Thousands flocked to Monmouthshire Show last Thursday, proof, if any were needed, that the picturesque new site on the Redbrook Road is becoming as popular as the old one at Vauxhall.

After an unwelcome visit from Hurricane Bill on the Wednesday, show day dawned fine and bright, and the showground was in perfect condition, dry enough for spectators to sit out and enjoy a picnic on the grass.

"We had the prayer mats out," admitted Show Secretary Kay Spencer, "although we knew the forecast for Show Day was good. The ground held up really well after the heavy rain and we were delighted that numbers were up on last year ."

The day was a triumph for local farmer Stephen Hart whose five year old Holstein cow, Ridgefield Stormatic Zisky , already a star of the BBC's Countryfile, won the Beeston Perpetual Challenge Cup for the best dairy cow.