Thanks to everyone after '˜challenging' few days of Heckington Show

After the freak thunder storm on Friday night, the show organisers took the decision to go ahead with Saturday’s full programme.
Despite a few more shows on Saturday night, they looked at the forecast and the state of the showground and felt things were still safe for Sunday, but after an excellent Saturday’s figures, Sunday was significantly down on numbers, needing only about half the allotted car park space for a normal year.
However Mr Pinchbeck took it as a success that they still pulled together as a community and put on a show in adverse weather conditions.

he said he had been in the livestock marquee when Friday’s storm blew it down, the descending canvas knocking him to the floor and momentarily trapping one of the show’s female vets in the pen with her sheep, but there was no harm done, aprt from a few damaged tents and Boston College had to abandon their cooking displays after the kitchen equipment got wet.
He said: “The only potential issue was the amount of rainfall overnight Saturday. We arranged for a fleet of heavy tractors be on standby before the arrival of the first lorries and, in the end, it was much drier than expected and the vehicles get in without assistance. Just one or two cars needed help.”
A highlight for him was formally receiving the Queen’s Award for Volunteering for the show committee and organising team - the equivalent of an MBE for voluntary groups - from Lord Lieutenant of Lincolnshire Toby Dennis.
He said: “It  is a highlight in the history of the agricultural society. Heckington Show is sort of a well-kept secret, very modestly we keep on going and do the show. The award was recognition that the show and the team and community have deserved for many years and we welcome it from Her Majesty.”
Mr Pinchbeck said the people had come to the show had still enjoyed themselves thanks to the determination of the organisers and exhibitors. He said: “The shire horse parade was carried on in a downpour.”
Another exciting moment was the recent discovery of the Denman Cup for athletics after it had gone missing for 15 years, which had formed part of the show tradition having been donated in the 1950s by the Denman family.
It carries the name of Sebastian Coe who raced at the show in 1976 and beat Steve Ovett to lift the trophy for the one mile race.
Mr Pinchbeck said it had been rediscovered by a family in their attic in Lincoln who rang up Show Secretary Sarah Grant on Monday to return it.
He said: “We had looked for it for several years after it was lost and it is wonderful to see it back.”
He added: “A huge thank you to all the volunteers, everyone on the committee and everyone that has taken part. It is such a precious part of the life of the village.”