By Nangamso Mabindla
14 May 2004

THE Gonubie show grounds in East London are the place to be on 27 May when the East London Agricultural and Industrial Society opens the colourful annual East London Show.

Aimed at bringing the agricultural and commercial societies together to market a wide variety of goods, the four-day show has grown considerably since its inception 30 years ago and was moved from Amalinda to Gonubie for this reason, said society president Theunis van der Vyver.

"As with anything you start out small, but as people begin to appreciate your worth you grow. Over the years we've had increase in number and we've been having over 30 000 people at the show and we're hoping for more," he enthuses.

On the agricultural side, farmers bring their cattle, sheep, goats and other farming material. "It's a lot of fun; farmers share ideas and compete to find out who's got the better beasts. You'll be amazed cows would produce 40 to 60 litres of milk a day. How's that for serious milking!" exclaims van der Vyver.

With over 400 exhibitors, the show also serves as a platform for technological gadgets like front-end loaders, motor vehicles, and the latest motorcycles. "It really is fun; we also have DIY material and a whole host of exciting stuff at the show."

"We also have people from Malawi, Zimbabwe, Zambia, bringing their handcrafts and beadwork down here; these prove quite popular with the locals," he says.

As far as entertainment goes, they have tried to accommodate everyone, and Van der Vyver says a special horse event has been planned. "We're really aren't big on horses, so we have decided to get riders from PE, Cape Town and other places. This event is making its debut at the show," he says.

For school pupils, an agricultural competition has been designed to add knowledge and provide fun at the same time.

"We bring someone with a cow or a horse and they teach the children everything about them from what they eat and what happens once the food is inside the beast," he explains, adding that the children are quizzed on the lessons afterwards.

"We also have music, dancing, a cycle race, karaoke, polo-crosse and, of course, a beer garden," grins van der Vyver, adding that the "Miss Show Queen" event on Saturday is a highlight for many.

Adults pay an entrance fee of R12, scholars R6.

For more information, call
Theunis on 083 281 9556 or
Gail on 084 588 1753.