.”

Mike Holt, Mayor of Pateley Bridge, told the Stray Ferret that he was hopeful that the show would return later this year.

He said:

“It brings a massive amount to the area and it was a crying shame that it did not go ahead last year.

“If the road map works as the government hopes it will, I’m certainly hoping everything will be okay.”

It comes as organisers of shows and events across the district have made decisions in light of the government’s roadmap out of lockdown as whether to go ahead or not.

The Great Yorkshire Show intends to go ahead in July, with the Yorkshire Agricultural Society and NHS bosses in discussions over how to hold the show while continuing vaccinations.

Birstwith Show announced last month that it will return in July.

However, Masham Steam Rally has postponed its event until next year and Tockwith Show has sent out an urgent SOS for volunteers to enable this year’s event to go ahead.