Displays & Demonstrations around the Rally Field
THE THRESHING ARENAS IN THE RALLY FIELD
A display of vintage tractors, threshing mills and stationary balers with demonstrations of traditional corn threshing and straw baling during the Rally by Pat Agnew and his team of willing helpers – and there will be a Ladies Team!
Watch out for the mice as they scamper away from the corn being threshed – don’t be afraid of them, they won’t bite, they’re just trying to escape!
There will also be interesting demonstrations of corn threshing with an ancient mobile horse driven threshing machine operated by a real ‘character’– Johnny Fee: go and have a chat with him, he’ll love it!
THE CRAFT MARQUEE
As well as a host of stalls selling a huge range of craft and other goods, there will be live demonstrations of Flax and Wool Spinning and Linen Weaving.
And you can watch in wonder as the Stick Carvers whittle away to produce beautifully carved walking sticks.
Then there is the Model Gallopers. This is something quite special! We don’t seem to have any of these in N. Ireland – although they are quite popular on the mainland. It is a working model complete with music and lights.
Lots of the older folk would have called them ‘Hobby Horses’.
Then go and have a ride on the Full Size ‘Gallopers’ (or ‘Hobby Horses!’) beside the old Station.
Have you ever thought of taking up the hobby of beekeeping?
Here is a golden opportunity to find out what is involved in terms of time, training, commitment and of course the cost. The Institute of Northern Ireland Beekeepers (INIB) will be putting on displays and demonstrations of the ancient craft of beekeeping and will be more than happy to enlighten you regarding the above pertinent points.
They will have on display an Observation Hive where live bees can be seen working away at producing honey.
They will also be selling honey and items such as hand and face creams, soaps, marmalade and chutneys etc. made with honey and beeswax.
PUNCH AND JUDY SHOW
In front of the Craft Marquee. Take your seat for a traditional Punch and Judy show - with a bit of magic thrown in as well! The kids will be enthralled as Mr Punch and his wife Judy ‘fight the bit out’! The grannies and the granddads – and maybe the mums and dads as well - will remember with nostalgia the Punch and Judy shows they watched many years ago on the sands at Portrush and Newcastle. The show runs for around 25 minutes and will be repeated five times each day.
KIDZ FUN FARM
Between the Craft and Catering marquees.
This is one for the kiddies!
They will have lots of farm animals including ponies, rabbits, chickens, ducklings, lambs, piglets etc. for the kids to admire, stroke and even hold.
TRADITIONAL COUNTRYSIDE SKILLS
In front of the Vintage Commercial Vehicles. Clive Lyttle will be demonstrating the traditional art of basket making using materials from our hedgerows, woods, bogs, coppices etc. He will also be turning wooden articles using traditional manually operated pole lathes. Also on display will be hazel stick and rustic furniture produced from locally grown materials using traditional skills.
WORKING MODEL FARM
In front of the Craft Marquee. Watch Mal Cowan putting his working models through their paces as they go through a repertoire of farm tasks – ploughing, cultivating, sowing, harrowing, spraying, mowing, hay making, muck spreading, carting and so on.
THE MOLLY AND JOHNNY POTEEN SHOW
In front of the Craft Marquee.
This is a story of poteen making from long ago. Johnny and Molly (a man dressed up as a lady!) get up to some crazy antics as they go about trying to make poteen!
It is hilariously funny – a show not to be missed! Between shows they carry on their antics around the Rally Field on an old bicycle!
There are upwards of a hundred Trade Stands including autojumble, tools, clothing, toys, models, furniture, plants and everything else under the sun!
A mecca for collectors and browsers.
VINTAGE COMMERCIAL WORKING ARENA
In front of the Vintage Commercial and Military arena.
The Vintage Commercials will be putting on demonstrations and displays which will include changing a tyre while the wheel is still on a heavy truck, sheeting and roping loads, how tipper and bin lorries work and the recovery of a crashed truck.