MARQUEES, fencing and livestock pens have been arriving at Bywell Hall in earnest as preparations for Monday’s Northumberland County Show gather pace.

The 105-acre site near Stocksfield is set to be transformed into a vast showfield as tradestands, livestock and visitors begin arriving for the county’s biggest agricultural showcase.

Organisers Tynedale Agricultural Society have an army of staff and volunteers who spend months mapping out the event in detail and planning how every inch of the land, which is owned by Allendale Estates, can be best used.

Site manager Anthony Crozier, who has been a long-serving member of the show committee and became an employee in 2013, has been on site each day for the last few weeks to mark out pitches for over 300 trade stands, dozens of marquees and animal enclosures.

“From the toilets to the grandstands for the two arenas, it is all delivered to the site by contractors and we need to ready to put it exactly where it needs to go,” said Anthony, who farms at Bankfoot, Broomley.

Wet weather in the lead up to last year’s show meant the ground became boggy and churned up on show day, and left Anthony and his team with lots of areas to re-seed in time for this year’s event.

Among the new challenges he has had to face for the 2015 is the biggest cattle tent the show has ever had, measuring 75m by 25m, which is just one piece in a giant jigsaw puzzle.

“If anything is put in the wrong place, even just by a few feet, it can knock everything else out,” added Anthony, who has served as president and chairman of the show over the years.

The giant cattle marquee will house a record 268 entries in the section which have been bolstered by the re-introduction of Simmental classes.

Mickley’s Thomas Harrison is a member of the show’s management committee and for the first time this year, he and wife Di will be able to focus on showing their own cattle.

For the couple, who launched their own herd under the name of Moralee Herefords in 2011, are hoping for success in the seven Hereford cattle classes after Di stepped down from her role as cattle section secretary after almost 12 years.

And so, for the last few months, the seven-strong Moralee herd show team have been involved in preparations for the event which include everything from halter training to washing and dressing their coats.

“We’ll be bringing along six cows and a calf,” said Thomas, who himself is a past chairman and director of the show.

“It’ll be very different this time around for Di, but we’re both really looking forward to being out there with all the other competitors.”

Thanks to negotiations by the couple, who are members of the North of England Hereford Breeders Association, Hereford entries in the 2016 Northumberland County Show will be allocated points towards being crowned champion Hereford bull or female of the year.

“The Cheshire County Show has been the points show for Herefords for years,” said Thomas.

“So next year will be even more competitive for Hereford breeders.”

Clare Dent, whose family farm at Beamwham, Haydon Bridge, will also have her own four-strong team of commerical cattle at the show on Monday.

But they will be shown by friends and family members as Clare has joined forces with Theresa Sparke from Gilsland, Claire Nixon of Hexhamshire to take on the job of cattle secretary.

Collating entries, checking on animal documentation and preparing rosettes for the winners are among the tasks which have already been ticked of their list of duties.

“I’ve grown up with the show,” said Clare.

“So it is exciting to be involved and it will be good to see a different side of things.”

As well as livestock classes and a wild animal showcase from Kirkley Hall Zoo, Britain’s Got Talent finalists, the Bolddog Lings freestyle motocross stunt team will be among the other attractions entertaining the crowds.

Gates open at 9am on Bank Holiday Monday and yellow AA signage, along with dozens of parking stewards, will guide visitors travelling by car onto the showfield from the A69 and A695.

The showfield is also accessible by bus and train to Stocksfield railway station, with services along the Tyne Valley railway line expected to run every 30 minutes from Newcastle Central Station.

For full event details visit www.northcountyshow.co.uk