All the fun of the country fair at Harewood
THE FIRST shots were fired at Harewood House near Leeds today as the countdown to what is billed as the world’s largest country sports event begun in earnest.
Archery, kayaking and all sorts of timber sports were among the country pursuits demonstrated by the organisers of the Country Land and Business Association’s (CLA) Game Fair, with members of the press invited along to the historic setting of this year’s fair to have a go at some of its core activities.
More than 140,000 people are expected to visit the Game Fair between Friday, July 31 and Sunday, August 2, which the CLA says will generate in excess of £30million for the regional and wider rural economy.
This year will be the first time the event has been staged in Yorkshire since 2003.
Dorothy Fairburn, regional director for the CLA in the North, said: “The Game Fair is a great day out for all the family and an opportunity to have a go at all sorts of sports that you might not usually have a chance to try.”
Among those at Harewood today was Terri-Ann Prendegast, a budding 24-year-old singer-songwriter from Scarborough, who was invited along as a guest of The Prince’s Trust - the Fair’s official charity partner. Miss Prendegast, who overcame poor health during her earlier years, was at a low ebb after a series of family bereavements and being made redundant from an acting job, but with the Trust’s help has gone on to launch a business which sees her sing at care homes, pubs and music festivals.