This July, Ashby Show celebrates its 100th birthday, a milestone with much anticipation. The Ashby Show is the biggest agricultural show in the Midlands and has previously had attendance of 16,000 people for the hugely popular one-day event. The show celebrates country living and although is centred around livestock and show jumping, also incorporates entertainment for all ages, as well as instilling a sense of tradition and history with a multitude of stalls aimed at educating visitors on traditional crafts.

Ashby Show first started in 1904 and with the exception of cancellations throughout the first and second world wars, has been a date for the social calendar ever since. With the show visitor numbers growing year on year and expectations that ensures the show be bigger and better with each year that passes, the Ashby Show location is now at Cattows Farm in Heather. The Cattows farm has been owned by the Ludlam family since 1899 and today runs a very successful business alongside it’s farming, which boasts a tea room, farm shop, pick your own fruit events, events hire and invites the public to partake in the woodland walks surrounding the picturesque farm.

With seven weeks to go until the show date, visitors can expect the 100th anniversary show to be bigger than ever. Livestock is still central to the show’s foundation and there will be classes for a variety of animals from cattle and horses to smaller livestock as well as a show jumping event. In addition, there will be a diverse mix of trade stands and food and craft stalls that enable visitors to try before they buy, sampling a wide range of food in the British Farm Produce Marquee, whilst the Craft Marquee is home to many interesting stalls which in 2013 included fused glass creations, original watercolours, handmade stoneware pottery and handcrafted gifts.

Moreover, the show has a timetable of entertainment going on throughout the day such as the Bolddog Lings Motorcycle Display Team that sees the daredevil freestyle motocross riders using ramps and equipment to perform spine-tingling tricks, a vintage tractor display that heralds 100 years of agriculture and a children’s area that includes giant inflatables and a fun treasure hunt.

Ashby Show will be hosted on July 13th, we can’t promise (although we have our fingers crossed!) that the weather will be fantastic, but we know the show will be! For more information, visit the Ashby Show website here.

Hello,

Who we are…

We’re Ashby Places! An exciting, brand new website seeking to put Ashby de la Zouch on the map! Our objective is to promote local businesses and tourist attractions. For that reason, we have created a simple and straightforward directory of Ashby’s retailers and we hope this will enhance and highlight the importance and necessity of maintaining the unique charm of High Street shops that Ashby can be proud to possess.

Why Ashby Places?

We hope that Ashby Places will help to sustain a strong sense of community spirit. Our up-to-date directory can help you keep connected with everything that is going on. Using the drop-down menus at the top of the website for navigation, browse a wide variety of restaurants, shops, events, clubs and societies. Whether you are looking for a new place to eat, or thinking about joining a new club to pursue an interest, explore every alternative right at your fingertips. As we grow and more businesses join us, we hope that the website will really flourish into it’s own and be a high quality template for other towns to follow. Ashby Places is convenient and manageable for everybody so that viewing all of the fantastic opportunities here in Ashby is accessible to everyone.

Sounds great, but why shop locally?

High Street shops are at the heart of our communities; they provide an original and personal shopping experience like nothing else. First and foremost, local traders are job creators, in this way businesses are intrinsically important for the future of the town and it’s residents. Additionally, local shop owners often support other local trades and businesses; this benefits the community as a whole and creates positive working relationships and environments. Secondly, local traders have a superior understanding of what their customers need. The influence that verbal communication has is often overshadowed somewhat by the Internet, but local traders have the fundamental ability to engage with the community effortlessly through their extensive experience and unique insight. Finally, it benefits the customer to shop locally because it encompasses the spirit of the High Street, and there really is nothing better than the in-store experience particularly when finding that perfect, customised gift.

I’m interested, but what can you do for my business?

The best thing about Ashby Places is that it is completely free to list your business. There are absolutely no hidden costs, we simply want to raise the profile of Ashby and improve the recognition of Ashby’s many attractions for potential customers, visitors and local residents. Ashby Places aims to be both a companion for your business and a useful tool for residents and visitors. We recognise the importance of local traders and therefore Ashby Places is a useful way to connect with other independent traders in the local area. The High Street is continually evolving to meet the needs of the consumer; consequently it is essential that local retailers remain one step ahead. We are enthusiastic about Ashby and are looking forward to sharing this enthusiasm with local businesses who would like to be listed on our website!